06/06/22

By FHSU University Communications

HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State University's Kansas Wetlands Education Center (KWEC) is hosting the "In Search of Earth's Secrets" exhibit for public viewing from June 9-26, 2022. Special activities will be held June 20. All activities are free to the public.

"In Search of Earth's Secrets" exhibit allows audiences to enjoy hands-on exhibits while learning about exciting science topics researched by the Joides Resolution, such as earthquakes, volcanoes, and the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Joides is an acronym for the Joint Oceanographic Institutions for Deep Earth Sampling – a vessel that drills into the ocean floor to collect and study core samples. The ship drill can reach distances 6 miles beneath the ocean surface.

The exhibit will showcase how the Joides Resolution vessel drills into the ocean floor to collect and study core samples. Scientists use this data to better understand climate change, geology, and Earth's history.

The additional activities on June 20 include an 11 a.m. live video broadcast with the crew on the Joides Resolution Ship during their current expedition.

During the broadcast, the crew will give a ship tour, explain the science goals of the expedition, answer audience questions, and introduce viewers to ship-board scientists. The ship is scheduled to be near Cape Town, South Africa, at the time of the broadcast.

From 1 to 4:30 p.m., the KWEC will have special hands-on, come-and-go, drop-in STEM activities that further explain the museum exhibits. Activities will look at Drilling the Deep, explore the question "What is a Core?", examine Geology Under the Sea, Quakes and Waves, Deep Sea Fossils, Dino Doomsday, Deep Dark Life, and Stories from the Cores.

Participants who attend both the morning broadcast and the afternoon activities can register for a free pizza lunch by calling 1-877-243-9268.

Kansas Wetlands Education Center, affiliated with FHSU's Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, is located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend. More information about the KWEC can be found at www.wetlandscenter.fhsu.edu.