Seismology related courses, 2002/2003
Courses primarily for undergraduates
Catalog Number: 2694
Marcus Van Baalen and memmbers of the department
Half course (spring term).
Tu., Th., 11:30-1:00;
laboratories and section require one afternoon per week.
EXAM GROUP: 13, 14
An introduction to geology, with emphasis on environmental problems and hazards. Introduction to methods of risk assessment. Natural disasters: earthquakes; volcanos; landslides; floods. Short and long-term impact of human activity on the geological environment: radon and hazardous materials; drainage patterns and dams; ground water and subsidence. The development of scientific topics will form the bases for discussion of methods of risk reduction through policy and legislation
Note: EPS 6 may not be counted for a degree in addition to EPS 7.
Catalog Number: 0918
Adam M. Dziewonskiand Marcus van Baalen
Half course (fall term). M., W., F., at 10;
three hours of laboratory work each week and two day-long field trips on separate
weekends required.
EXAM GROUP: 3
A course designed for concentrators but also appropriate for non-concentrators who desire a broad introduction to Earth science. Evolution of the Earth
with an emphasis on the processes that have shaped our planet. The theory of plate tectonics is used to explain the occurrence and distribution of
earthquakes, volcanoes and mountains. Labs and the weekend field trips familiarize students with rock types, geological features, and illustrate how
geologists infer processes from the rock record.
Note: Also appropriate for non-EPS concentrators who desire a comprehensive introduction to Earth Science. This course, when taken for a letter grade,
meets the Core area requirement for Science A
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 91r.
Supervised Reading and Research
Catalog Number: 1462
John H. Shaw and members of the Department
Half course (fall term; repeated spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Note: Intended for junior or senior concentrators in Earth and Planetary Sciences; open to sophomore concentrators only under
exceptional circumstances. Permission of the faculty member under whom the student wants to work and of the Head Tutor is
required for enrollment. May be counted for concentration only with the special permission of the Head Tutor.
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 99.
Tutorial - Senior Year
Catalog Number: 7120
John H. Shaw and members of the Department
Full course. Hours to be arranged.
Note: Senior honors candidates must take at least one term of this course (fall or spring) if writing a thesis. Signature of the Head
Tutor required for enrollment.
Courses for undergraduates and graduates
Catalog Number: 6095
James R. Rice
Half course (fall term) not offered 02/03. Tu, Th, 10-11:30;
EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
Principles of solid and fluid mechanics are developed to understand processes in environmental geology and geophysics. Topics: Geomorphology and
sedimentation. Hydrology, groundwater flows, solute transport, contaminant remediation. Poroelasiticity, aquifer dynamics, consolidation and
subsidence. Rock and soil strength; safety of dams, levees and landfills; landslides, debris flows. Faulting and earthquake waves, site response,
liquefaction. Water waves, tsunamis, open channel flows, hydraulic jumps; erosion and sediment transport.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2002-03. Given in alternate years. Students who wish to have coverage of the same material at a more advanced
level should take the course Engineering Sciences 265.
Prerequisites: Mathematics or Applied Math 21 and a calculus-based introduction to physics. Also suggested: EPS 6 or 7
[Earth and Planetary Sciences 109.
