Colorado Plateau - Rio Grande Rift Workshop

EarthScope is a nationwide effort that applies the latest science and technology to explore the structure and evolution of the North American continent and understand processes that cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The western United States is a prime target area for EarthScope to investigate processes that result in elevated topography, earthquakes, and volcanism. Interpretive professionals in the region of the Colorado Plateau and Rio Grande Rift have the unique opportunity to engage the public on the relevance of EarthScope discoveries as they are being made. This three-day workshop combines presentations by EarthScope scientists with interpretive methods to convey the story of how continental rifting and other processes result in the region's breathtaking landscape and geological hazards. Participants will learn how to use EarthScope data and science results, and will develop and present actual interpretive programs and exhibits during the workshop. The goal is to help interpreters create opportunities for the public to form their own intellectual and emotional connections to the dynamic landscape of the Colorado Plateau and Rio Grande Rift.

The workshop was held on October 26-28, 2009 at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque, New Mexico. It was co-sponsored by EarthScope National Office and New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS - www.nmnaturalhistory.org). EarthScope (www.earthscope.org) is funded by the National Science Foundation.