Tour of San Andreas Fault Drill Project set for Sept. 2

By MARK SHWARTZ

Members of the news media are invited to join scientists, policymakers and political leaders on a tour of the EarthScope San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) drill site in Parkfield, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 2. Participants must arrive at the Paso Robles Inn, 1103 Spring Street, Paso Robles, Calif. 93446 between 7 and 8 a.m., during which time a continental breakfast will be served and briefing materials distributed. For directions to the inn, call (805) 238-2660 or visit the website at www.pasorobleshotsprings.com. A bus will depart for the drill site at 8 a.m. promptly, with a briefing presented en route, and will return to the inn at 2 p.m. Members of the media also may follow in their own vehicles. The tour will last until noon, followed by a lunch, a reception and discussions with the science team. To confirm, please contact Mark Shwartz at the Stanford News Service or Stephanie Hanna at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

SAFOD is one component of EarthScope (www.earthscope.org), a new National Science Foundation interdisciplinary science program that is exploring in partnership with the USGS the geological forces that shape North America. Drilling of SAFOD began this summer, led by a Stanford/USGS research team. When completed, the observatory will cross the San Andreas Fault about two miles underground, giving geophysicists a unique opportunity for around-the-clock monitoring within an active earthquake zone. For more information visit http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/parkfield or

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2003/december3/safod-123.html

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