Earthquakes! at next Earth and Space Open House

GPS crustal monitoring instrument at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona

A GPS station monitors crustal movements on a scale of millimeters per year at Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. It belongs to the Plate Boundary Observatory, part of EarthScope. This helps scientists understand how the crust of the Southwest is deforming and where we might expect earthquakes. Photo by UNAVCO/EarthScope

By Robert Burnham |
October 19, 2015

Earthquakes affect nearly every part of the world, and several times a year, large ones cause great human, social, and economic damage. Yet these powerful natural events also give geoscientists their best way to probe into the structure of our planet as they seek to understand the forces that are continually at work to change it.

Come join ASU geology professor Dr. Steven Semken on Oct. 23 as he gives a popular-level talk on Earth's extensive seismological history, as well as a focused discussion on earthquakes right here in Arizona.

The free talk will be given at 8:15 p.m. in the Marston Exploration Theater at the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV (ISTB 4) on ASU’s Tempe campus.

Before and after the talk, planetarium shows (in 3-D) will be shown at 7:15 and 9:15 p.m., also in the Marston Exploration Theater. (Seating is first-come, first-served, and the theater will be cleared after each event.)

Telescopes will be set up for sky viewing (weather permitting) from 8 to 10 p.m. next to the James Turrell Skyscape art installation (follow the signs).

As usual, there will be many exciting demonstrations and activities in the state-of-the-art ISTB4 Gallery of Scientific Exploration by experts in astrobiology, geology, cosmology, planetary science, and more.

The monthly open house is sponsored by the School of Earth and Space Exploration, GeoClub, AstroDevils: ASU Astronomy Club, Icarus Rocketry, Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), the Center for Meteorite Studies (CMS) and others.

For more information, visit earthspaceopenhouse.weebly.com or visit the Facebook event page. There will be two more open houses this academic year: February 5, 2016 and April 8, 2016.

The School of Earth and Space Exploration is an academic unit of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.