Join us for an earthshaking virtual STEM Café, Earthquakes and Fracking on July 15, at 6PM. Register at go.niu.edu/earthquakes. Please share the attached flyer with family and friends.
As you know, this long awaited STEM Café was originally scheduled for March. We are happy to bring you NIU Geology professors Philip Carpenter and Megan Brown for a discussion on seismic activity in the northern Illinois region and the central U.S. At least 26 minor earthquakes have rattled northern Illinois in the past 100 years, and in recent years Oklahoma has experienced
more “felt” earthquakes (magnitude 3 or higher) than California. Where are faults located in the northern Illinois region, and what unmapped faults might be active here? How are human activities, such as fracking and wastewater disposal, triggering earthquakes in the central and
eastern U.S. The event is free and open to the public.
Carpenter, a seismologist and Registered Professional Geologist in Illinois, will discuss the earthquake history of Illinois. He says the audience might be surprised to learn that we have earthquakes in this part of the country, but even more surprising is the fact that we know relatively little about the faults that cause these earthquakes.
Brown will talk about several of the known and potential ways of triggering induced earthquakes, as well as mitigation plans and procedures. She hopes the audience will leave with a better understanding of what induced seismicity is and how it is being addressed in the Central and Eastern United States.
To register, go to go.niu.edu/earthquakes. Click on the link provided in your confirmation email to enter the meeting by 5:50 p.m. The meeting room opens at 5:30 p.m., and speakers begin promptly at 6 p.m. On a computer, the Chrome browser works best, and you’ll be asked to download the Adobe Connect app. For tablets and mobile phones, go to your app store and download the Adobe Connect mobile app before attending. You’ll be able to listen to the speakers and have a chance to type in your questions.
