Earthquakes!

Science for the Public: The Public Science Lecture Series
March 16, 2010 Belmont Media Center, Belmont MA

Colleen Dalton, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Boston University

In recent years, earthquakes have made no secret of their potential for devastation. Their tremendous destructive power has been especially evident during the first two months of 2010, when large earthquakes in Haiti and Chile caused many thousands of deaths. Dr. Dalton describes the physical processes and tectonic forces that cause earthquakes, and why the level and types of seismicity vary from place to place. She also explains what we can learn about our planet’s interior by studying earthquakes.

dalton

Professor Colleen Dalton's research focus is earthquakes, and specifically how the seismic waves generated by earthquakes reveal the structure of the Earth’s interior. Her work is crucial to understanding the deadly forces we’ve witnessed in the last several months, particularly in Haiti and Chile.

Selected Geology Resources