| OCR Text |
Show The Utah Statesman Campus NeWs " .. • VOLCANO From page 1 volcano. He said Yellowstone itself sits atop a plume of magma under the earth's crust and that magma comes up and produces another crust, a "crustal magma chamber," and then that erupts to the surface to create geysers or hypothermal systems. One big change to the landscape has been the rising of valleys and the sinking of mountains. In 1973 on the south end of Yellowstone Lake, a submerged boat dock at Peale Island was discovered. It's the caldera, a crater formed by a volcano eruption, in the center that's causing the uplift, Smith said. From 1991 to 1995, the caldera was going down, but the trend went up from 1995 to 2000, and now from 2004 to 2006, it is "really going up," he said. "When you pump up a balloon, it rises vertically and expands laterally," he said. That's what , the magma plume is doing under the surface of the earth. He said that geysers in Yellowstone need the volcano to survive. And the earthquakes also help with that. Yellowstone records 1,000 to 3,000 earthquakes per year. "It's all linked together. Yellowstone is based on a plume," Smith said. "The plume is fixed in space and the plate is moving southwest." He showed an example of this motion with a bottle of molasses and a table. The plume, an upwelling of magma, would be the molasses being poured onto a table, and if someone moved the table, then the molasses would spread out over the table. "But in the case of the plume, it would be flowing upwards instead of down onto a table," Smith added. "We just calculate statistical probability, the likelihood using aging statistics. It's mathematical. We take the ages, and they repeat the average frequency of the events and then calculate when the last event occurred, and what's the probability of exceeding the threshold of an eruption, or an earthquake or a fault." Smith said. Compared to earth's history, Yellowstone is very young, he said. "Only two million years out of a four-and-a-half billion history of the earth," Smith said. "So in human time, I say it was only the last five seconds." Smith has studied Yellowstone for more than 40 years and directs the park's seismic and GPS network. With that project, he helps monitor the temperature of the ground on the boardwalks around the geysers and the probability of a large earthquake occurring. One large earthquake was the Hebgen Lake earthquake in 1959 in Montana, which had a magnitude 7-5. "It's the biggest earthquake in the interior of the U.S. not including the San Andreas. The San Andreas has larger earthquakes and a lot more deaths, of course," he said. He said the lake water is generally cold, but the temperature increases from the hot springs and can bring the Yellowstone water temperature up to a little more than 100 degrees. His studies showed that the first Yellowstone eruption, more than 21 million years ago, spanned across 600 cubic miles. That range included about 18 states around the south, east and west. Yellowstone's measured caldera today covers all of the national park and into Idaho and Montana. The oldest lava flows are in the center of the caldera and spread out to younger ones from there. The youngest lava flow was the 70,000-year-old Ritchstone Plateau flow, which formed the Beachler Meadows. The studies he presented this past week are part of a paper he is compiling which he plans to have done by April. To see the pictures and some of the videos he presented, go to www.yellowstonegis.utah.edu. -ranaebang@cc.usu.edu Physics enthusiasts hold Briefs evening of experiments Campus & Community ics using marshmallows and different lengths of PVC pipe. "I discovered that mini-mallows fit Physics teachers, students and enthu- perfectly into quarter-inch PVC pipe," Shropshire said. "What a glorious day!" siasts gathered in the Eccles Science He blew a marshmallow only a few Learning Center auditorium Friday evening for a two-hour experiment dem- feet using a short length of pipe, and onstration. Physics professors from USU, then he increased distance using what he said was the same force of breath but Brigham Young University, Weber State University, University of Utah and Idaho with longer lengths of pipe. He finished State University presented and explained with a piece of pipe about 3 feet long, which sent the marshmallow all the way the physics of batteries, magnetics, fricto the top of the auditorium. tion and other properties in a roundrobin format beginning at 7 p.m. Then Shropshire repeated the experiment with a looped piece of pipe, "like The demonstrations were part of a the French horn I played in high school," two-day conference, the 26th annual he said. The marshmallow went only a meeting of the Idaho-Utah section of short distance like at the beginning of the American Association of Physics demonstration, and Shropshire asked Teachers. the audience questions to deduce that Several demonstrations utilized the the friction caused by the shape of the audience, of which more than one-third pipe slowed the force consisted of children. