The Mackay School of Mines
on the Internet

What is the Mackay School of Mines offering?

The Mackay School of Mines seeks to serve its students, staff, alumni, and the community with information and expertise in earth science and engineering. Creating an Internet presence for the School helps us to organize our resources and make them more easily available to you. There are currenly three groups in the School who are providing information:
The Nevada Seismological Laboratory at ``http://www.seismo.unr.edu'' offers information on current earthquakes and its research and teaching programs. Users can access lists, maps, and seismogram data from the latest earthquakes, and can report any events they have felt. There are background geologic and seismicity maps, and on-line searching of earthquake catalogs. General information is available on-line in contact lists, brochures, geophysics degree program information for students, and courses in earthquake fundamentals and scientific visualization.

The Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology at ``http://www.nbmg.unr.edu'' offers an online information directory containing a complete list of NBMG publications along with prices and ordering information, articles from the quarterly newsletter Nevada Geology, a list of services available at NBMG, a summary of NBMG research activities, indexes of U.S. Geological Survey digital line graphs and digital elevation models, and information on agencies using or producing digital data in Nevada. NBMG geologists are available to answer a variety of inquiries on the geology and mineral resources of Nevada.

The Hydrologic Sciences Program at ``http://www.hydro.unr.edu'' offers information on admission to the program, participating faculty, current research of the faculty and students, the Hydrologic Sciences colloquium series, and current activities and events.

How can I take advantage of the Internet?

Once you have the approximately $1500 worth of computer equipment needed to access the Internet, a commercial provider can supply your connection and the necessary software for as little as $30 per month. Any PC or Mac with a color display, at least 8 megabytes of memory, and a fast modem can form an acceptable platform.

The Mackay School of Mines will provide Internet accounts to members of its Advisory Boards and to its partners in the UNR Foundation and the Nevada Seismic Research Affiliates. Because our resources are thin, we will ask for some patience and self-sufficiency in return. Call the School at (702) 784-6987 and ask to be contacted by the MSM Network Administrator.

Commercial Internet service providers can provide you with all the software, consulting services, and availability you may require. Two providers in the Reno area are:

You can also purchase one of the many ``Internet Membership Kits'' or other books on the Internet (that include software) at any bookstore or computer store. This is the least expensive route, and offers you complete independence and confidentiality.

What is the Internet?

The Internet is a way of exchanging information. It combines many of the best features of a long-distance telephone network and an international courier service. It can also be abused as much as the phone and mail. The Internet has world-wide coverage and the ability to let you read text, see pictures and movies, hear sounds, and search for information and ask questions. It can do all of these much more quickly and cheaply than the phone or the mail.

What can I do with the Internet?

As an Internet user, you can access information provided by universities, businesses, governments, professional associations, and individuals. Any type of business that can be conducted by phone or mail can now be conducted more rapidly and cheaply via the Internet. If you are a subscriber to any kind of periodical or data base that arrives as a book, or on a diskette, you will probably find that you can now access the same information from the Internet. Electronic mail helps alleviate phone tag. And tele-conferencing is now practical and cheap over the Internet.

It is also increasingly easy to become an information provider on the Internet. Students, professionals, and the press are currently the heaviest users of the Internet. If your work targets these groups, your Internet presence will be heavily accessed, and very visible.