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The USGS Evening Public Lecture Series events are free and are intended for a general public audience that may not be familiar with the science being discussed. Our speakers are encouraged to thoroughly explain the subject matter being presented, and to define any words or terms that may be unfamiliar to those not having a background or familiarity with the material being presented.

Lectures are held at the USGS Menlo Park Science Center in Building 3, 2nd floor conference room A, Menlo Park, California. Click on Campus Map for building location and directions.

Thursday, May 28th, 2009, 7:00 p.m.
USGS, Conference Room A, Bldg 3,
Menlo Park, California

International "Volcano Diplomacy"

Rapid response team prevents crises from becoming disasters

by John Pallister, Volcanologist

• The Volcano Disaster Assistance Program (VDAP) working with foreign counterparts responds to international volcanic crises to reduce risk and save lives
• Since 1986, VDAP scientists have responded to 24 major crises, built volcano monitoring infrastructure in 12 countries, and helped save tens of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions in property
• Recent examples from Colombia and Indonesia provide success stories of eruption forecasting and disaster prevention
• Hear about insights into the challenges, tensions, and rewards of global volcano science with humanitarian and diplomatic objectives
• Lessons learned from VDAP are applied in the United States and elsewhere to reduce the loss of life and minimize economic disruption from volcanic hazards

Video: A video archive of this lecture will be available on this website on the Current Season page one to three day's after this event.

Upcoming 2009 Public Lecture Schedule

Monthly lectures are usually scheduled for the last Thursday evening of each month during most of the year but are occasionally presented on the preceding Thursday evening to accommodate our speakers. Also, the November and December lectures are scheduled earlier in the month to avoid conflicting with speaker and customer plans during the holiday season.

Schedule subject to change

June 25 -- Mercury Cycling and Bioaccumulation in Clear Lake, California

by Tom Suchanek, USGS Western Ecological Research Center

Over the past several decades, most studies of mercury contamination have focused on atmospheric deposition, primarily from coal-fired power plants and a variety of other lesser sources. However, in many regions of the world, mining is the source of significant mercury contamination. Mercury, gold, and silver mining in the western United States, especially in California and Nevada, has contaminated many aquatic ecosystems that support commercial and sport fisheries. Clear Lake is one of the most mercury-contaminated lakes in the world, with a local abandoned mine contributing an ongoing loading of ca. 325 kg of mercury to the lake each year.

Scientists have recently published a compendium of papers in a Special Issue of Ecological Applications representing a holistic ecosystem study of the cycling and bioaccumulation of mercury within Clear Lake, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Superfund Site. This study represents the culmination of ca. 15 years of research, following mercury from the ore body, through the lake, and into the highest trophic levels, including predatory fish and birds.

Management Implications

• Mercury derived from mining sources exhibits very different cycling and bioaccumulation characteristics than mercury derived from atmospheric deposition, typically originating from coal-fired power plants.
• Mercury contamination derived from cinnabar mercury mine sites has the potential to produce highly contaminated biota, including fish species that are consumed by wildlife and humans.
• In highly mercury-contaminated lakes, methylmercury can remain stable at depths within the sediment column for decades to millenia and thus could be redistributed throughout the ecosystem by significant dredging.

July 30 -- USGS research activities at the Salton Sea -- a unique sea in transition along the Pacific Flyway -- an overview of science activities underway in the Salton Sea region involving multiple government agencies and conservation groups to support restoration of Salton Sea natural resources, including the sea's ability to sustain biological resources and associated social and economic values, presented by USGS Salton Sea Science Office Director Lee Case

August 27 -- Geothermal Energy -- a discussion of hydrothermal resources describing power generation facilities at The Geysers Geothermal Area in northern California, presented by USGS scientist Colin Williams

September 24 -- The Loma Prieta Earthquake 20th Anniversary -- a discussion of San Francisco Bay Area earthquake studies, earthquake probability forecasts, and earthquake hazard mitigation research, presented by a scientist with the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program to maximize public awareness of earthquake hazards and risk

October 29 -- Coast Salish Native American Puget Sound Water Quality Survey -- a presentation on the recent Coast Salish canoe journey which simultaneously collected water samples for USGS studies of Puget Sound water quality. This public lecture has been scheduled for late October to focus attention on cooperative activities involving Native Americans just prior to the annual November recognition of National Native American Heritage Month, presented by USGS scientist Eric Grossman

November 19 -- Aleutian Island Mega-Earthquakes and Pacific Basin Tsunami Generation -- a discussion of Aleutian Island earthquake history, the generation of large earthquakes in that region, and resultant tsunamis affecting Pacific Basin shoreline areas, presented by USGS geologists Steve Kirby and David Scholl

December 17 -- CURRENTLY UNSCHEDULED -- possibly a USGS scientist working at the Alaska Volcano Observatory presenting a summary of the recent explosive activity at Redoubt Volcano

USGS Public Events Calendar (Recorded Message) --- (650) 329-5000 For additional information on the USGS Evening Public Lecture Series please contact Amelia Barrales or telephone (650) 329-5136.