GEO 303 - Earthquakes and the study of the Earth’s Interior

Course Units: 1.0

(TBD: Staff) In this course students will learn about the various geophysical methods used to probe the Earth’s interior. With a heavy focus on earthquakes and seismology, the course explores the question of how we learn about the Earth beneath our feet. Through the hands-on use of modern geophysical field equipment we will explore the deep and shallow structure of the whole earth. We will learn about finding geological resources and about the physical explanations for plate tectonics. We will also examine how radioactivity and heat flow within the earth can tell us about our warming climate. A common thread throughout the course is computer modeling, data acquisition, signal processing and associated uncertainties. By the end of the course, students will have a familiarity with the differences between the many geophysical surveying methods and the different cases in which they could be employed. Prerequisite(s): Any 100-level geosciences or physics course or ENS 100 Corequisite(s): GEO 303L