Hammersley was the speaker for the inaugural lecture for Sacramento State's Center for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Excellence at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14 in the University Union's Redwood Room.

Hammersley said the next eruption in Clearlake, a city about 80 miles west of Sacramento, would probably be a violent explosion of magma, not a small lava flow. Past eruptions in Clearlake "have been everything from small eruptions to large eruptions," she said.

Hammersley has been one of the only geologists to conduct extensive volcanic research in Clearlake, a location that the United States Geology Survey recently named as a "high threat" location that should be monitored more closely.

Hammersley's research indicated that the volcano in Clearlake, which she said last erupted around 10,000 years ago, may be "actively recharging" for a future eruption for several reasons.

The Earth's crust around the volcano is giving off an usual amount of heat, and is emitting gases that are chemically similar to magma, Hammersley said.

"Gases don't stick around very long . . . so there must be magma in the crust," Hammersley said. She also explained that geologists have observed earthquakes below the Earth's surface in Clearlake, and they "have a fluid signature," which points to the existence of magma below the Earth's surface. Geologists can tell the difference between earthquakes where something solid is breaking and where a liquid is moving, she said.

Hammersley explained some of the challenges she faced during her research, such as the difficulty in taking samples of the Earth's crust in Clearlake.

"People there are quite private and don't want you on their land," Hammersley said. "Access to that land can be quite difficult."

Although Hammersley's lecture contained complex mathematical theories, some students found it easy to understand.

"It's great that they make (these lectures) so approachable," said junior Christine O'Neill, a geology major.

"(Hammersley's lectures) are based in complex math that she explains really well to undergraduates," said senior Tiffany Pratt, a geology major.

For a schedule of STEM's future lectures or more information about the program, visit its website.

Following the powerful tremor, a tsunami warning was issued for residents of the South Kuril Islands to evacuate coastal areas for higher ground, but the wave skirted the islands and people are now returning to their homes, the ministry said.

"The tsunami threat passed at 4:44 p.m. Moscow time (1:44 p.m. GMT Wednesday. There were no casualties or damage."

Severo-Kurilsk, in the North Kuril Islands, was hit by a smaller quake, measuring three on the Richter scale.

Japan's Meteorological Agency reported earlier Wednesday that earthquake-generated waves, 40 centimeters (16 inches) to two meters (6.5 feet) high as they came ashore, hit the archipelago's northern islands of Honshu and Hokkaido, and warned they could approach Russia's Kurils.

There are also widespread outages on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and the Sunshine Coast.

Moreno said all available crews are out trying to make repairs and restore power. But she said they will stop for the night at 10 p.m. PT due to safety reasons, and start work again at first light on Thursday.

Moreno says there could be outages in the B.C. Interior as the storm makes its way eastward across the province.

Trees hitting homes

The high winds, which gusted up to 100 km/h, also blew trees onto people's homes on the Lower Mainland on Wednesday.

In East Vancouver, a large elm tree blew down on 12th Avenue near Kingsway, with its top branches ending up in the attic of a heritage home. No one was hurt.

In the Seascape development north of Horseshoe Bay, West Vancouver police went door-to-door ordering 40 people out because of the danger of trees falling on their homes.

"There are quite a number of trees that have come down in this area due to the high winds, and several have actually landed on houses," said spokesman Sgt. Paul Skelton.

Police also closed Highway 99 to Whistler for several hours because of the danger.

Peter Gordon told CBC News he was waiting in traffic on the highway when falling trees almost hit two cars in the lineup.

"Just slightly north of Lions Bay, and while we were stuck in traffic, two more trees came down. And one big fir landed just dead-on between two cars. We thought someone was going to get killed for sure."

But they didn't, and Gordon said everyone got out without any injuries.

The danger of falling trees prompted emergency officials to ask motorists to stay off Highway 1 between Capilano Road in North Vancouver and 264th Street in the Fraser Valley - B.C.'s busiest stretch of highway.

