June 29, 2007

AUSTIN, Texas—Three Jackson School scientists will appear July 23 in Faces of Earth, a Discovery Channel series produced by the American Geological Institute (AGI) and Evergreen Films.

A number of Jackson School scientists participated as advisers and preliminary interview subjects while the series was in development. The three who appear on screen will all be in the first episode, "Building the Planet," airing on the Science Channel July 23:

• Charles Kerans, the Robert K. Goldhammer Chair in Carbonate Geology in the Department of Geological Sciences, discusses carbonate analogs.
• Martin Jackson, a structural geologist and senior research scientist at the Bureau of Economic Geology, discusses salt tectonics.
• Tim Dooley, a structural geologist and research scientist at the Bureau, talks about salt modeling.

As in any television series, only a few of many interviewees made it on screen. According to Chris Keane, director of communications and technology at AGI, 40 of the 120 scientists interviewed for Faces ended up in the final series.

The Jackson School was one of seven sponsors of the program. As a sponsor, the school will receive an extended cut from AGI including material from all of its participants. The school also has the right to show the series or the extended cut at public events and in classrooms.

AGI describes the program as "a 4-hour high-definition television series about the ever-changing planet we live on. The only thing constant on Earth is change and Faces of Earth examines this phenomenon through the eyes of those that know it best—geoscientists. Explore how through time the forces of nature have continuously remade Earth—giving it many distinct faces through history, and many new ones into the future. Faces of Earth is shot in stunning high-definition with extensive aerials, cutting edge animations, and engaging interviews."

Episodes
(Consult local listings to verify times.)

Building The Planet
Monday, July 23, 9 p.m.

Shaping The Planet
Thursday, July 26, 9 p.m.

Assembling America
Thursday, August 2, 10 p.m.

The Human World
Thursday, August 9, 10 p.m.

Faces of Earth is a production of the American Geological Institute.

Sponsors:

• Association of Petroleum Geologists Foundation
• American Geological Institute Foundation
• Discovery Communications
• ExxonMobil Corporation
• The Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin
• Rive Gauche International Television
• United States Geological Survey

For more information about the show and AGI, contact Chris Keane, 703-379-2480 x219, keane@agiweb.org.

For more information about the Jackson School, contact J.B. Bird at jbird@jsg.utexas.edu, 512-232-9623.