Sisters Science Club offers symposia

Starting September 19, the Sisters Science Club will be kicking off the 2013 series of free symposia in Sisters, featuring current topics on science.

The first of the series will be presented by OSU geology instructor Dr. Daniele McKay, "Volcanoes in Central Oregon: When will the next eruption occur, and how will it affect you?" What a topic - when we live right in the middle of volcanoes on all sides of us...

The symposia will all take place at The Belfry, 302 E. Main Ave. in Sisters. Doors open at 6 p.m. for food and beverages, followed by the one-hour lecture beginning at 7 p.m. Bring your curiosity and an appetite for food, drink and knowledge.

Dr. McKay is a geologist, teaching at OSU-Cascades, and is conducting ongoing studies of recent volcanic activity in Central Oregon. She graduated with a PhD in geology from the University of Oregon in 2012, where she studied the processes and products of cinder cone eruptions.

Cinder cones are the most common volcanic landform on Earth and often produce extensive lava flows and ash deposits (such as Lava Butte). Much of Dr. McKay's research involved mapping ash deposits in Central Oregon, where there have been hundreds of recent cinder-cone eruptions. The most recognized cinder cone in Sisters Country is Four Mile Butte, located about three miles from Sisters High School. Most of the kids know it well.

In addition to teaching geology and studying cinder cones, Daniele enjoys hiking, climbing, and skiing in the Cascades. A life-long passion for exploring mountains sparked an early interest in science, eventually prompting her to examine natural processes in detail by studying geology.