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Oregon Convention Center, Portland, Oregon, October 18-22, 2009
Martian caves; Post-wildfire debris flows; Volcano, Earthquake, Landslide, and Tsunami Hazards, Climate Change, Water Quality and More
In this U.S. Geological Survey media tip sheet, we’ve selected and compressed some of the newest, most exciting science topics that the USGS will present at the Geological Society of America Annual Meeting. Tips are presented in chronological order with session numbers and a summary.
News media representatives are invited to visit the USGS booth in the GSA Exhibit Hall. Our exhibit highlights the core missions of the USGS. This is an easy place to connect with USGS data, publications, and information.
View the GSA Tip Sheet (PDF)
Special Events with USGS scientists
Lunchtime Keynote Addresses
Tuesday 10/20, 12:15–1:15 p.m., OCC D135/136
The Great Southern California ShakeOut: A Successful Experiment in Communicating Science and Policy
Lucile M. Jones
Town Hall Meeting: TOWARDS A GLOBAL GEOSCIENCE INITIATIVE
Tuesday, 10/20, 6:00–7:30 p.m., OCC B116
Be DRAGONs: Delta Science in the 21st Century
Suzette Kimball, USGS Acting Director
Science Pub Night
Tuesday, 10/20, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Mission Theater & Pub, 1624 NW Glisan, Portland
Serial Crimes of Subduction:
Giant Earthquakes and Tsunamis in Oregon’s Past and Future
Brian Atwater
Oral Presentations and Posters
Sunday, 10/18, 8:35 AM,B116
Constructing a 3D Geologic Map
Geoffrey Phelps
Paper No. 7-3/Oral Presentation
3D geologic mapping integrates geophysical and geostatistical techniques with traditional geologic field mapping. In this integrated 3D approach geologists, geophysicists and modelers work closely together to map geologic units and structure. The result is a quantitative, visually intuitive 3D map, well suited for process modeling applications such as earthquake hazards and contaminant transport.
Sunday, 10/18, 8:50 AM, B110/111/112
Lessons learned from the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake
David P. Schwartz
Paper 14-4/Oral Presentation
The magnitude 7.3 Hebgen Lake, Montana earthquake was one of the largest in the U.S. during the 20th century, rupturing two regional faults and displacing geomorphic features at several sites. Scientists studying the area have uncovered evidence of several previous large earthquakes on both of these faults. Earth scientists should not assume that a simple earthquake scarp represents a single paleoearthquake.
Sunday, 10/18, 8:50 AM, D135/136
Experimental Results of Carbon Sequestration in Basaltic Rocks
Robert Rosenbauer
Paper 22-4/Oral Presentation
Basaltic volcanic rocks have potential as reservoirs for carbon dioxide sequestration because of their high capacity for mineral trapping of CO2 in the form of carbonate minerals such as magnesite, siderite, and calcite. USGS scientists discuss experiments to optimize conditions for basalt reaction with CO2.
Sunday, 10/18, 9:05 AM, E 146
Alexander the Late?
Christopher Bernhardt
Paper 23-5/ Oral Presentation
Alexander the Great is thought to have settled the coastal region of Egypt west of the Nile Delta around 332 B.C. Evidence suggests the area was settled at least 700 years before Alexander’s arrival.
Sunday, 10/18, 9:10 AM, B113
Water Quality and Climate Change: Example with Acid Rock Drainage
D. Kirk Nordstrom
Paper 8-5/Oral Presentation
Climate change that increase droughts and dry periods and lead to more intense rainstorms will magnify detrimental water-quality conditions. Examples with acid-rock drainage make this phenomenon clear.
Sunday, 10/18, 2:10 PM, A106
Entrances to Tubular Caves on Mars?
Glen Cushing
Paper 66-3/Oral Presentation
Scientists studying imagery from Mars orbiting reconnaissance cameras have identified what may be windows into Martian tunnels, formed as volcanic lava tubes or subsurface tectonic features. Martian caves may offer shelter for future exploration and may also have provided environments for preservation of past or present microbial life.
