GEOL/PHYS/ASTR 6610 Earth and Planetary Physics I
Spring 2004
MWF 11-11:50, BESC Rm. 355

 

Instructor: Prof. Anne Sheehan, Office: BESC 440A, Phone: 492-4597, email: afs@cires.Colorado.edu, Office hours: Monday and Friday: 2-3.

Class web page: http://cires.colorado.edu/people/sheehan.anne/geol6610.html

Course Objectives: This course will cover the principles of seismology and wave propagation. Applications to both earthquake studies and Earth structure will be covered. Examination of seismic wave propagation, data analysis and processing, earthquake mechanisms, seismic constraints on the structure of the Earth, and relationship of seismicity to plate tectonics.

Prerequisites: Vector Calculus, Differential Equations. Some homeworks will require computer programming (any language).

Course Format: Traditional lecture format with homeworks, including computer exercises. Once per week, class will include seismic record reading and/or discussion of a research paper, lead by a student. There will be frequent homeworks, a midterm, a final exam, and a term project.

Text: An Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure, by Seth Stein and Michael Wysession (available in bookstore, also on reserve in Earth Sciences library)

Grading:

  Homeworks  40%
 Class presentations & term paper  30%
 Exams  30%

 

Tentative Lecture Schedule

 Week

 Topics

 Reading
 1. Jan. 12  Introduction, Basic theory  Ch.1, Appendix , Ch 2.1, 2.2
 2. Jan. 19  Stress & Strain, Waves  Ch. 2.3-2.5
 3. Jan. 26  Plane wave reflection/transmission  Ch. 2.6
 4. Feb. 2  Surface waves, normal modes  Ch. 2.7-2.9
 5. Feb. 9  Reflection, refraction seismology  Ch. 3.1-3.3
 6. Feb. 16  Body wave studies  Ch. 3.4-3.5
 7. Feb. 23  Anisotropy, attenuation, Earth structure  Ch. 3.6-3.8
 8. Mar. 1  Earthquakes, focal mechanisms  Ch. 4.1-4.3
 9. Mar. 8  Moment tensors, geodesy & source parameters  Ch. 4.4-4.7
 10. Mar. 15  Seismology and Plate Tectonics  Ch. 5
 Mar. 22   SPRING BREAK  
 11. Mar. 29  Seismology and Plate Tectonics Ch. 5
 12. Apr. 5  Seismograms as signals  Ch. 6
 13. Apr. 12  Inverse problems  Ch. 7
 14. Apr. 19  Student presentations  
 15. Apr. 26  Review, FINAL  

 Midterm: Mar. 3, Final: April 30