NMMNHS, KNME team up across the state
The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science has been awarded a $25,000 grant from Institutes for Research in Seismology (IRIS) for a New Mexico EarthScope Education Program. The program has three components: (1) Science Café presentations (2) New Mexico-specific geoscience educational materials; and (3) a day-long professional development workshop for middle to high school science teachers.
In August and September, the Museum will present a series of Science Café presentations in five communities throughout the state (Albuquerque, Raton, Clovis, Aztec, and Deming). The Museum is offering this educational program in partnership with the New Mexico State Library, with support from KNME, New Mexico Tech, the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory and the University of New Mexico.
EarthScope and the New Mexico Connection
Instruments...
The IRIS/PASSCAL Facility at NM Tech supplies, and modifies, seismic instruments for research projects worldwide. The USArray Operations Facility for the United States is located at New Mexico Tech. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory (ASL) is part of the Global Seismic Network of seismographs that monitor and record all earthquakes. The recording drums in the “QuakingEarth” exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science are linked to the ASL seismograph. EarthScope is conducted in partnership with the USGS, and ASL is the siting coordinator for the “backbone array” network.
Research...
Researchers working on EarthScope research in New Mexico include scientists from NM Tech, UNM, Colorado and Texas. There are 10 geodetic observatory sites to measure horizontal movement and stress of the continent, as well as 67 USArray “transportable array” instrument sites fully operational throughout our state (and they will stay in place transmitting data for the next 18 months). Also, there are “flexible array” instruments in place in specific locations in New Mexico to send back specific data on targeted research areas.
Education...
The New Mexico EarthScope Education Project is being created and presented by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in partnership with the New Mexico State Library, with partners KNME, New Mexico Tech and UNM.
The Science Café programs titled, "EarthScope: Taking the Earth’s Pulse," will inform New Mexicans about the earthquakes and volcanoes of New Mexico – and the planet . The cafés will include information about the EarthScope project, a special presentation by a New Mexico EarthScope research scientist, hands-on activities, and refreshments.
Calendar of Museum EarthScope Science Cafés
Museum Science Café at the Library in Raton
EarthScope: Taking the Earth’s Pulse
Thursday, Aug. 14, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.; at the Arthur Johnson Memorial Library located at 244 Cook Avenue
Partners: NM State Library and KNME-TV5 with support from Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Laboratory and NM Tech.
Special guest scientist: Leo Sandoval, seismic engineer, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, U.S. Geologic Survey
For more information call (575) 445-9711 or visit: www.arthurjohnsonmemoriallibrary.blogspot.com.
Museum Science Café in Albuquerque
EarthScope: Taking the Earth’s Pulse
Saturday, Aug. 16, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the N.M. Museum of Natural History and Science
Partners: KNME-TV5 with support from Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Laboratory and NM Tech.
Special Guest Scientist: Dr. Rick Aster, seismologist, New Mexico Tech.
Museum Science Café at the Library in Clovis
EarthScope: Taking the Earth’s Pulse
Tuesday, Aug. 19, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Clovis Carver Library, 701 North Main Street
Partners: NM State Library
Special guest scientist: Leo Sandoval, seismic engineer, Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory, which is part of the U.S. Geologic Survey
For more information call (575) 769-7840 or visit:
www.library.cityofclovis.org.
Museum Science Café at the Library in Aztec
EarthScope: Taking the Earth’s Pulse
Wednesday, Sept. 3, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m., Aztec Public Library located at 319 South Ash
Partners: NM State Library and KNME-TV5 with support from Lockheed Martin/Sandia National Laboratory and NM Tech.
Special guest scientists Laura Crossey and Karl Karlstrom, from the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at UNM.
For more information call (505) 334-7658 or visit:
www.azteclibrary.org.
Museum Science Café at the Library in Deming
EarthScope: Taking the Earth’s Pulse
Tuesday, Sept. 23, 6:30 – 8 p.m., at the Marshall Memorial Library located at 110 South Diamond
Partners: NM State Library
For more information call (575) 546-9202 or visit:
www.youseemore.com/marshall.
More About EarthScope...
EarthScope is a decade-long national geoscience program whose purpose is to better understand the structure and evolution of the North American continent. EarthScope consists of several permanent observatories, located along the San Andreas Fault and in other locations, including New Mexico, and an array of temporary instruments that will be located throughout the U.S. EarthScope is funded by the National Science Foundation and conducted in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey.
EarthScope observatories and instruments are constructed and maintained in collaboration with IRIS (Institutes for Research in Seismology) and UNAVCO. For more information visit: EarthScope.