Monday, 10/19, 8:30 AM, B116
Can Static Decompression of Magma Trigger Volcanic Eruptions?
Michael Poland
Paper 82-3/Oral Presentation
In March 2008, an explosion at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, heralded the start of the first summit eruption there since 1982, and the first explosive eruption since 1924. USGS scientists studying this occurrence suggest that the eruption was triggered by static decompression caused by magma withdrawal from a reservoir beneath the summit caldera. This unusual mechanism can explain high gas emissions coupled with ground subsidence during other time periods at Kilauea, and at other volcanoes as well, and has implications for volcanic hazards worldwide.
Monday, 10/19, 9:00 AM, Hall A
Zinc, Memory, and Learning
Kathryn M. Conko
Paper 119-2/ Poster Presentation, Booth # 388
Tests on mice show that high zinc concentrations in drinking water may impair learning and memory, and increase the mental effect of stress. The author will discuss locations in the U.S. where private water wells, which are not regulated, are likely to contain elevated zinc levels.
Monday, 10/19, 9:20 AM, C123
Yellowstone National Park Hydrology Reflects Climate Change
David D. Susong
Paper 89-6/Oral Presentation
Loss of snow accumulation due to climate warming causes changes in both the timing and magnitude of spring peak discharge in snowmelt dominated streams. Across western North America, increasing temperatures have caused a noticeable shift toward earlier periods of peak snowmelt and resultant changes in streamflow measurements. Large-scale climate forces such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and El Niño Southern Oscillation, together with other regional and localized factors, influence the magnitude of weather variation in Yellowstone National Park.
Monday, 10/19, 9:35 AM, Portland Ballroom 254
Improving Community Natural Hazard Resiliency -- the Scientist, the Agency, and Reality
Craig S. Weaver
Paper 74-4/Oral Presentation
The recent discovery of active faults in the Puget Sound basin provides a new impetus for improving communication and implementing earthquake hazard mitigation activities in vulnerable communities. Community activities and tools for implementing earthquake preparedness measures, based on natural hazard research findings in the Puget Sound area, are presented and discussed.
Monday, 10/19, 9:50 AM, Portland Ballroom 254
Community Vulnerability Pacific Northwest Tsunamis
Nathan Wood
Paper 74-5/Oral Presentation
To prepare at-risk populations in coastal communities in the Pacific Northwest for future tsunamis, emergency managers need to know how communities are vulnerable to possible tsunami inundation. Efforts to assess variations in the exposure, sensitivity and resilience of communities to tsunami hazards is explored, as well as the use of satellite imagery and demographic-sensitivity modeling.
Monday, 10/19, 10 AM, B116
A Major Explosive Eruption and Aftermath in the Aleutians
Christopher F. Waythomas
Paper 82-8/Oral Presentation
Kasatochi Volcano is a small island in the central Aleutian Islands of Alaska that erupted spectacularly in 2008. The island is a wildlife study site, a major nesting area for seabirds, and was an area of concern following explosive eruptions producing ash and gas plumes reaching 13-15 km above sea level. Field studies document and monitor geomorphic changes, and evaluate the ecological impacts of the eruptions on several hundred thousand seabirds.
Monday, 10/19, 10:05 AM, Portland Ballroom 254
Tackling the Challenges to Reduce Risk from Volcanic Hazards
John Ewert
Paper 74-6/Oral Presentation
Challenges facing volcanic risk mitigation include availability of high-quality monitoring data, developing reliably accurate warning systems, and communicating with communities at risk. Volcanic eruptions in any particular volcanic system may be dormant for periods of time that exceed public memory of the potential hazards they pose. To ensure community preparedness, earth scientists need to work with geographers and social scientists to describe how eruptive activity may affect a community's population and impact economic activity, infrastructure, and critical facilities.
Monday, 10/19, ~11:45 AM, E147/148
“Did You See It?”
