| Exhibit Name |
Location |
Display Description |
| Topo Salad Trays |
Building 1, Room 1103 |
These are clear-plastic trays with a contour line drawn on each tray. Stack the trays on top of one another to see 3-D models of landforms and undersea features.
These are clear-plastic trays with a contour line drawn on each tray. Stack the trays on top of one another to see 3-D models of landforms and undersea features. |
| Microfossils, Volcanic Ash, and Tree Rings – Oh My! |
Building 1, Room 1129 |
(1) Use microscopes and magnifiers to view microfossils, volcanic ash, tree-rings, and mudstones. (2) Handle equipment used to collect and analyze these samples. (3) Learn how scientists use microfossils, sediment, and rock samples to increase our understanding of climate change; the timing, magnitude and environmental impact of geologic events, such as volcanic eruptions; and the origin of mudstones/petroleum source rocks. |
| Dress Like a Marine Geologist |
Building 1, Room 1134 |
Put on the field attire of your choice--a life jacket, a hard hat, a survival suit, maybe an aloha shirt--and get photographed in front of a green screen. Choose a backdrop photo, and visit the Web later to see yourself as a marine scientist doing research at sea. |
| Colorado River Basin: Stories from Old Western Gravels Bars |
Building 2 Courtyard |
Examine gravel from each of the major tributaries of the Colorado River. See rocks, fossils, fossil tracks, maps, and historic and modern 3D photography that tell the geologic story of the region. |
| Erosion....Arrrh! |
Building 2 Courtyard |
Watch erosion slowly wipe out a den of plastic pirates on an island of pebbles, sand and silt (hands on exhibit). |
| Geology of National Parks |
Building 2 Courtyard |
A limited supply of 3D posters and 3D glasses for Open House guests: 3D photographic exhibit. Quiz Website - http://3dparks.wr.usgs.gov |
| Hardness of Minerals |
Building 2 Courtyard |
Test the hardness of mineals (hands on activity) |
| Mid-Ocean Ridges |
Building 3, first floor, Exhibit Hall |
Imagine what it's like to descend to the deep sea in a submersible. View videos of deep-sea hot springs at mid-ocean spreading ridges. See samples of mineral sprecipitated from the hot water and weird animals that live around the springs. http://www.extremescience.com/CarolReiss.htm |
| Wild Science: Explore the natural world through hands-on science with Coyote Point Museum. |
Building 3, first floor, Exhibit Hall |
Hands-on science activities (facilitated by museum staff). We’re planning on bringing a variety of different activities. http://www.coyoteptmuseum.org |
| Real-Time Seismograph |
Building 3 - Outside |
http://earthquake.usgs.gov |
| Gold Panning |
Building 3 - Outside |
Learn how to pan for gold and try your hand at panning at this "pan and release" exhibit. |
| Mount Diablo Surveyors Historical Society |
Building 3 - Outside |
Hands-on staffed display of historical surveying and mapping instrumentation. http://mdshs.org |
| Natural Science Geopardy |
Building 15 - Library |
A unique opportunity for you to test your natural science knowledge. Play a game of Geopardy and learn science facts of Geography, Hydrology, Geology, and more. |
| How Clean is Clean? |
Building 15 - first floor |
Using a salinity meter, kids try to guess which water is which (ocean, bay, tap water, bottled water, high-purity lab water). |
| USGS Streamgaging Program |
Building 15 - Outside |
Hands-on - Come learn about the USGS Streamgaging Program http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/rt |
| National Water Quality Assessment Program and Groundwater Model |
Building 15 - Outside |
Hands on - water quality truck |
| Earthquake Fault Board Model and PC Seismograph |
Earthquake Country |
Demonstration that shows what happens when a fault slips. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/maps/index.php |
| Make Your Own Earthquake |
Earthquake Country Tent |
Display will show ground motion that visitors create in real-time. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter |
| Gas and Electricity Safety |
Earthquake Country Tent |
Demonstration showing the importance of gas and electric safety at home. |
| The Big Shaker Trailer - Largest EQ Simulator |
Outside near Earthquake Country Tent |
First Steps to Earthquake Safety - See "The Big Earthquake Shaker" in Action! http://quakehold.com |
| Menlo Park Fire Department |
Flagpole Circle |
Come and visit with the Menlo Park Fire Department and see the fire engines. |
| Become A Rock Detective |
Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Handle and examine rock, fossil, and mineral specimens to answer Mystery Questions. Discover basic Earth science concepts on your own! www.rockdetective.org |
| Be a Field Assistant |
Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Use a topographic map to find your field site and a place to camp. Examine volcanologist field materials. |
| Plate Tectonics Puzzle |
Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Piece the continents back together using fossil evidence. |
| Sequoia—Bald Eagle from San Francisco Zoo |
In or near the Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
View a live bald eagle, Sequoia, from the San Francisco Zoo (damaged tail prevents her from living in the wild). Exposure to pesticides such as DDT threatened bald eagles by causing them to lay eggs with very weak shells. After the U.S. restricted DDT use in 1972, bald eagles have made a steady recovery. NOAA, USGS, and other partners are working together to remediate DDT-contaminated sediment off southern California, and bald eagles have resumed nesting in the Channel Islands. |
| Submarine Landslides Can Cause Destructive Tsunamis |
Outside (west of) volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Slide different objects down a ramp into a tub of water to see what type of landslide triggers a "tsunami." Watch the wave wash away structures on a "coastline" at the other end of the tub.” |
| Sea Otter Research |
Outside Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Hands-on materials (pelts, skulls, teeth, etc.) plus some sea otter research tools (radio transmitter and receiver/antenna, time-depth recorder, etc.). Display will highlight current research projects and methods, focusing on topical conservation issues, and will include a telemetry tracking game. http://www.werc.usgs.gov/otters/ |
| Explore with the California Academy of Sciences |
Outside Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Join the California Academy of Sciences in exploring the world around us. Hands-on activities from the teacher classroom kits. |
| Explore with The Tech Museum |
Outside Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Join The Tech in exploring science and engineering. Build a boat out of aluminum foil and see how many marbles it can carry. Make a model rocket. Only available on Saturday and Sunday. |
| Jon Boat--Flat-Bottomed Boat Used for Shallow-Water Mapping |
NE of Volcanoes, Coasts, and Oceans tent |
Climb into the flat-bottomed Jon Boat and pretend you are a USGS scientist mapping the sea floor in very shallow water. |
Also...
Please download the front and back of the trading cards and bring them with you to the Ninth Triennial Open House May 16-17, 2009.
There will be nine stamping stations positioned throughout the USGS Menlo Center during the Open House.
As you journey through the exhibits and learn about USGS science you can find and collect all nine stamps.
