On Tuesday May 7th at 8:00 PM the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Pasadena Office will continue their free Public Lectures with the final lecture of the 2001-2002 series. The presentation, entitled "Using GPS to Study Faults and Earthquakes in Southern California," will be given by Dr. Nancy King of the USGS Pasadena Office.

Many people know that the Global Positioning System (GPS) can tell them where they are, to within a few yards, when they are hiking, driving, or sailing a boat. Earth scientists are now using especially precise methods, and a large new GPS network, to measure small movements of the earth's crust in southern California. In between earthquakes these movements are tiny, usually only a fraction of an inch each year, and are caused by slow, steady slip on the faults that does not cause shaking and cannot be felt. These small movements form patterns that scientists use to infer which faults are slipping, and how fast. This information is vital for estimating the earthquake hazard in southern California.

All lectures are free and begin at 8 PM in Baxter Lecture Hall on the Caltech campus in Pasadena. There is plenty of free parking available.

For more information see http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/info/lectures/ or call 626-583-6801.

The Pasadena USGS Office conducts research and promotes activities to reduce earthquake hazards in Southern California. The Office works cooperatively with Caltech and the California Geological Survey (CGS) operating the Southern California Seismic Network (TriNet) to monitor earthquakes and provide information for emergency earthquake response. The Office also works with JPL, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) operating the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN) to continuously monitor crustal movements. The Office also works cooperatively with SCEC on a variety of other projects. The Pasadena USGS Office is responsible for the national operation of the ShakeMaps (ground shaking maps), the Did You Feel It? maps, and performs outreach and education activities in southern California and through the Internet.

As the nation's largest water, earth and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the USGS works in cooperation with more than 2000 organizations across the country to provide reliable, impartial, scientific information to resource managers, planners, and other customers. This information is gathered in every state by USGS scientists to minimize the loss of life and property from natural disasters, contribute to the sound conservation, economic and physical development of the nation's natural resources, and enhance the quality of life by monitoring water, biological, energy, and mineral resources.