Earth Resources and the Environment]
Catalog Number: 1540
John Shaw
Half course (spring term).Tu., Th., 10-11:30 and a 2.5 hour lab to be arranged
EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
The course provides an overview of the earth's energy and material resources. Following an introduction to hydrocarbons
(oil, natural gas, and coal), nuclear fuels, and other economically important ores, the course will emphasize methods used to
exploit these resources and the environmental impacts of these operations. Topics include: Coal and acid rain; petroleum,
photochemical smog, and oil spills; nuclear power and radioactive hazards; alternative energies (solar, hydroelectric, tidal,
geothermal power); metals and mining. Labs will emphasize geologic and geophysical methods for discovering and exploiting
resources, including satellite remote sensing and seismic reflection techniques, and environmental remediation approaches
Note: expected to be given in 2003-2004. Given in alternate years
Prerequisite: EPS 6, 7 or 8 or permission of the instructor
Catalog Number: 1854
Half Course (fall term), M.,W., 1-2:30. Exam Group: 6,7
Richard J. O'Connell
Overview of geophysical and geological observations and phenomena related to large-scale tectonic processes. Plate tectonics; marine magnetic and
paleomagnetic measurements; heat flow and thermal evolution of oceanic plates; earthquakes and volcanoes at plate boundaries. The rigid and nonrigid
behavior of lithospheric plates; rates of crustal deformation; earthquakes within continents; mountain building and the support and evolution of mountain
belts.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2003-04. Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: One basic earth science course (e.g., EPS 7 or Science A-24) or permission of instructor. Recommended: Applied Mathematics or
Mathematics 21, Physics 11a or 15a.
Catalog Number: 1540
Half Course (fall term), not offered 02/03, M.,W., 1-2:30. Exam Group: 6,7
Adam M. Dziewonski
Causes, occurrence, and properties of earthquakes. Earthquakes and tectonics, seismic risk, volcanic eruptions. Propagation of seismic waves, physical
properties of the Earth's crust, core, and mantle. Seismographs and interpretation of recordings of earthquakes. Some aspects of the required
mathematical methods (e.g., Fourier transform) are explained.
Note: Expected to be given 2003-2004. Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 21a and 21b or Applied Mathematics 21a and 21b (may be taken concurrently).
Catalog Number: 5143
Adam M. Dziewonski
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Geophysical methods used to prospect for oil and minerals and to address environmental problems such as ground water level, radioactive waste
storage, estimation of seismic risk. Theory, instrumentation and interpretation of seismic, gravity, electrical and electromagnetic methods.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2003-2004. Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: Mathematics 21a and 21b or Applied Mathematics 21a and 21b. Some of the required mathematical tools are explained during the
course.
Catalog Number: 0319
John H. Shaw
Half course (spring term), not given 02-03. Tu., Th., 10-11:30; Labs: to be arranged; 2 hours/week and one 3 day field trip.
EXAM GROUP: 12, 13
An introduction to deformation of Earth materials, including mountain building and plate tectonics, faulting and earthquakes, folding, and ductile
deformation. Forces acting on rocks and resultant strains will be examined for a variety of pressure and temperature conditions. Rock fracture and
faulting will be studied through numerical approaches, analog experiments, geologic maps, and cross sections. Ductile deformation mechanisms will
be examined through microscopic investigation of rock fabrics. Labs will introduce modern applications of structural geology to the energy and
environmental industries and for assessing earthquake hazards by using balanced cross sections, seismic reflection data, and satellite imagery.
Note: Expected to be given in 2003-2004. Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: EPS 6, 7, or 8, or permission of the instructor.
Courses primarily for graduates
Catalog Number: 4004
Richard J. O'Connell
Half course (spring term). Tu., Th., 2:30-4. EXAM GROUP: 16, 17
The properties and processes of the solid Earth: Continuum mechanics; structure and state of the Earth's interior; gravity and the geoid; viscous creep and
mantle flow; rotational dynamics; heat transport and mantle convection.
Prerequisite: Applied Mathematics 105a and 105b, Physics 15 or equivalent. Preparation should be discussed with the instructor.
Catalog Number: 4426
Adam M. Dziewonski and Göran Ekström
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Fundamentals of statistical data analysis and error estimation; model building using linear inversion; model resolution; discrete sampling of time or space
series; Fourier series and transforms; digital and matched filter design; wavelet analysis.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2003-04.
Prerequisite: Applied Mathematics 105a; may be taken concurrently.
Catalog Number: 8218
James L. Davis
Half course (spring term), not offered 02-03. Hours to be arranged.
Space geodesy for the study of the solid Earth, the atmosphere, and the ocean. The determination of geophysical signals from space geodetic
observables. Topics include the Global Positioning System, very long baseline interferometry, satellite-laser ranging, the TOPEX/POSEIDON
altimeter, interferometric SAR, and several future space missions.
