The public is invited to attend the keynote lecture of the Annual General Meeting of the Western Division of the Canadian Association of Geographers (WDCAG) to be hosted by TRU March 10 and 11 at its Kamloops campus.

Dr. Catherine Hickson of the National Geological Survey of Canada will present “Fire and Ice: British Columbia’s Place in the Pacific Ring of Fire” at 7:30 pm on Friday, March 10th in the Alumni Theatre, located in TRU’s Clock Tower building.

Dr. Hickson is a noted volcanologist and specialist in natural hazards. Among her significant accomplishments is a book she co-authored with naturalist Trevor Goward entitled Nature of Wells Gray which is based on her Ph.D. dissertation. The book covers all aspects of the natural and geological history of this local destination. Dr. Hickson recently completed and released Surviving the Stone Wind, a book about her 1980 experience when she witnessed, and was trapped by, Mt. St. Helens’ eruption.

Illustrated with stunning photographs, Dr. Catherine Hickson’s talk will provide the audience with an understanding of how moving crustal plates lead to volcanic eruptions. She will take the audience through differing types of volcanic eruptions and explain how these lead to differing hazards and landscapes. A visual tour through some of British Columbia’s most stunning landscapes will highlight the diversity of volcanoes in British Columbia. She will also include photographs and an explanation of the volcanic landforms in nearby Wells Gray Provincial Park where she did her Ph.D. thesis.

There is no admission charge for Dr. Hickson’s talk, which is sponsored by the Thompson Rivers Comprehensive University Enhancement Fund.