VSSAC Monthly Meetings
Home of the Sutter Buttes Volcano Observatory
November Meeting Thursday, November 6, 2008, 6:30 PM
This month’s presentation will be by
Tom Box
Geothermal Consultant and prior VP of Geothermal Development for Calpine Corporation
"The Geysers - The Nature, Development and
Preservation of a Unique Resource"
October Meeting Wednesday, October 15, 2008, 6:30 PM
This month’s presentation will be by
Dr. David Clague
Senior Scientist, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Moss Landing, CA
"Widespread Pyroclastic Eruptions of Mid-ocean Ridge Basalt”
April
Meeting Monday, April 21, 2008, 6:30 PM
This month’s presentation will
be by
Dr. Larry Mastin
Cascades Volcano Observatory
U.S. Geological Survey
"Dust
in the cabin: How volcanologists help aviators
avoid volcanic ash clouds”
Abstract (advertisement) for the April VSSAC talk:
Imagine yourself in the
following situation. An eruption pops off in a distant corner of the Aleutian
Islands. A large volcanic ash cloud is starting to form over the volcano and drift
downwind. Airplane pilots know they need to avoid this cloud. They recall 1990,
when a jet flew through an ash cloud at Redoubt volcano in Alaska, all four engines
stalled and the jet nearly crashed. High-level computer modelers are standing
by, ready to tell the Aviation authorities where the ash cloud is headed so that
jets can be re-routed. But wait! They need critical information-from you, the
volcanologist. How high is the plume? How much ash is being pumped into the atmosphere?
How big are the ash particles? They can't wait for you to map the deposit, sieve
the tephra, and spend weeks analyzing gigabytes of
satellite data. They need
numbers NOW! So, what do you do?
Come to the talk, and find out how volcanologists
work with aviators
to avoid the hazards of volcanic ash.
The meeting begins with the traditional potluck at 6:30pm at the VSSAC Headquarters Central (AKA the "VSSAC Club House") Room 2004, Geology Dept/Placer Hall, on the campus of California State University, Sacramento. Make sure to bring along a dish to share and something to drink. If it needs to be hot, insulate it well. There are a couple of microwave ovens available too.
campus map
For more information about the meeting, contact Brian Hausback.
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