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ m^^m^^^^^mm of the marshmallow. In one demonsration, 15 children stood in "It is twice as line and held copper long as the longest and aluminum-plated straight piece of pipe, sticks to generate voltbut friction keeps it age, making a "human "/ discovered thatmini-marshmal- from shooting as far," battery." lows fit perfectly into quarter-inch Shropshire said. Demonstrators USU physics departPVC pipe. What a glorious day!" from BYU, Wayne ment head James Peterson and Robert Coburn led the battery Steve Shropshire, Beck Clark, experipower demonstration, Idaho State professor mented with glow showed how salt water — sticks on a spinning can conduct electricity, ^—^—^—^—- ^ and cut open a 9-volt handle. They spun battery. three glow sticks, one of each primary color, fast enough to make a white-light Ziggy Peacock and Adam Beehler of the University of Utah did several exper- color wheel. With the lights off in the auditorium, they showed that one can iments with small metal balls. They influence the color of the wheel by dipshowed how by letting one ball roll into a row of others, the force is amplified on ping one glowstick in hot water to make it brighter and therefore dominant in the the last ball, causing it to shoot across wheel. the room. Other events at the conference "It is just like those pendulum-type swinging balls that you see sitting on an included an honor society induction dinner, presentations by various speakers executive's desk," Peacock said. and more demonstrations on Saturday. Friction was demonstrated by Steve Shropshire of ISU, who claimed his start Participation was open to anyone interested in physics education. in physics came from shooting spitballs in his school days. He showed the audi~chelseyg@cc.usu.edu ence a larger version of spitball phsy- . BY CHELSEY GENSEL Staff Writer Speak Up UNIVERSITY OF UTAH PROFESSOR Adam Jamie (rane/jamiecrane@cc.u$u.edu Beehler demonstrated the effects of amplified force on metal balls Friday evening. Contact USU Police at 797-1939 for non-emergencies. Anonymous reporting line: 797-5000 EMERGENCY NUMBER: 911 Blotter Police News from'the Campus & Community Friday, March 16, 2007 • Police responded to Aggie Village to talk about some text messages that an individual has been receiving. • Police responded to the University Inn to assist with over 200 kids staying in the Inn that were being a little unruly. They were all directed to their rooms and to stay inside and be quiet. They all cooperated. • USU police responded to the west side of the Fine Arts Center on an emergency phone alarm. When tjie officer arrived there was no one in the area needing assistance. It should be noted that there was a large group of juveniles on campus and in the area. Saturday, March 17, 2007 • USU police responded to the southwest area of the HPER building on a wild turkey in the area. Police were informed by Logan City Animal Control to leave the bird alone, unless it becomes a traffic hazard. There was no further action taken. • Police investigated a traffic accident with no injuries. The driver struck a sign post damaging it and the car. alcohol offense. Upon arrival, the subjects in question had already left the area. There was no further action taken. • USU police responded to Bullen Hall for a report of fireworks in the area. No one was in the area setting off fireworks when police arrived. Monday, March 19, 2007 • USU police responded to Merrill Hall on the report of a fire inside of one of the dorm rooms. USU police responded along with Logan City Fire Department where it was found that a female individual had received burns from a grease fire. The fire was extinguished and the female individual was transported to Logan Regional Hospital. • USU police responded to the USU trailer park where two female individuals who were house sitting found a door open after seeing a suspicious man earlier that day. USU police searched the trailer and were unable find any suspicious activity. • USU police responded to the Fine Arts building were a fire alarm had been activated. Police found that a fire sensor in one of the theatres had been tripped by a helium balloon. Sunday, March 18, 2007 • USU police responded to the east side of building 24 of the Aggie Village on an TViesday, March 20, 2007 diamond wedding ring. The complaint stated that she last saw her ring on the evening of March 10, 2007- The