September 22, 2009
Tuesday
7:30p.m

Ras Lecture Meeting
Dr. Rodney Grapes


Beneath our feet:
the geology and landforms of the Seoul Metropolitan area.
We live in Seoul, but if you don't spend all you daylignt hours in the subway, are able to walk
around ont surface and look beyound the buildings, you can see hills that are sometimes cloaked
in green and sometimes showing bare rock faces.

What kind of rocks are these hills made of, how old are they, why are the hills shaped the way
they are? What makes up the yellow dust that blows into Seoul every Spring from China?
Have you thought about where your drinking water comes from and why the Han River is
where it is and what controls its course?

Japan is rocked by large earthquakes, but Seoul (and indeed most of Korea) hardly ever is.
Why? The answer to these questions, and more, will be given in an illustrated talk on the
geology and landforms of the Seoul metropolitan area that will hopefully arouse interest
int the natural environment and provide a better understanding of what lies " beneath our feet". (less info)