Tales of the Ice Ages to be the Focus of UCSB Affiliates 'Science Lite' Lecture

Tanya Atwater, a pioneering professor of geology at UC Santa Barbara, will discuss glacial cycles, sea level and climate changes, and other Ice Age phenomena in a UCSB Affiliates Science Lite lecture on February 16.

Although the Earth is in an interglacial period, glaciers have left their marks on the planet for two million years, creating valleys, mountains, and other geologic features.

Ice ages have also caused devastating floods and carved marine terraces, including the one on which UCSB is situated.

The multimedia presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the First Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall at 21 Constance Avenue in Santa Barbara. The cost of the lecture is $8 for UCSB Affiliates or Chancellor's Council members, $10 for others.

Contact the UCSB Office of Community Relations at 893-4388 to register, as space is limited.

Atwater, a researcher in plate tectonics, is a member of the National Academy of Sciences who has received many accolades for distinguished teaching and innovative contributions to the field.

She specializes in the tectonic evolution of western North America and the San Andreas Fault system.

Ice Ages are her second love.

A vital part of Atwater's research concerns communication and education.

She manages the UCSB Educational Multimedia Visualization Center, which produces educational geo-animations and visualization tools.

Her animated teaching film, "Continental Drift and Plate Tectonics," received the highest recommendation from the Journal of Geological Education and has been used in classrooms from the elementary to college level.

Science Lite is a UCSB Affiliates program of events for non-scientists interested in gaining a fundamental understanding of science and technology, as well as those interested in keeping up with advances in science.