Public Lecture Series

USGS Shipboard Research Sparked Scientific Advances

By William R. Normark, and
David W. Scholl, Marine Geologists

• Alaskan work from the Survey's M/V Eider in the 1950's led to visualizing how great earthquakes and tsunamis originate along trenches
• In the 1970's, researchers discovered deep-sea "black

Hear why California makes an ideal environment for landslides North face

By Gerald F. Wieczorek, Geological Engineer, and
Raymond C. Wilson, Landslide Geologist

• Hear why California makes an ideal environment for landslides North face
• Learn about rock falls, debris flows, and other landslides Rocks fall

35 Years of San Francisco Bay Studies

By John Conomos, Scientist Emeritus

• USGS research in the Bay system began in the 1960s with a search for underwater earthquake faults
• In the 1970s, the research team expanded to cover studies of water properties and quality, water mixing and flow, and estuarine ecology

The Revolution in Mapping at the U.S. Geological Survey

by Susan P. Benjamin, Research Geographer

• Mapping the United States in the 19th century was arduous, dangerous work; flash floods, bears, and bandits were just a few hazards
• By the mid-20th century, aerial photography, photogrammetry, and stereophoto pairs, allowed

The Trans-Alaska Pipeline story-- so far, so good!

by George Gryc, Arthur Lachenbruch, and Robert Page, Scientists Emeriti

• The 1968 discovery of North America.s largest oil fi eld on the Arctic coast posed the challenge of an 800-mile pipeline to carry hot oil across mountains, rivers, and the giant Denali Fault
• The oil

Connecting Geology and Wine in Napa Valley

by David G. Howell, Geologist Emeritus

• Does a glass of wine really contain 100 million years of geologic history ?
• How did continental glaciation help shape the Napa Valley's soils?
• Are the hills in Napa Valley that help control its microclimates really megalandslides

What is the Future of the Southern Sea Otter?

Featuring the new award-winning USGS video Precipice of Survival. The Southern Sea Otter by Stephen Wessells, introduced and discussed by sea otter researchers including Alisha H. Kage and M. Tim Tinker, Research Biologists 

• The southern subspecies of sea otter, Enhydra lutris

The Role of Paleomagnetism in the Evolution of Plate Tectonic Theory Video Presentation

Presentation of the award-winning USGS video "Secrets in Stone" (35 minutes), introduced by Jack Hillhouse, Research Geophysicist, and followed by a tour of the USGS Paleomagnetics Laboratory

• Crucial discoveries in the early 1960.s were made

The Methyl Bromide Story

By Laurence G. Miller, Biogeochemist

• Methyl bromide (CH3Br) is an important agricultural pesticide widely used in growing strawberries and other field crops
• Methyl bromide---much of it from natural sources---is one of the gases contributing to destruction of Earth's ozone layer
• No

Video presentation and discussion

Ecologist Jim Cloern will introduce the video Delta Revival, produced jointly by the USGS and the CALFED Bay-Delta Authority. 

USGS Scientists wil answer your questions about this documentary, which shows:

• biologists, chemists, physical scientists, and engineers working together

50 Years of the USGS in Menlo Park

By David G. Howell, Geologist

Hear about some of the scientific highlights from 1954 to 2004 --

• The search for strategic minerals
• Exploring the high seas
• The birth of astrogeology
• Advancing the theory of plate tectonics
• From topo maps to digital GIS