Posted: Wednesday, September 23, 2009 12:48 pm

The Messenger 09.23.09
Dr. Roy Van Arsdale, professor of geology at the University of Memphis, will speak on “The Past and Possible Future of the New Madrid Seismic Zone” in Watkins Auditorium of Boling University Center on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Martin.
The presentation is slated for 7:30 p.m. Monday. Van Arsdale will appear as part of the Academic Speakers Series sponsored by Honors Programs.
Van Arsdale received a bachelor’s degree in geology from Rutgers University, master’s degree in geology from the University of Cincinnati and a doctorate in geology from the University of Utah. While pursuing his degrees, he worked as a geologist for several firms, including Standard Oil of California and the Union Carbide Corporation. He has served on the faculties of Eastern Kentucky University and the University of Arkansas and has served on the faculty of the University of Memphis since 1993.
A specialist in structural geology and geomorphology, Van Arsdale’s research centers on active tectonics within plate interiors. In addition to the New Madrid seismic zone, he has conducted research in several other seismic areas, most notably in Arizona, Oklahoma and southeastern Australia.
He is the author of more than 50 refereed journal articles and more than 85 refereed abstract publications, many with an emphasis upon the Mississippi River Valley and the New Madrid seismic zone. His most recent publication, “Adventures Through Deep Time: the Central Mississippi River Valley and its Earthquakes,” appeared in the Geological Society of America Special Paper 455 in 2009. As a noted expert on the New Madrid zone, he has participated in several television documentaries, including programs developed by the National Geographic Society Channel and the History Channel.