Tracking big quakes around the world
Descriptions of destructive earthquakes and their effects have been preserved for hundreds of years in oral and written histories of people from around the world. Geologic records contain even longer, multi-thousand year records of the ground shaking and its effects. However, the science of studying earthquakes—seismology—is relatively young, only about 100 years old. The destructive earthquakes of the past decade not only shook cities, countries and continents, but also provided unprecedented datasets for scientists to study. Using the information collected from those large earthquakes has helped researchers to better understand the processes associated with such devastating events.
On Feb. 14 at 7 p.m., Natasha Ruppert will discuss several of the significant earthquakes that have happened in the last five years. Ruppert, seismologist at the Geophysical Institute’s Alaska Earthquake Information Center, will present “Recent Earthquakes That Shook the World” in the Westmark Gold Room. The lecture will be the third installment in the 20th annual Science for Alaska Lecture Series.
Science for Alaska 2012 is sponsored by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. The series runs on Tuesdays through Mar. 6, 2012 and is free to the public.
Hands-on activities for all ages begin at 6:30 p.m. inside the Gold Room. Families are welcome.
ON THE WEB: http://www.scienceforalaska.com
SS/2-9-12/154-12
Stevie Seibert, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, 907-474-5229, stevie.seibert@gi.alaska.edu
Natalia Ruppert, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, 907-474-7422, natasha@gi.alaska.edu
Amy Hartley, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, 907-474-5823, amy.hartley@gi.alaska.edu
