Course Information:
Size, mass, & density of the earth, seismic waves; earth structure from seismology; minerals and rocks; composition of mantle and core; heat and temperature in the earth, radiometric age dating; origin of the elements, formation of the solar system; meteorites, formation of the planets; continents and oceans, paleomagnetism, continental drift; earthquake focal mechanisms, plate boundaries and kinematics, mechanics of plate tectonics. Prerequisites: MATH 224, PHYSICS 135-1, and CHEM 110 (formerly CHEM 101); or consent of instructor.
Click here for a Map with Plate Boundaries and Relative Motions
Click here for Seismic Experiment Photos
This website is based on a list of the major topics covered in class. For each topic, we give reading material from texts information about the class demonstrations, and some of the supplementary resources available on the Internet. Try these out and tell us what you think!
Class Topics (Click to go to topic):
- Size, mass, & density of the Earth
- Seismic waves
- Minerals
- Composition of the crust, mantle, and core
- Radiometric age dating
- Origin of the elements and formation of the solar system
- Meteorites, formation of the planets
- Thermal evolution of planets
- Continental drift and paleomagnetism
- Earthquakes and plate tectonics
- Plate boundaries and kinematics
- Sample midterm
- Extra Credit
Topic 1: Size, mass, & density of the Earth
Lecture Notes
Supplemental Reading
- Bolt Chapters 1,2
In-class Demonstrations
Topic 2: Seismic Waves
Lecture Notes
- Probing the deep earth
- Two types of seismic waves
- Seismic wave speed
- Seismic waves at boundary
- Snell’s Law (I)
- Snell’s Law (II)
- Critical Angle
- Reflection and transmission coefficients
- Seismometers
- Refraction seismology and the crust
- Discovery of the earth’s core
- Velocity structure of the earth
- Paths of Seismic waves within the spherical earth
- Core shadow zone
- Travel time curves
- “Movies” of body waves propagating in the earth
Supplemental Reading
- Brown & Mussett pp. 11-20, 27-32
In-class Demonstrations
Topic 3: Minerals
Lecture Notes
- What is the earth made of
- Interpreting Seismic Velocities
- Minerals
- Pressure and Phase Diagrams
- Larger image files of degraded versions in notes
Supplemental Reading
- Press & Siever Chapters 1,3
Topic 4: Composition of crust, mantle, and core
Lecture Notes
- Crustal rocks
- Composition of the mantle
- Composition of the core
- Larger image files of degraded versions in notes
- Volcanic and volcanic rocks
Supplemental Reading
- Brown & Mussett Chapters 6,7
In-class Demonstrations:
Virtual Courseware: Earthquake
Topic 5: Radiometric age dating
Lecture Notes
Supplemental Reading
- Bolt Chapter 7
In-class Demonstrations:
Virtual Courseware: Earthquake
Exploring the Concepts: the geological time scale
Topic 6: Origin of the elements and formation of the solar system
Lecture Notes
- Nucleosynthesis I
- Nucleosynthesis II
- Nucleosynthesis III
- Hubble Space Telescope
- The Orion Nebula, where a new solar system may be developing
- The sun
- Element evolution and star formation
- Formation of the solar system
Supplemental Reading
- Wood Chapter 6
- Brown & Mussett pp. 43-61
Homework Problems
Topic 7: Meteorites, formation of the planets
Lecture Notes
Supplemental Reading
- Wood pp. 157-180
- Brown & Mussett pp. 61-67, 73, 76-82, 96-101
Topic 8: Thermal evolution of planets
Lecture Notes
- Heat
- Convection
- Tomography
- Planetary Histories
- Large image files of degraded versions in notes
- Evolution of the atmosphere
Supplemental Reading
- Press and Siever Chapters 13,14
In-class Demonstrations
Homework Problems
- A fancier convection “movie” (low-Rayleigh number)
- A fancier convection “movie” (high-Rayleigh number)
Topic 9: Continental drift and paleomagnetism
Lecture Notes
- Paleomagnetism
- Spreading Anomalies
- Magnetism
- Development of plate tectonic theory
- Pre-Plate tectonic ideas
- Continental drift
- Pangea