Lynn Highland
Paper 92-14/Oral Presentation
An upcoming USGS website will collect reports of landslide occurrence in the United States from the public and practitioners. This website will be launched in coordination with an emergency planning exercise for landslides, floods, and coastal erosion, organized by the USGS Southern California Multi-Hazards Project and its partners for Spring 2010.
Monday, 10/19, 1:30 PM, E147/148
When It Rains It Pours -- Challenges of Pacific Northwest Landslides
Thomas C. Pierson
Paper 142-1/Oral Presentation
Despite major advances in landslide science, obstacles to progress remain that need to be resolved to increase effective hazard mitigation policies and improve public safety.
Monday, 10/19 1:35 PM, C123
USGS Geology Goes Digital for Alaska National Parks
Frederic H. Wilson
Paper 136-1/Oral Presentation
USGS scientists are working with the National Park Service to develop digital geologic data for Alaska National Parks. USGS and NPS are merging information to capitalize on the strengths of each agency’s data while developing software compatibility for creating geologic maps.
Monday, 10/19, D135/136
Session 140
All Oral Presentations
Risks And Realities: Current Advances In Understanding Societal Risk And Resilience To Natural Hazards
1:55 Pm
A National Research Agenda For Hazards, Risk, And Resilience
Linda C.S. Gundersen
140-2
2:15 Pm
Variations In Population Exposure And Sensitivity To Lahar Hazards From Mount Rainier, Washington
Nathan J. Wood
140-3
3:15 Pm
Roles For Earth Scientists In Helping To Enhance Resilience To The Environmental And Environmental-Health Consequences Of Disasters
Geoffrey S. Plumlee
140-7
4:00 Pm
Assessing Volcanic Hazards And Risks To Aviation
Marianne Guffanti
140-9
Tuesday, 10/20, 8:00 AM, B 114/115
Can Clean Coal Be a Reality?
Leslie Ruppert, Allan Kolker and Sean Brennan
Session 166/ Oral Presentation
Experts on ancient climates, carbon sequestration, climate change and its consequences explore why and how the negative environmental impact of coal use can be reduced or eliminated.
Tuesday, 10/20, 8:05 AM, D135/136
The USGS Toolbox for Earthquake Planning and Response
Gavin Hayes
Paper No. 164-1/Oral Presentation
The USGS, under the auspices of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS), is continuing to develop new and improved tools for post-earthquake information and response. First responders, critical lifeline utilities, other companies, the media, and individuals can use all of these tools for making decisions about earthquake planning and response in both local and global environments.
Tuesday, 10/20, 9:00 AM, D135/136
Post-Wildfire Debris Flow and Flash Flood Early Warning System
Sue Cannon
Paper 164-4/Oral Presentation
Flash floods and debris flows are common following wildfires in southern California. NOAA and USGS scientists have established a warning system for recently burned areas to provide web-based information on each area and to display hazard maps of those areas most likely to produce the largest debris flows.
Tuesday, 10/20, 11:40 AM, E141/142
Groundwater Resources Vulnerable to Competing Demands and Climate Change
Matthew Bachmann
Paper 145-14/Oral Presentation
Residents of the Yakima River basin in eastern Washington are struggling with issues of water allocation. The agricultural economy is competing with increasing water needs for municipal, fisheries, industrial, and recreational uses. Scientists have developed tools to address water management issues and potential regional climate change to help accommodate uses and needs within the basin.
Monday, 10/20, 2:05 PM, E147/148
Rapid response of deep bedrock landslides to rainfall, coastal Oregon
Bill Schulz
Paper 142-3/Oral Presentation
Deep landslides along the Oregon coast pose significant hazards to human safety and the built environment. Atypical of deep bedrock landslides that generally move months after the wet season, these coastal slides move within hours or days of intense, prolonged rainfall. Infiltration of rainfall in only the upslope part of each slide causes pore-water pressure to increase rapidly and trigger movement days to weeks before pressure increases occur from infiltration through most of each landslide body. These findings may assist in landslide hazard mitigation.
