Open Labs: San Andreas to the Sea: An Introduction to Earth Sciences in the Bay Area -- SOLD OUT

During this tour of the northern peninsula we will visit two different locations from which a variety of topics related to Earth science will be introduced and discussed: the geologic history of the Bay Area; its major fault systems and their effects; the history of the bay itself; natural hazards and coastal erosion; and our unique climate.

Some of the questions you may find answers to include: Why is the the San Francisco Bay there? How long has it existed? What kinds of rocks are found in the area and where did they come from? What is a fault and why does it make earthquakes? Why are there so many hills in the area? What natural hazards could potentially affect us? Why is always so cold and foggy in some places and sunny in others?

Our first stop and meeting place will be Junipero Serra County Park, where we will have a fabulous vista out over the bay and peninsula. The park is also less than a mile from the San Andreas fault, and we will be able to appreciate many of the landforms which have resulted from its movement over the past few million years. From there we will traverse over to Daly City to explore Mussel Rock Park, where the San Andreas fault heads out to sea. We'll see firsthand the effects of coastal erosion and talk about some of the important oceanic processes taking place just offshore. We'll also do a short hike down to look at Mussel Rock itself and examine some of the different rock types we see along the way. The tour should wind up around 3:30 with plenty of time for questions and discussion.

Any and all questions are welcome during the tour‚ we hope to have a discussion which is interesting and informative to all. No prior knowledge is necessary or assumed.