Public Service 1994/95
Institute for Crustal Studies Outreach Activities

Seismology Curriculum Using CUBE for Santa Barbara County Schools

Ongoing

This is the second year of a project funded by the University of Southern California, Southern California Earthquake Center as part of their Education and Outreach Progam. The project is directed by Professor Ralph J. Archuleta in collaboration with Robert Pizzi, a high school teacher at Bishop Garcia Diego High School.

The purpose of the project is to incorporate seismology into the curricula of the Santa Barbara City high schools utilizing the CUBE system and to construct seismic displays which include the CUBE hardware and a recording seismograph at 3 high schools. The intent is to stimulate interest in seismology among students, staff, parents, the general public, and the local media.

During the summer of 1994, part of an administration office at Bishop Garcia Diego High school was re-modeled to house the pen and ink seismograph and the CUBE system hardware. The glass encased, oak wood trimmed display is located in the main corridor where it can be viewed by the largest number of people. A remote keypad is available (four keys only) for the inquiring person to interact with the CUBE.

Phase II of the project, in progress in summer and fall of 1995, continues the project with installation of CUBE systems at San Marcos and Dos Pueblos High Schools, the training of campus participants in operation, usage and maintenance of the systems, and the incorporation of the CUBE data into the various curricula at each school.

NEWTON

Ongoing

Grant Lindley continues to volunteer for the computer bulletin board system, called NEWTON, run by the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois. Students from kindergarten through high school use the bulletin board to leave questions regarding science, which are later answered by scientists working in the field of study that the students are interested in. Lindley usually logs on once or twice per week and answers the questions that pertain to earthquakes and the earth. The types of questions asked include, When will the next big earthquake happen in California? What type of volcano is Mauna Kea in Hawaii? How did the Richter scale originate? The students who leave questions are enthusiastic and curious and it is not unusual for them to ask follow-up questions.

This program, by the way, is slated for elimination in the latest round of Congressional budget cutting.

ICS Symposium/Field trip

January 22, 1995

E.A. Keller, L.D. Gurrola, and T.W. Dibblee, Jr. led about 45 participants in the ICS Transverse Ranges Symposium on the earthquake hazard of the Santa Barbara Fold Belt.

UCSB Prospective Graduate Students Lectures

March 10, 1995

Presentations by E.A. Keller, L.D. Gurrola, and T.W. Dibblee, Jr. on Santa Barbara Fold Belt research conducted thus far. Keller and Gurrola also led students on a tour of Santa Barbara.


UCSB Alumni Field trip as part of Webb Hall Dedication

April 3, 1995

E.A. Keller and L.D. Gurrola guided about 40 UCSB alumni on the Santa Barbara Fold Belt field trip.


UCSB EQ Day Earthquake Hazard Display

April 13, 1995

Earthquake awareness exhibit displayed for UCSB's earthquake day activities.

Coast Geological Society

April 18, 1995

EQ Hazards Display and Keller/Gurrola Talk "Earthquake hazards of the Santa Barbara Fold Belt".


Santa Barbara Earth Day

April 23, 1995

EQ Hazards Exhibit of the Santa Barbara Fold Belt.

Isla Vista Elementary, Slide and Oral Presentation

May 5, 1995

Ralph Archuleta made an earthquake presentation to Mrs. Armstrong's Fourth grade class. The class consisted of 28 students and 3 instructors/supervisors. The 45 minute slide and oral presentation was followed by an interactive session, supervised by Ralph Archuleta and Aaron Martin. Small groups of students took turns using a Portable Broadband Instrument Center Digital Acquisition System, sensor and palmtop to look at stomp tests. Following this, each student created their own "earthquake" by jumping up and down near a sensor. These "earthquakes" were recorded using both a manual trigger and a continuous recording. The recorded data was subsequently downloaded and a series of plots produced for the students and instructors. Both students and instructors were VERY enthusiastic about the presentation.

UCSB Office of Government Relations & ICS: Seminar # 1, Microzonation

May 24, 1995

Luyendyk, Keller and Archuleta presented a talk entitled "Microzonation: a new technique in seismic hazard evaluation" to Santa Barbara city officials and planning staff.

Cosmopolitan Club of Santa Barbara, Inc. : Earthquake hazards of the SBFB and Bradbury Dam

May 25, 1995

E. A. Keller presented a talk on the potential for failure of Bradbury Dam, as well as research up-to-date to a group of retired business and professional people.

Peabody Charter School presentation on earthquakes

May 31, 1995

Marc Kamerling gave a talk/presentation on earthquakes to Miss Juli Morris' 2nd grade class at Peabody Charter School. Aaron Martin came along and set up a portable seismometer. They explained its function and recorded an "earthquake" (stomp) from each student, and the whole class. The talk generated a lot of interest from the students, and was discussed the next day. Aaron printed out each student's stomp record and the record for the whole class which Marc took to them the next day. He borrowed some of the earthquake material from Bob Pizzi , and the rest of the maps and props were from ICS or his own.

Coast Geological Society field trip

June 3, 1995

Keller and Gurrola led about 45 Coast Geological Society members on the SBFB field trip.

Presentation to senior citizens at Francisco Torres

June 26, 1995

Michael Watkins, undergraduate researcher, gave the first of two talks on elementary seismology and earthquake detection methods. He brought along maps showing the seismicity of California, full color snapshots from Kim Olsen's 3-D simulation of a rupture on the Palos Verde fualt and components of a digital seismic recording station. Mike was able to show how earthquakes are recorded, and the difference between a strong motion sensor and a weak motion sensor using this equipment, on loan from the SCEC's PBIC lab. The audience was particularly interested in the tendency of soft soils to amplify ground motion, using the examples from Kim's simulation for emphasis.