Dr. Corrie NeighborsThe April meeting of the Gila Native Plant Society will feature a program entitled "Characteristics of Oklahoma's Induced Earthquakes", presented by Corrie Neighbors, PhD, Assistant Professor of Geology at WNMU. She will speak on recent research regarding the characteristics of earthquakes induced by oil and gas activities in Oklahoma. Numerical modeling of the 2011 M5.7 aftershock sequence shows lower than average stress releases for these induced earthquakes compared to typical tectonic events that occur in this region. These results have implications for the seismic risk and intensity of ground shaking from these man-made events.

Dr. Neighbors received her PhD from University of California Riverside in earthquake science. Her doctoral work took her to southern California, Chile, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic to deploy seismic instruments to capture and study the effects of earthquakes. Her long-term research interests focus on characterizing site response for seismic hazard and risk assessment.

Meetings of the Gila Native Plant Society are held the third Friday of the month at 7.00 p.m., this month in Harlan Hall, second floor, Room 219, on the Western New Mexico University campus. Free and open to the public. Refreshments following the program.

The Gila Native Plant Society is committed to promoting education, research and appreciation of the native flora of the Southwest, encouraging the preservation of rare and endangered plant species and supporting the use of suitable native plants in landscaping. For information on programs, publications and membership, please visit www.gilanps.org.