'Sunday with a Scientist' ventures into volcanoes, hotspots

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The University of Nebraska State Museum will present a Sunday with a Scientist program about volcanoes and hotspots, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., Jan. 16 at Morrill Hall. The presentation will include information on plate tectonics, new discoveries in geology, and the supervolcano at Yellowstone National Park.

The program, "Volcanoes and Hotspots," will be led by Cindy Loope, state museum educator; and David Loope, professor of geology. The scientists will share information about the EarthScope program and the latest discoveries resulting from recent data collected from hundreds of seismic stations across the American West.

By piecing together the Earth's tectonic plates and exploring Yellowstone's geologic record, visitors will determine the direction the North American plate is moving. They will investigate the boundaries where the plates meet, monitor volcanoes and earthquakes in real time and discover the ties between Yellowstone's volcanic past and the fossil record of Nebraska mammals.

Sunday with a Scientist is a series of presentations that highlight the work of State Museum scientists and those from other UNL departments and institutions, while educating children and families on a variety of topics related to science and natural history. Presenters share scientific information in a fun and informal way through demonstrations, activities, or by conducting their science on site.

Upcoming Sunday with a Scientist topics are: Feb. 20 - Parasitology; March 20 - Lasers and Photonics; April 17 - Fruit; May 15 - Extreme Weather; June 19 - Tissue Mechanics; July 17 - Fish; Aug. 21 - Climate Change; Sept. 18 - Plants; Oct. 16 - Fossils; Nov. 20 - Viruses; and Dec. 18 - Minerals.

For more information, go to http://www.museum.unl.edu or call (402) 472-3779.

- Dana Ludvik, NU State Museum

More details at: http://go.unl.edu/6cq