Rutgers Geology Professor Alexander Gates
Can Discuss Earthquakes, Volcanoes

(Newark, N.J., Feb. 3, 2009) --In Alaska, a volcano is threatening to blow its top.  Closer to home, the Feb. 2 earthquake that hit Morris County startled thousands who live near the epicenter – and surprised many New Jerseyans who don’t realize that earthquake fault lines run beneath the Garden State.  Alexander Gates, chair of the Rutgers University, Newark, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, is available to provide information and insight on both the quake, and the volcanic activity in Alaska, as well as the potential for seismic activity in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

Dr. Gates is co-author of the book, "Encyclopedia of Earthquakes and Volcanoes New Edition" (Facts-on-File Inc., third edition, 2006) and author of “A to Z of Earth Scientists” (Facts on File Inc., 2002). He holds a Ph.D. from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a B.S. from SUNY/Stony Brook. His special areas of interest are structural geology and tectonics -- including fracture analysis and shear zones -- as well as geologic mapping and radon analysis.

Dr. Gates was the Newark Museum’s chief advisor in developing its natural science exhibit, Dynamic Earth.

He can be reached at 973/353-5034, 732/331-5605, or agates@andromeda.rutgers.edu