Garry Hayes, the epitome of a geologist, has taught at Modesto Junior College since 1988. His classroom, filled with case after case of rocks and gemstones, fault line maps, seismographs, charts and a multitude of geology paraphernalia, is only a miniscule example of the history and excitement he has brought to the students throughout his tenure. Dinosaur bone discoveries and excavation, trips to Death Valley, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Australia are among the many adventures his students have experienced throughout the years.
“My favorite part of teaching is when I take my students…walking up to a place like the edge of the Grand Canyon or in Yosemite and just watching them see it for the first time,” Hayes says.
One advantage of teaching at a community college is the versatility he is afforded. He is able to teach the basics but can delve into what is current, keeping his program fresh and innovative. No semester is exactly the same. The hot topics in spring 2010 turned out to be the giant earthquakes in Haiti and Chile – both of them unexpected – except, perhaps, to a geologist.
“I am here [MJC] because I can do anything I want. If I were at a four year college doing research I would be geared into one area for my whole career,” Hayes said. “This way I get to do something different every year.”
Hayes enjoys sharing the American southwest with his students most. Within a two week trip, during an annual summer class, they can start at the base of the Grand Canyon and literally work their way up through the ancient rocks.
“It’s a rolling encyclopedia of earth history from the oldest to the youngest of rocks,” Hayes said.
The students witness fault lines, volcanoes, dinosaur bones and fossils first hand and search for gemstones such as topaz and garnet. One major disappointment he is facing is the cancellation of his summer class due to the current economic situation. Summer 2010 will be the first in 20 years the class will not be offered.
“It isn’t due to the cost because the students pay their own way,” Hayes says. “It is rationing education. Instead of 30 people going on a summer field trip a math class is offered instead.”
One project for his now vacant summer months is to continue writing his blog, Geotripper. Hayes has been contributing to the online site for two years. The topics have ranged from earthquakes to the lack of responsible media coverage of seismic events.His current project is a series titled “The Other California: What To See When You’ve Run Out Of Postcard Destinations.” On the website, Hayes describes it as “an exploration of the geologically interesting places in California that don't always show up on the postcards.” Through his love of geology and photography Hayes has created a travelogue for others looking for a road less travelled that deserves the foot traffic. The photos Hayes posts give a geologist’s view into the beauty California has to offer and the geological wonders to be discovered. He has explored and blogged about destinations such as Lassen Volcanic National Park, La Grange, Calico Ghost Town, Modoc Plateau, McArthur Burney Falls and Mt. Tehama.
On Geotripper, Hayes also offers opinions on current geological events around the world. His frustrations with media coverage spilled out onto the blog about the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile. According to Hayes, the network coverage was filled with uneducated hype by news anchors who displayed disappointment that the expected tsunami didn’t live up to the Hollywood standard. Hayes voiced his outrage at the missed opportunity to watch a natural phenomenon happening right before their eyes. No, it wasn’t the 10 to 20 foot waves crashing into the shore as the networks anticipated, but the tsunami did hit the island of Hawaii. The footage of the somewhat smaller waves was hidden under the banner running across the bottom of the screen.
Hayes expressed his distress that the media coverage could cause some viewers to be less likely to heed the warnings presented in future natural disasters. This has been a motive to continue his quest to not only entertain but to educate through his blog. Earthquakes and other devastating occurrences are to be taken seriously. Seismologists know not to make predictions; but they do give probabilities. Nature can give you a gentle tap on the shoulder or it can knock you completely off your feet without warning.
The magnitudes of the Chile and the Haiti earthquake were incredible. The Haiti quake ranked as an 8.0; the Chile quake measured at 8.8, making it the sixth strongest in the world in over 100 years. This is the third time Chile has ranked on the United States Geological Survey list. In 1922 there was an 8.5 magnitude quake and then in 1960, the area experienced the strongest magnitude quake ever recorded, at 9.5. When the Haiti earthquake was taking place, Hayes and his students were able to watch its measurements on the seismograph in the classroom.
“It was a striking introduction to geology for my students, who were sitting down for their very first laboratory section today when the waves arrived from the Haiti event,” Hayes blogged.
As far away as it was, in the Caribbean Sea, Hayes said that seismographic waves were almost as largeas those produced by a large earthquake that took place off the coast of Northern California, on January 12, 2010.
With the small swarm of earthquakes that have occurred recently in California, Hayes has used his blog to get the message out that everyone should always be prepared if they live in a region prone to the ground shaking.
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