Tuesday, 10/20, 2:15 PM, B114/115
Peak Coal, When?
Robert C. Milici
Paper 215-3/Oral Presentation
U.S. coal production will likely peak sometime in the latter part of this century – but the precise timing is uncertain. What circumstances will bring about the decline of coal, and why could that decline come in just a few decades?
Tuesday, 10/20, 3:10 PM, D137/138
Environmental- and health-hazards characterization of ash and soils from wildland and residential areas burned by 2007–2009 southern California wildfires
Geoff Plumlee
Presentation 212-5/Oral Presentation
A summary of data and interpretations on ash produced by many recent wildfires in southern California, including the Station fire that burned over 160,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Los Angeles in late August-early September, 2009.
Tuesday 10/20 2:05 PM, D137/138
Communicating Health Hazards of Volcanic Ash Fall
Kristi Wallace
Paper 212-2/Oral Presentation
USGS scientists and colleagues, have developed a method for significantly improving public hazard communication, enabling more timely warnings of ash fall and air quality conditions during an eruption, and are working to develop field tests to assess health hazards associated with the chemical leaching of ash deposits.
Tuesday, 10/20, 9AM-6 PM, Hall A
Virtual Volcano Tours and Geologic Concepts
Dina Venezky
Paper 192-8/Poster, Booth #366
The USGS Volcano Hazards Program is using Google™ Map technology to provide real-time information about volcanoes around the world. Virtual field trips, including one to the Long Valley Caldera area, illustrate geologic concepts, providing information on eruption type, geologic features, and volcanic gases.
See: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov
Tuesday, 10/20, 4PM-6 PM, Hall A
The Perfect Debris Flow
Richard Iverson
Paper 190-5/Poster Presentation, Booth# 339
Combined results from 28 large-scale experiments reveal patterns and sources of variability in debris-flow dynamics. To model debris flow dynamics, scientists used water-saturated sand and gravel to study flow thicknesses and mobility in sediments consisting of various particle sizes.
Tuesday, 10/21, 2:25PM, D137/138
Sampling Soils, Sediment, Debris and Ash Produced by Disasters
Todd Hoefen
Paper 212-3/Oral Presentation
To characterize the potential health and environmental characteristics of materials produced by environmental disasters, such as dust and debris from the 2001 World Trade Center disaster, flood sediments from hurricanes, and ash and soil from the southern California wildfires, the USGS has developed protocols to carry out rapid-response environmental sampling following disasters. Scientists face many challenges while undertaking such sampling efforts.
Wednesday, 10/22, 4:30PM, C124
Evaluating debris flow hazards by helicopter
Carol Finn
Paper 280-9/Oral Presentation
Hydrothermally altered rocks, particularly if water- saturated and covered by ice, weaken volcanoes and can lead to far-traveled, destructive debris flows. Instruments dangling beneath helicopters over the rugged, ice-covered Mts. Adams, Baker and Rainier volcanoes provide a means for seeing into the volcanoes to reveal the 3-dimensional distribution of hydrothermal alteration, water, and partial ice volume critical for evaluating their debris flow hazard.
Wednesday, 10/21, 4PM-6 PM, Hall A
The Complex Afghanistan Situation – Blending Geology and Tectonics for Mineral Wealth
Celia Tiemi Onishi
Paper 254-9/Poster Presentation, Booth #283
The complex geology of Afghanistan results from successive phases of subduction and accretion of continental fragments from the ancient landmass of Gondwanaland, and can be divided into seven main tectonic blocks. To identify mineral resources in the context of the regional tectonics, scientists have classified the principle mineral deposits in Afghanistan according to their geology and tectonic settings.
Wednesday, 10/22, 10:15 AM, Portland Ballroom 253
Pesticide Affects Uncertain
William Battaglin
Paper 218-8/Oral Presentation
Glyphosate formulations such as Roundup® are used in homes and on more than 100 crops. USGS scientists have discovered they are more mobile and occur more widely in the environment than previously thought.
