Exploring The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

A centennial perspective of the Novarupta-Katmai eruption, the largest of the 20th century 

A free public lecture by USGS geologist Judy Fierstein

100 years ago on June 6, 1912, Novarupta and Katmai volcanoes erupted explosively to create Katmai caldera and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, called the eighth wonder of the world by early explorers.

USGS geologist and noted Novarupta-Katmai expert Judy Fierstein will describe the excitement and rewards of geologic fieldwork in this remote and wild Alaskan setting.

Why has this area remained scientifically important for 100 years, and what insights does it still offer about earth processes that shape our worlds?