3458 - Destination Iceland; Understanding Global Tectonic Theory (Debra Duffy)
Course Description
Destination Iceland; Understanding Global Tectonic Theory
Why is Iceland called the land of fire and ice? What is the Ring of Fire? Why are some volcanic eruptions deadly and others are not? Why does the East coast have less earthquakes compared to the West coast? To better understand geologic phenomena of our planet, we will explore the foundations of global plate tectonic theory to appreciate our ever-changing dynamic home we call Earth. We will travel over the globe to explore the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes, mountain ranges, and the island country of Iceland sitting on one of the biggest ‘cracks’ in the Earth’s crust. The presentation will also include an overview of Dr. Duffy’s trip to Iceland in January of 2022 highlighting places of interest and the geology of fascinating landscapes.
Bio: Debra recently retired from geoscience education, where she taught Earth, Environmental, and Oceanographic sciences. She also worked as a geologist in wetland research studies.
Debra holds a B.S. and M.S. in Geology and a Ph.D. in Science Education. In 2011, she served as educator-at-sea on the E/V Nautilus, an underwater mapping expedition (under the direction of Dr. Robert Ballad, who found the Titanic) looking for hydrothermal vent communities on the Mediterranean seafloor. She received Professor of the Year 2018 at Tidewater Community College for her work in fostering a community partnership between Nauticus museum and TCC students.