Ben received his Ph.D. at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of California. His research interest is in fault dynamics and modeling.

Talk Title: "The dynamics of geometrically complex fault systems over multiple earthquake cycles"

Abstract
We perform dynamic simulations of thrust and normal faults over multiple earthquake cycles. Our goal is to explore effects of asymmetric fault geometry on the long-term seismicity and dynamics of dipping faults. A dynamic finite-element method is used to model the interseismic and coseismic processes, with a dynamic relaxation technique for the former. The faults are loaded by stable sliding along the downward continuation of the faults. The asymmetric fault geometry of dipping faults with respect to the free surface cause changes in normal stress during the interseismic and coseismic periods. These changes are of opposite sign in the two periods, resulting in a stabilization of the normal and shear stresses over many earthquake cycles. Both faults develop relatively stable event patterns, in which a large event that ruptures the entire fault is preceded by a number of small events with various rupture lengths. A strong asymmetry in fault and ground motion exists between thrust and normal faults, and between the hanging wall and the footwall of both faults on faults dipping less than 70°. In both normal and thrust faults, the horizontal component of ground motion dominates on the footwall, while the vertical component dominates on the hanging wall. The above results may have implications in seismic hazard analysis and building design in regions where dip-slip faults predominate.

Jerry is visiting from Dixie State College of Utah. His research interests include: mesozoic biotas and paleoecology, evolutionary rates, patterns, and processes, phylogenetic systematics and taxonomy, taphonomy and the fossilization process, and paleobiogeography, biostratigraphy, and their phylogenetic implications. Currently Jerry is working on Mesozoic vertebrates and biostratigraphy in the Southwest US, Argentina, and China. He is also Director of Paleontology and Professor at the Dixie State College Science Department and Advisor to the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site at Johnson Farm (SGDS) in St. George, Utah.

Jerry D. Harris Web Site

Talk Title: "The Rise of the Feathered Dragons"

Kim & Erin Olsen proudly announce the birth of Bryce Donovan Olsen. Bryce was born in Encinitas, California, 7:35 am on May 2 2006, 8 lbs 10 ounces (3.898 kg) and 20 inches (51 cm).

The Bryce Donovan Olsen Page
05.2.2006

Amos and others constructed a catalogue of tsunamis that have occurred since about the middle of the 2nd century BC along the eastern Mediterranean coast, along with the significant earthquakes originated from the Dead Sea Transform (DST) system. We identified 22 sea waves that struck the Levant coast (Gaza to Syria) with an average frequency of about once in a century. These tsunamis varied in size, from barely noticeable in local ports to greatly damaging along the entire coast.
Abstract

Talk Title: "Tsunami Hazard to the Eastern Mediterranean Coast: The Past is the Key to the Future"

Nicola is visiting from the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Her current research interests involve lunar crustal magnetic anomalies and their correlation to high-albedo swirl markings.

Talk Title: "Estimating the age of lunar magnetic anomalies: ~3.5 billion or ~3.5 million years old?"

Ken is visiting from Malin Space Science Systems here in San Diego. Malin Space Science Systems is the company behind some of the spectacular images from the Mars Global Surveyor. These images are rewriting the books on Mars and have helped scientists where to land things like the Spirit Rover. Ken's research interests include Mars sedimentology, geology, and geomorphology, and sand dune studies on Earth. He is involved in infrared observations, and ancillary data from Mars missions: Mariner 9, Viking, Phobos 2, Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and the Mars Exploration Rovers. Edgett is the Principal Investigator for the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), being built for the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory rover mission. Ken also founded and directed the Mars K-12 Education Program at Arizona State University. Edgett, with co-author Peggy Wethered and illustrator Michael Chesworth, have written a children's book, Touchdown Mars! An ABC Adventure published by G.P. Putnams Sons, Inc.

Talk Title: "The Nature of the Geologic Record of Early Mars"

Adam is visiting from UCSD's Jacobs School of Engineering. A study by Scott Ashford and Adam Young found that bluff erosion accounted for 68 percent of the fresh sand that nature provides to the county's eroding beaches. Young used laserscanning technology to generate a series of 3-D topographical maps that quantified coastal bluff erosion with a high degree of accuracy during the past six years. "While keeping in mind that six years is only a brief snapshot in the life of the Southern California coastline, our results call into question the conventional wisdom that coastal bluffs don't contribute much to the beaches,"

Talk Title: "Quantifying Seacliff Morphology Using LIDAR"

David is visiting from the Department of History here at SDSU. He is by training a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union, but in recent years he has become interested in World History on very large scales. In 1989, he began teaching courses on 'Big History', surveying the past on the largest possible scales, including those of biology and astronomy and he published the first text on ‘Big History’. He teaches World History, ‘Big History’, World Environmental History, Russian History, and the History of Inner Eurasia. Recent publications include: Maps of Time: An Introduction to Big History. The first modern attempt by a historian to offer a coherent history of the entire past, beginning with the origins of the Universe; an attempt to explore how human history is embedded in the histories of the biosphere and the Universe. The links David provides between our respective disciplines are fascinating and informative.

Talk Title: "Universal History Rides Again"

Southern Anza-Borrego Desert and Coyote Mountains, California
October 28 and 29, 2006

SDAG seeks new manuscripts based on original work in the broad fields of regional geology, tectonics, neotectonics, hydrogeology, paleontology, engineering geology, petrology, geothermal resources, geomorphology, paleoclimatology, mining and mineral resources, landslides, and related fields. Articles on any facet of the natural or cultural history of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Carrizo Marsh, Coyote Mountains, Yuha Basin, Valley of the Moon, Superstition Mountains, Split Mountain, Borrego Valley, and vicinity are also welcome.

Deadline for submission of titles is April 26, 2006.
Announcement

Paul is visiting from Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Recently, he was a member of an international team on a 56 day scientific expedition across the Arctic Ocean aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy. As a geophysical analyst, Henkart was responsible for the real-time processing of a multi-channel seismic (MCS) reflection system developed by the University of Bergen (Norway). Over 2,000 kilometers of MCS data were collected, whereas only 6,000 kilometers in total had been collected previously. Henkart also developed a processing scheme for a high resolution chirp sub-bottom profiler (Knudsen 320B) that was used by scientists from Stockholm University.

Talk Title: "A trans-Arctic geophysical expedition ".
03.15.2006

Keith is visiting from Mira Costa Community College. He teaches both Geology and Ocenaography. His research interest is the geology of the American West and how it influenced the route of the historic overland trails and the experiences of mid-nineteenth century overland emigrants. Keith is currently writing a book about geology and history along the Oregon-California Emigrant Trail.

Talk Title: "Hard Road West: a Geologic and Historic Tour of the Gold Rush Trail".
03.06.2006