- Similarity of fossils suggests joint continents
- Plate tectonic theory explained Wegener’s key observations
- Climate belts-Global climate
- Local climate
- Rejection of continental drift
- Acceptance of continental drift
- Seafloor spreading
- Paleomagnetic timescale
- Rock’s magnetic field
- Seafloor magnetic anomalies (observation)
- Seafloor magnetic anomalies (explanation)
- Paleomagnetic results
- Deep-sea drilling
- Earthquakes occur at plate boundaries
- Mid-ocean ridge earthquake
- Subduction zone earthquakes
- Paleoclimate of Pangea (225 my ago)
Supplemental Reading
- Uyeda Chapters 1,2,3
In-class Demonstrations
Homework Problems
Topic 10: Earthquakes and plate tectonics
Lecture Notes
Supplemental Reading
- Uyeda Chapters 4,5,6
Topic 11: Plate boundaries and kinematics
Lecture Notes
- Plates on a sphere
- Plate Boundary Zones
- Divergent Plate Boundaries
- Convergent Plate Boundaries
- Ocean-Ocean convergence
- Ocean-Continent convergence
- Thermal structure of down going slab
- Thermal buoyancy forces
- Continent-Continent convergence
- Himalayan continental collision
- Example of a Convergent Plate Boundary:
- Transform Plate Boundaries
- The San Andreas Fault is the transform boundary between the Pacific and North American plates
- Different segments of San Andreas Fault respond differently to accommodate Pacific -North American relative motion
- San Andreas Lake – San Francisco Bay Area
- San Andreas Fault – Carizo Plain, California
- San Andreas Fault – Palmdale, California
- Continental Evolution
- Continental evolution described by the “Wilson cycle”
- Appalachian mountains
- Atlantic rifting
- Passive continental margin sediments
- Western north America shows continents grow with time as material accretes to their edges
- Continents grow with time as material accretes to their edges
- The present continents reflect their evolution over geologic time
- Continental plate interiors are not totally inactive geologically
- Vertical motion in continental plate interiors
- Plate motions (kinematics)
- Plate motions at mid ocean ridges and transforms
- Convergence direction at subduction zones
- To sum plate motions from other plates use vectors
- Plate circuit closure
- NUVEL-1 global relative plate motion model
- Plate rotation pole
- Space geodesy
- VLBI-very long baseline radio interferometry
- SLR-satellite laser ranging
- GPS clock
- GPS constellation
- A downloadable map with plate boundaries and relative motions. A good study guide!
Supplemental Reading
- Uyeda Chapters 4,5,6
In-class Demonstrations
Administrative Stuff
It’s important to keep up, so attending all lectures and lab periods is required. In-class questions cannot be made up.
No portable electronic devices (cell phones, PDAs, laptops etc.) may be used in class.
Homework and labs are due a week after being handed out, at the beginning of class. No credit will be given for late work without prior approval from instructor or TA. Missed labs cannot be made up, given the setup and operational time involved.
On tests, homework, class problems, and labs numerical answers require units and appropriate numbers of significant digits. All work must be shown.
Make-ups are ONLY allowable through advance arrangement with the Office of Studies.
Students may discuss homework and reports with each other, but are expected to work and do their write-ups independently. You can’t look at another student’s work or show them yours.
Extra Credit
The EPS Department hosts speakers who discusses current research. The list of speakers, titles, and dates is here. While not all the speakers cover topics directly relating to this course, and the talks are higher level than the course, it’s an opportunity for enrichment. Thus we offer homework extra credit for a 1-page summary of each talk, on up to 3 talks, each worth 2% of grade, due within two weeks after the talk and by time of second test.
Sample Tests
Click here for a sample midterm
Click here for a second sample test