Questions and Topics We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

Task:

You’re the chief volcanologist for the US Geological Survey (USGS), based in Sacramento, California. At 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday, you receive a report from a seismologist at the USGS in Pasadena, California, saying that there has been a sudden increase in the number of small earthquakes in the vicinity of Mt Shasta, California. You have two technicians available, access to some monitoring equipment, and a four-wheel-drive vehicle. At noon, you meet with your technicians and a couple of other geologists. By the end of the day, you need to have a plan to implement, starting tomorrow morning, and a statement to release to the press.

Questions (30 points):

1. What should your first day’s fieldwork include? In addition to analyzing the earthquake occurrences, what other tasks would you and your team do to determine whether volcanic eruption is imminent. Explain in detail how you perform those tasks. [15 points]

2. What should you say later today in your press release? Be as specific as possible and explain in detail what people should know about the likelihood of volcanic eruption and associated hazards and what preparations they need to do in the event of a volcanic eruption. [15 points]