Meanwhile, Highway 101 north of the ferry terminal on the Sunshine Coast was also closed by the high winds.

Ferries stay docked

The rough weather conditions forced BC Ferries to cancel numerous sailings between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island on Wednesday.

Spokesman Mark Stephanson said the entire system was shut down for a time, except for the Horseshoe Bay-to-Langdale run, because of the "extreme" conditions.

Ferry service has since resumed, but most ferries were running behind schedule.

Harbour Air cancelled its commuter flights from Vancouver to Victoria and Nanaimo on Wednesday morning, although West Coast Air maintained its service between Vancouver and Victoria.

Helijet service across Georgia Strait to Vancouver Island was not disrupted.

Slow going on Island highways

Highways on the Island are taking a pounding. Highway 14, west of Victoria, is closed 20 kilometres west of Sooke at Point No Point by downed hydro wires.

Farther up the Island, Highway 18 is closed halfway between Duncan and Lake Cowichan.

Highway 4 to the west coast of the Island has been closed between the Tofino-Ucluelet junction to the Sutton Pass summit and on the other side of the summit near Port Alberni.

About 4,500 students in Port Alberni were sent home because the schools have no electricity.

On northern Vancouver Island, two mudslides have closed a large section of Highway 19 from the Sayward Road Junction to just south of Woss. Another mudslide near Gold River has closed Highway 28 in both directions at Muchalaat Drive.

Flood warnings have been issued for five rivers on the Island: the Cowichan, Chemainus, Englishman and Tsolum Rivers on the east side of the island, and the Gold River on the west side.

In northern B.C., there is a heavy snow warning along Highway 16 between Prince George and Prince Rupert.

North Shore on alert

The high winds and heavy rain are of particular concern in North Vancouver, where mountain streams and creeks are already surging.

District of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton said some residents of the Indian Arm area have no water because their intake pipes have been broken off by the raging creek waters.

Officials are also keeping a close watch on the escarpment in North Vancouver, where a mudslide claimed a life nearly two years ago.

Crews and homeowners are also on the alert in the Boundary Bay area of Delta where there was extensive flooding damage in a major storm back in February.

Just last week, the first big storm of the season caused major problems, including the evacuation of about 200 homes in the Fraser Valley.

In a speech to the British Bankers' Association, he also urged them to conduct stress tests - essentially worse case planning scenarios - to assess the impact of a downturn in the housing market on the business. The regulator believes banks should consider the impact of a 40% fall in property prices and a 35% increase in the repossession rate on their business but stressed that it does not mean it expects such sharp movements to take place.
Mr Briault's comments came as banks were embroiled in a row over moves to end free banking. First Direct, the online and telephone bank owned by HSBC, is facing the prospect of a customer backlash after its decision to levy a £10 monthly fee on its current accounts. The controversial move affects about 200,000 customers who pay in less than £1,500 a month. To avoid the fee, these customers will either have to pay in more money or sign up for another First Direct product such as a credit card or mortgage.

Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said it was "shocking" that the bank was targeting its charges at anyone who earned less than £24,000. He added: "This is an early sign that the banks are going to abandon free banking and impose charges for the use of a current account. This will create a further barrier to people on low incomes trying to use the banking system."

One theory is that HSBC is using First Direct to trial the fee-charging model. Other banks denied they were moving towards charging for current accounts, but the price comparison website uSwitch.com said it would not be surprised to see the changes made by First Direct becoming common practice across the industry.

Mr Briault warned banks of the risk to their reputations if large numbers of customers started to default on loans. Figures show increasing numbers of customers are applying for individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) to control their debt repayments. "You will already be at least as familiar as I am with the levels of unsecured debt and the possibility that a relatively small change in economic circumstances could result in a large increase in the numbers facing significant difficulties in meeting their obligations," he told the bankers. "Even if this is not in itself a significant threat to banks' capital, it is a potential reputational risk to the industry."

Here in Beijing for my umpteenth visit since 1975, I've seen the future, and it still says, 'made in China.' In all my decades of travel and reporting, China's transformation from Maoist gulag to economic powerhouse is by far the most awesome event I have ever witnessed.

