Conference on Triple Junction and Subduction Zone Tectonics for Undergraduate Geology Teachers

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Northcoastal California occupies a unique location for understanding plate tectonic processes and present day seismic risks. Recorded here is an unusually long period of deformation in a convergent margin setting; it is also the only area in the United States adjacent to a triple junction. The Mendocino triple junction marks the transition between the predominately strike-slip behavior of the San Andreas system to the south and the convergent regime of the Cascadia subduction zone to the north. The Cascadia subduction zone has the potential of generating great earthquakes and has become a top seismic hazards research priority of the US Geological Survey. A two day conference on the seismicity, neotectonics and the geological framework of northwestern California is being held for undergraduate teachers of geology. Approximately 100 participants are attending overview talks, small group workshops and field trips, all oriented towards using recent research results in undergraduate education. All presentations are being conducted by faculty who have pioneered much of the work in this area. Participants will be provided with detailed field trip notes, workshop materials and slide sets to facilitate easy assimilation into their undergraduate courses. The use of ongoing research in undergraduate education is a philosophy of the Geology Department at Humboldt State University and is a central theme of the conference. The university is also providing support for the conference.