For Immediate Release: June 22, 2006
Contact:
Andy J. Flynn | Public Relations | Adirondack Park Agency
contact@apa.ny.gov | (518) 327-3000
PAUL SMITHS VIC DEBUTS SUMMER LECTURE SERIES WITH TALK ON NORTH COUNTRY EARTHQUAKES
PAUL SMITHS, NY – The Adirondack Park Agency Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC) at Paul Smiths will debut its summertime Adirondack Almanac Lecture Series on Wednesday, July 5 with a presentation about earthquakes in the North Country region. This is a joint program between the VIC and the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society.
Dr. Frank Revetta, geology professor and director of the Potsdam Seismic Network at SUNY Potsdam, will begin his talk, "Earthquakes of Northern New York," at 7:30 p.m. in the Paul Smiths VIC theater. Town of Brighton Historian Mary Ellen Salls will be the host for the Franklin County Historical and Museum Society, as this is also part of the Society's summer lecture series. It is free and open to the public.
Revetta established the Potsdam Seismic Network in 1971, and it now consists of nine stations around the North Country that detect seismic activity. The network lies in the most active seismic region in New York state, known as the Northern New York-Western Quebec seismic zone. Many earthquakes with a magnitude of one to four occur in this zone, and occasionally larger events occur, such as the earthquake that registered 5.1 on the Richter Scale that was felt around northern New York and across the eastern seaboard in April 2002.
Operated by SUNY Potsdam's Department of Geology, the network is used in the earth science, physical geology, geophysics and seismology courses. During the academic year, the network is operated by students in the seismology course, and they use the data for undergraduate research projects that many present at the annual Geology Society of America meeting. The network also provides data to area industries, government agencies, schools and the general public.
Revetta is a nationally recognized expert in the field of seismology and is interviewed frequently by national media such as CNN, MSNBC, the Associated Press and the New York Times. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and a presenter at many professional meetings. In addition, he serves as treasurer of the National Association of Geology Teachers.
Revetta received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, his master's degree in geophysics from Indiana University and his PhD in geophysics from the University of Rochester. He has been teaching at SUNY Potsdam for more than 40 years. In recognition of his outstanding service to the college and community, he was awarded the SUNY Distinguished Service Professor Award, the highest rank bestowed upon SUNY professors. He also has received the SUNY Potsdam President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and was recently given the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.
The Adirondack Almanac Lecture Series is sponsored by the St. Regis Restaurant in Paul Smiths.
The New York State Adirondack Park Agency operates two VICs, in Paul Smiths and Newcomb, which serve as Adirondack Park HQ for parkwide interpretation. They are open year-round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas and Thanksgiving and offer a wide array of educational programs, exhibits, miles of interpretive trails and visitor information services. Admission is free.
The Paul Smiths VIC is located 12 miles north of Saranac Lake on Route 30. For more information about the VICs, call (518) 327-3000 or log on to the centers' Web site at www.adkvic.org.