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Woods Hole Science Center Participates in an Open House at USGS Headquarters
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Woods Hole Science Center (WHSC) took part in an open house held at USGS headquarters in Reston, VA, to kick off Earth Science Week (October 10-16). Dave Nichols and Chris Polloni drove to the National Center to showcase a three-dimensional display consisting of:
Preliminary viewings were provided on Friday, October 8, and the main event was held on Saturday, October 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thousands of visitors attended the open house, and the WHSC team were kept extremely busy providing assistance with the Fledermaus bat to youngsters attempting to "fly" around the Puerto Rico Trench or over the South Carolina inner shelf. Each participant was given a Certificate of Achievement after demonstrating proficiency in handling the bat. Proud parents accepted the certificates, while the youngsters tried to sneak back for extra turns. The WHSC team were energized by the interest in virtual overflights of the study areas. The team will be adding more project data to the Geowall visualization system, which will be used as a portable display for workshops and conference activities. A nonteam data set that drew interest was a virtual three-dimensional model of main-shock and aftershock hypocenters (points in the Earth where a fault begins to rupture) for the magnitude 6.0 Parkfield, CA, earthquake of September 28, 2004. The model was downloaded from the Broadband Seismic Data Collection Center's Web site and viewed on the Geowall system with a free viewer called iView3d. The preparation for this activity was supported by many team members, including Ellen Mecray, who handled logistics as the WHSC's outreach chair; Nancy Soderberg, Fact Sheets and DVDs; and Glynn Williams, signage. Posters for the visual displays were provided by Larry Poppe, Jane Denny, Bill Schwab, Bill Danforth, Brad Butman, Tammy Middleton, Michael Bothner, Wylie Poag, and Uri ten Brink. Video and graphics material were provided by Dann Blackwood (sea-floor video), Page Valentine (maps), and Jeff Williams (DVD). Emile Bergeron helped construct the filter holders for the Geowall system. Peter Swarzenski arranged to have a ground-water Open-File Report ("Submarine Ground-Water Discharge and Its Role in Coastal Processes and Ecosystems," USGS OFR 2004-1226) sent directly to Reston. The Reston open-house team working onsite responded to all of our needs. We especially thank the folks at the Geowall Consortium who helped us with advice on getting started: Rob Newman (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego), Brian Davis (USGS, Sioux Falls, SD) and Geoffrey Phelps (USGS, Menlo Park, CA).
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in this issue:
cover story: Coastal Ground Water Discharge Benthic Habitats Near Oil Platforms Abundance and Distribution of Southern California Seabirds Suspended Sediment, Turbidity, and Fish Feeding Behavior USGS Monterey Bay Science Prototype Woods Hole Science Center Participates in Open House Scientists Rescue Boy from Rip Current USGS Biologists Receive DOI Honor Awards Oceanographer Joins Western Coastal and Marine Geology Team Netherlands Students Assist USGS in Florida Report on Hazards Offshore Ventura County |