University of Hawai'i University Relations Media & Publications Honolulu, HI 96822	(808) 956-8856 Telephone (808) 956-3441 Facsimile ur@hawaii.edu E-Mail
For Immediate Release:	Sept. 23, 1998
Contact: Dr. Jill Karsten (808-956-5033)

Celebrate Nation's First Earth Science Week at UH Manoa Spend Discoverer's Day (October 12) discovering the earth sciences and their important role in finding solutions for some of society's most difficult decisions. University of Hawai'i at Manoa scientists in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) invite you to celebrate National Earth Science Week on Monday, October 12, 9:30 am­2:30 p.m. UH Manoa Campus Center second floor mall SOEST will host a variety of demonstrations and displays highlighting earth sciences educational and research activities conducted at UHM and throughout Hawai'i. The event is being held in conjunction with nationwide celebrations planned for the country's first Earth Science Week (October 11­17). Recorded in the Congressional Record and endorsed by more than 14 state governors, National Earth Science Week will be held annually during the second full week of October to increase public awareness and understanding of the importance of the earth sciences in our lives so that citizens can make wise decisions for managing our environmental and ecological resources and for mitigating natural hazards. "We want people to learn that 'Geology Rocks!'" quips Jill Karsten, associate researcher in SOEST and co-organizer of this year's Earth Science Week activities. On a more serious note, Karsten points out that "the earth sciences are particularly relevant to the people of Hawai'i. Hazards associated with volcanism, coastal erosion, landslides, tsunamis, hurricanes, global climate change, sea level rise and groundwater contamination are intimately linked to the long-term sustainability of our island state and its people. Educating the people of Hawai'i about these hazards and how to minimize their effects is one of the key goals of SOEST's Earth Science Week activities." Displays will highlight many of the on-going research programs conducted by SOEST personnel, including investigations into Big Island volcanism, contamination of the Ala Wai canal and beach loss on Oahu. Several federal and state programs related to the earth sciences, including the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Research Center, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Department of Land and Natural Resources, will also participate. Examples of SOEST outreach efforts include: Extremely popular introductory earth science courses are taught at nearly all of the University of Hawai'i system campuses. Educational materials provided by SOEST personnel to elementary and secondary school teachers, along with classroom presentations about their research and hosted field trips to visit UH research facilities. The SOEST Web site (www.soest.hawaii.edu), with its spectacular images and discussions about Lo'ihi (including sounds of this volcano erupting), updates on Kilauea's eruption, satellite images, a virtual reality field trip and much more. An Earth Science Week a Web site (www.punaridge.org) that will track daily underwater exploration by scientists at sea looking at remnants of eruptions and earthquakes along the submarine extension of Kilauea volcano. The biennial SOEST Open House, to be held in conjunction with the second Earth Science Week celebrations in 1999, which routinely attracts several thousand school students seeking hands-on exposure to the earth sciences. More information about SOEST's Earth Science Week activities can be found on the World Wide Web at www.soest.hawaii.edu. Information about national Earth Science Week activities is available from the American Geological Institute at www.earthsciweek.org.

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