This gigantic metropolis of 25 million seems destined to become the world's new capitol city - provided China's economy, still surging at over 10% per annum, remains strong, and political stability continues. But once China's surging growth slows, or comes to a halt after a financial crisis or political upheaval, the rest of the world risks being hit by a major financial and trade crisis. So we must not let China euphoria and greed overcome what should be natural caution and prudence in dealing with this new colossus.

Beijing's massive new skyscrapers, huge government blocks, broad, traffic-clogged avenues and miasma of smog and dust give it the look of an imperial capital in a science fiction film.

Last week, China staged a grandiose summit for 48 African leaders summoned to Beijing to receive $10 billion in aid from China's new leader, President Hu Jintao.

Energy voracious China now gets 30% of its oil from Africa. Angola just passed Saudi Arabia as China's leading oil supplier. China is bent on securing the lion's share of Africa's supplies of oil and other strategic resources. China-Africa trade has surged 30% to $50 billion in 2003. Interestingly, during the height of the Cold War in the late 1980's, the Soviet Union tried the same strategy, but was thwarted by the CIA and South Africa.



China's non-interference policy in foreign affairs means its trade and aid come without strings, a major plus for authoritarian or boycotted African regimes. But at least China is not hypocritical. While Washington boycotts Sudan and Zimbabwe over human rights, it cosies up to other African nations like Egypt, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia that are routinely accused of serious violations by international rights groups.

The summit was a lavish spectacle, with convoys of bigwigs in armoured limousines racing down the avenues, dancers, drummers, acrobats, small armies of tough security details, and regiments of China's feared, ramrod-straight paramilitary police, the Wujing, scowling at everyone. Algeria's secret police - who enjoy torturing victims with electric drills and blow torches - took first prize for looking sinister.

This week, China announced a third quarter trade surplus of US $102 billion. Beijing's monetary reserves have finally topped US $1 trillion, surpassing the former cash king, Japan. Much of China's reserves remain in US dollars. Beijing continues to finance America's spending binge by lending it billions, and keeping its reserves in dollars, though their value is under increasing pressure as the dollar threatens to further weaken. Communist China, in effect, continues to prop up the capitalist dollar in the face of growing pressure for its devaluation.

China's mammoth trade surplus, and a rising flood of foreign investment, has swamped the nation's banks with cash. This, in turn, has fuelled indiscriminate speculative investments, particularly in real estate and factories, and ignited a gold rush frenzy that often obscures China's solid economic achievements.

This flood of hot money poses a serious danger. Indiscriminate investment leads to overproduction, which then causes a deflationary crisis that could end in financial meltdown. Japan experienced similar phenomena in the 1990's, provoked by the sudden collapse of its wildly over-heated property market.

China's government has been struggling without much success to restrain this investment dragon. Beijing refuses, however, to allow its controlled, seriously undervalued currency, the yuan, to float, as its trade partners keep demanding.

The undervalued yuan has given China its huge surplus, the motor of growth that has pulled the nation out of poverty. China still needs to deal with hundreds of millions of struggling farmers, state industry workers, and unemployed. So it refuses to allow the yuan to inch up by more than 5%.

If the yuan were allowed to float, say Chinese bankers, people would rush to convert to dollars, causing a dire financial crisis that would wreck the fragile banking system.

Anyway, argue Chinese officials, why should China pay the price for America's profligacy in refusing to save and running huge government deficits by revaluing the yuan?

America's Treasury is printing too much money in order to keep America's debt-ridden economy growing. Since 60% of all US dollars end up abroad, the Bush Administration's reckless spending and over-stimulative money policies have caused a dangerous world-wide cash flood and serious imbalances to the global economy.

Who would have ever imagined that it would take Chinese loans to keep the US financial system from imploding?

US Republican who idolize free enterprise would do well to take pointers on capitalism from China's Communists who have beaten the western devils at their own game.