Science and Nature Program and Nature Explorers

Drones in the Geosciences
Featuring Julia Carr
Julia Carr, PhD candidate in Geosciences at Penn State University, will join us to share some of her research made possible by drones. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), these electronic gadgets are not just toys, and Julia has put them to work in places like Taiwan, Death Valley, Pennsylvania, and the northwest USA. UAV surveys permit capturing patterns at high resolution across large-scale areas, allowing scientists to examine processes at a range of temporal and spatial scales. Working with other scientists, Julia has coupled UAV surveys with field measurements, other remote sensing data, and numerical models to understand how material is moved around during events like typhoons and debris flows, and to understand how mountain belts evolve.

Rock Cycle Rock!
Igneous! Metamorphic! Sedimentary! Heat, pressure, and time can all make rocks change from one type to another as they move through the rock cycle. We will get up close and personal with some rocks as we investigate and classify them, and we will act out the rock cycle! After the activity we will meet back with the adults for a brief foray outside.