complainant was advised to check at any lost and found on campus where she may have been. • USU police responded to the Mountain View Tower for an elevator alarm. The two subjects were rescued from the elevator and the elevator was reset and is working properly. Wednesday, March 21, 2007 • USU police responded to an emergency phone alarm in the Aggie Parking Terrace. There was no one in need of assistance anywhere in the Terrace when the officer arrived. Also the alarm seemed to have reset itself prior to the officers arrival. Thursday, March 22, 2007 • USU police assisted USU Housing with serving a housing eviction at the USU trailer courts. The renter of the trailer was contacted and the paperwork was successfully served. • USU police responded to a report of an individual who passed out during class in the Jones Education building room 131. Police transported the individual to the USU Health and Wellness Center. . Compiled by Di Lewis. • A student made a delayed report of a lost Faculty and staff gifts benefit students With tuition heading up, Aggie students have a growing stake in the current USU Family Fund Campaign, in which faculty and staff donate financial gifts to the university. Most of the funding directly benefits students. Annual Fund Director Lee Roderick said, "This is the employee portion of the Campaign for Utah State University, USIFs first comprehensive campaign, in which we will raise $200 million by December 2010," he said. Noelle Cockett, vice president for Extension and Agriculture and a campaign co-chair, said, "This is an opportunity for each of us to do something extra to improve the lives of students and help lift USU to the next level of excellence." Faculty and staff members may direct their gifts to wherever they choose. Donated funds typically are used for such needs as scholarships and fellowships; to support employee professional development; strengthen academic, research, or Extension programs; or boost library resources. Employees may donate in Old Main room 106, through campus mail at UMC1420, or online at www.usu. edu/giving/. Gifts are welcome as onetime or recurring payments or as payroll deductions. Awards given for good advisers USU Advising Center presented the 2006 New Professional Adviser Award to Megan Ralphs and the New Faculty Adviser Award to Keri L. Ryan. Ralphs, an adviser in the university advising center, and Ryan, an assistant professor in the civil and environmental engineering department, were nominated by students and colleagues for the award. "They both have strong interpersonal skills, and caring and helpful attitudes toward students, faculty and staff," said Stephanie Hamblin, associate director of university advising. "This was a nice surprise, but I think all the advisers here at Utah State deserve this award," said Ralphs. This is the fourth year USU has awarded the New Adviser and Faculty Award. The award is given to individuals who have had less than three years' experience. USU has received 35 NACADA outstanding awards or certificates of merit in the past 11 years. The university with the next highest amount of awards received 10 awards. Computing seminar held this week The Center for High Performance Computing at USU will host a symposium, "Challenges and Opportunities for High Performance Computing in Agricultural and Life Sciences," March 26-27, in the Eccles Conference Center. Colien Hefferan, U.S. Department of Agriculture administrator of Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, will be the keynote speaker. "High performance computing is a fast-growing field in science and engineering research, and USU has made significant investments to keep pace," said Brent Miller, USU vice president for research. The event is the first Agricultural Computing Research and Education Services (ACRES) Symposium. "This is a great opportunity for faculty, researchers, staff and students to become familiar with new computing tools that will enhance their research skills " said Noelle Cockett, USU vice president for extension and agriculture. The two-day event consists of presentations and discussions featuring researchers from Cornell, the Arctic Region Supercomputing Center, National Supercomputing Center for Energy and the Environment, BYU, the University of Utah and USU. Hands-on workshops will demonstrate HPC tools, including visualization, data mining and scientific computing for agriculture and life sciences applications. Information will be offered concerning HPC methodology in agriculture and related fields. The cost of the full symposium is $50. To register, visit www.hpc.usu.edu or email barbara.sidwell@usu.edu. For more information about registration or the event, call 435-797-1182. • Compiled from staff and media reports |
