Things are falling into place -- Gravity rules
with
Dr. Robin Riddihough
Natural Resources Canada
Gravity keeps the coffee in the cup and the cup on the table.
It rules our lives and yet remains one of the great mysteries
of science. The acceleration of a falling body turns out to
be key to understanding how a pendulum keeps time, measuring
the shape and mass of the earth and figuring out where we
are on its surface.
2002 marks 100 years of gravity measurements in Canada. Gravity
meters are now accurate enough to see the solid ground move
up and down each day in response to the tidal attraction of
the moon. They help us find our buried natural resources,
define our continental shelf and navigate ballistic missiles.
Today's gravity measurements underpin the accurate satellite
positions needed for air traffic and detect the slow creep
that may presage the next earthquake on the west coast.
Dr Robin Riddihough graduated with degrees in geology and
marine geophysics from London, England in 1961. He worked
for 25 years as a research scientist conducting gravity and
magnetic surveys in Italy, the UK, Ireland, the USA and Canada,
becoming an authority on the plate tectonics of the North-East
Pacific Ocean and publishing over 75 papers. He was Chief
Scientist of the Geological Survey of Canada from 1987 to
1993 and is currently an Emeritus Scientist with the Polar
Continental Shelf Project.
Simultaneous translation will be provided.
Co-Sponsors:
--the Speaker of the Senate, the Hon. Daniel Hays
--the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Hon. Peter Milliken
--Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE)
--NSERC
DATE: Tuesday, April 8, 2003 from 7:30 am - 9:00 am
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