PUBLIC TO EXPLORE VOLCANOS, EARTHQUAKES AT PITT GEOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Pittsburgh, Nov. 8 -- Ever wonder how scientists thousands of miles away detect and measure, earthquakes? Want to see your house via satellite? Three labs in University of Pittsburgh's Department of Geology and Planetary Science are opening their doors to the public on Wednesday, Nov. 15, as part of the international GIS (Geological Information Systems) Day.

Pitt's event, "Geohazards and Remote Sensing, Southwestern Pennsylvania and Planet Earth," will take place in Room 201, Thaw Hall, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. To register, call 412-624-8784 or e-mail to: tbowers@pitt.edu.

Guests will interactively locate earthquakes, volcanoes, and steep slopes, and view high-resolution interactive images of the five counties of southwestern Pennsylvania as well as selected high-resolution images of other planets. Lectures and demonstrations of GIS and Remote Sensing software will display geological hazards related to slope, floor, earthquake, and volcanic activity. Guests also will learn about volcanic hazards and volcanic features on Mars.

"GIS is a computer-based tool that combines the power of a database with the visualization capabilities offered by maps," said William Harbert, professor of geology and planetary science at Pitt. "Most people are unaware of it, but they are probably benefiting from GIS technology when they use an automated teller machine, pull a map off the Internet, receive an overnight delivery, or stop at a fast food restaurant."

The Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing Laboratory, the Image Visualization and Infrared Spectroscopy (IVIS) Laboratory, and the Planetary Mapping Laboratory are sponsoring Pitt's event, which is part of a week-long global celebration, Geography Awareness Week (November 12–18), principally sponsored by the National Geographic Society, the Association of American Geographers, the University Consortium for Geographic Information Science, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Library of Congress, and the Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. (ESRI).

"GIS technology is used throughout the world to solve problems in such areas as environmental protection, health care, land use, business efficiency, education, social inequities, and much more," said Harbert. "GIS helps the police make our neighborhoods safer, our energy providers supply us with continuous power, and health officials keep us free from disease."

Harbert maintains many helpful and entertaining links to GIS-related web pages on his web site, http://harbert.geology.pitt.edu.

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