Robert D. Hatcher Jr.
Could we have a major earthquake in East Tennessee? Do we live in an active seismic zone?
These and many other questions will be answered by Robert Hatcher, University of Tennessee distinguished scientist, at a lecture sponsored by the UT Arboretum Society on Thursday, January 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the City Room at Roane State Community College in Oak Ridge.
Due to popular demand, Hatcher is again returning to address these and other questions about earthquake activity in our area, a press release said.
Hatcher will discuss whether earthquakes are frequent in our area, and he will also discuss the chances of experiencing a strong quake.
Hatcher is a faculty member of the UT Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences and Science Alliance Center of Excellence. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Vanderbilt University and his doctorate at the University of Tennessee.
In addition to his teaching and research, Hatcher has worked as a geologist for an oil company and has served on the faculty of Clemson University, Florida State University, and the University of South Carolina. He is a UT Distinguished Scientist and Professor of structural geology and tectonics. His current research focuses on prehistoric earthquakes in the East Tennessee seismic zone.
Dr. Hatcher’s primary research goal is better understanding of the evolution of continental crust, mostly through the study of mountain chains and mature crust. Most of his research has been concentrated in the southern and central Appalachians, but large amounts of time have been spent visiting and studying other mountain chains and older continental crust.
His primary interest is in the mechanics and kinematics of large faults, which form a natural transition into related long-term interests in the geologic controls of petroleum occurrence in the Appalachians, radioactive waste management, the causes of intraplate seismicity, and geologic evidence for determination of recurrence intervals for intraplate earthquakes, the press release said.
Hatcher has directed more than 45 master’s and 16 doctoral students since he began working in graduate departments in 1978. Hatcher is also an author or co-author of over 200 scientific publications, including nine books, the release said.
Thursday’s lecture is a free program offered by the UT Forest Resource and Education Center and the University of Tennessee Arboretum Society.
Roane State Community College Oak Ridge is located at 701 Briarcliff Avenue in Oak Ridge.
To learn more about the Arboretum Society, go to www.utarboretumsociety.org.
For more information on the lecture, call the Arboretum at (865) 483-3571.
Leave a Reply