Note: Expected to be given 2003-2004. Given in alternate years.
Catalog Number: 2908
Richard J. O'Connell and Jeremy Bloxham
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Research seminar on current important problems on the state and processes of the solid Earth. Topics may include mantle structure and geochemistry, the
core-mantle boundary, the continental lithosphere.
Note: This course is coordinated with a research course at MIT.
Catalog Number: 0542
James R. Rice and Renata Dmowska
Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., 10-11:30. EXAM GROUP: 12, 13.
Elastic radiation from faults in relation to source dynamics. Quantification of earthquakes; source parameters and scaling laws. Dynamic fracture
theory. Friction laws; effective stress. State of stress in Earth's crust. Strength and rheology of faults. Earthquake instability and rupture propagnation
models. Spatio-temporal complexity of seismic response. Seismotectonics. Stressing and sesismicity in the earthquake cycle. Seismicity rate changes
and hazard modification due to nearby earthquakes.
Note: Expected to be omitted 2003-2004.
Prerequisite: EPS 166 or equivalent and further advanced study at the 200 level in seismology or solid mechanics.
Catalog Number: 2895
Adam M. Dziewonski
Half course (spring term), not offerred 02/03. Hours to be arranged.
Topics in seismology related to investigation of the elastic and anelastic structure of the deep interior of the Earth using normal modes, surface
waves, and body waves. Theory, observation, and interpretation. Emphasis on 3-D seismic tomography. Topics vary from year to year.
Prerequisite: EPS 166, Applied Mathematics 105a,b, or equivalent.
Catalog Number: 4091
Adam M. Dziewonski and Göran Ekström
Half course (spring term). Hours to be arranged.
Treats the theory and observational techniques used in the study of low-frequency seismic waves in the Earth. Free oscillations of a spherical Earth;
effects of rotation, asphericity and heterogeneity. Mode splitting and coupling. Surface and body waves: dispersion attenuation, refraction and
reflection. Seismic source representation and retrieval; centroid-moment tensor (CMT) analysis.
Note: Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: Applied math 105a, b or EPS 166 or equivalent preparation.
Catalog Number: 3021
Göran Ekström
Half course (spring term), not given 02/03. Hours to be arranged.
Topics in seismology related to the earthquake source process. Focuses on observational and computational methods for determining earthquake
parameters from seismic data. Kinematic and dynamic models of the earthquake source and their parameterization; modeling of seismic waveforms;
inverse methods for parameter estimation. Topics vary from year to year.
Note: Expected to be omitted in 2002-03. Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: EPS 166, or equivalent.
[Earth and Planetary Sciences 270r (formerly Earth and Planetary Sciences 270). Structural Interpretation of Seismic Data]
Catalog Number: 8230
John H. Shaw
Half course (fall term). Hours to be arranged.
Methods of interpreting complex geologic structures imaged in 2 and 3-dimensional seismic reflection data. Emphasis is placed on defining regional
structural styles in extensional basins, fold-and-thrust belts, and strike-slip systems. Methods of integrated surface geology, well logs, and remote
sensing data into structural interpretation will be described. Students will work on independent projects analyzing seismic grids and 3D volumes.
Note: Given in alternate years.
Prerequisite: EPS 71 or equivalent.
Graduate Courses of Reading and Research
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 363. Tectonophysics, Earthquake Source Physics
Catalog Number: 8664
James R. Rice 7270 (on leave fall term)
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 364. Geophysics
Catalog Number: 1438
Jeremy Bloxham 2047
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 365. Geophysics
Catalog Number: 5632
Richard J. O'Connell 3642
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 367. Seismology
Catalog Number: 4447
Adam M. Dziewonski 3641
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 368. Seismology
Catalog Number: 4932
Göran Ekström 2682
*Earth and Planetary Sciences 370. Structural Analysis
Catalog Number: 9046
John H. Shaw 3699
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Last modified: Mon Sep 16 09:54:37 EDT