Instructor: Susan Bilek, sbilek@nmt.edu, x6510
Time and Place: Tues/Thurs, 11:00 am-12:15 pm, Speare 113
Required Text: The Solid Earth, by C. Fowler (2nd edition)
Course Objectives: This course will provide background into geophysical processes of the Earth. The objectives of this course include 1) become familiar with various geophysical techniques used to explore the Earth, 2) become proficient in solving problems with geophysical emphasis, 3) improve your ability to work within small groups to solve limited problems, and 4) improve your writing skills through short writing exercises on problem sets.
Announcements:
--- HW 1: Please use the following locations for problem 4, Homework 1.
54°N 169°E
52°N 169°W
60°N 150°W
Grading Policy:
Late Policy:
Extension requests due to emergencies must be made before the due date. Penalties of 10% per day will be applied for late assignments. This means point values for homework assignments that are turned in after the class meeting time start at 90 instead of 100.
Academic Honesty Policy:
I expect that you turn in your own work on homeworks and exams. You may discuss topics with other students, but you must write up your own work, in your own words. Please see the library’s website for more discussion of this issue (http://infohost.nmt.edu/~nmtlib/INFO/ORef/plagiarism.html) or see me with questions. Problems with cheating or plagiarism will lead to a failing grade in the course.
Schedule:
| Date | Topic | Readings | Assignments Due | Week # |
| 08/26/2008 | Introduction | Chapter 1 | 1 | |
| 08/28/2008 | Plate tectonics basics | Chapter 2.1; 2.2; 2.5-2.6 | 1 | |
| 09/02/2008 | Geometry of plate tectonics | Ch 2.3-2.4; 2.7 | 2 | |
| 09/04/2008 | Earth's magnetic field | Ch 3.1 | 2 | |
| 09/09/2008 | Dating the plates | Ch 3.2 | HW 1 | 3 |
| 09/11/2008 | Past plate motions | Ch 3.3 | 3 | |
| 09/16/2008 | Seismology - waves | Ch 4.1 | HW 2 | 4 |
| 09/18/2008 | Library Day - meet in library 208 | 4 | ||
| 09/23/2008 | Exam 1 - in class | 5 | ||
| 09/25/2008 | NO CLASS | 5 | ||
| 09/30/2008 | Seismology - seismic refraction | Ch 4.3 | 6 | |
| 10/02/2008 | NO CLASS | 6 | ||
| 10/07/2008 | Seismology - seismic reflection | Ch 4.4 | 7 | |
| 10/09/2008 | Seismology - earthquakes | Ch 4.2 | HW 3 | 7 |
| 10/14/2008 | Gravity | Ch 5.1-5.4 | 8 | |
| 10/16/2008 | Isostasy and anomalies | Ch 5.5-5.6 | 8 | |
| 10/21/2008 | Flexure | Ch 5.7 | 9 | |
| 10/23/2008 | Heat conduction | Ch 7.1-7.2 | HW 4 | 9 |
| 10/28/2008 | Exam 2 - in class | 10 | ||
| 10/30/2008 | Heat - geotherms | Ch 7.3 | 10 | |
| 11/04/2008 | Heat flow | Ch 7.4-7.6 | 11 | |
| 11/06/2008 | Mantle and metamorphic heat | Ch 7.7-7.8 | 11 | |
| 11/11/2008 | Internal structure | Ch 8.1 | HW 5 | 12 |
| 11/13/2008 | Internal structure and convection | Ch 8.1-8.2 | 12 | |
| 11/18/2008 | Convection | Ch 8.2 | 13 | |
| 11/20/2008 | The core | Ch 8.3 | 13 | |
| 11/25/2008 | Ocean lithosphere | Ch 9.1-9.2 | HW 6 | 14 |
| 11/27/2008 | Thanksgiving - NO CLASS | 14 | ||
| 12/02/2008 | Mid ocean ridgses | Ch 9.3-9.4 | 15 | |
| 12/04/2008 | Ocean transforms and subduction zones | Ch 9.5-9.6 | 15 | |
| 12/09/2008 | Continental lithosphere | Ch 10.1-10.4 | HW 7 | 16 |
| 12/11/2008 | Exam 3 - in class | 16 |