GEOL 101 -- Earth's Dynam Interior

Roofed spatter cone (Kilauea, HI), Courtesy USGS [link]

Expanded course description

The thin skin of rock on which we live caps a vast, flowing mantle that sits atop a thick layer of molten iron, which is gradually freezing onto the solid inner core. Though most of our planet is inaccessible to direct observation, the evidence for processes carried on at depth is seen all around us and profoundly influences our immediate surroundings - mountains, earthquakes, volcanoes, and the magnetic field are all surface expressions of interactions that occur well beyond human reach. Through class lectures and laboratory exercises, students discover both how we learn about the dynamic interactions that occur deep beneath us, and the ways in which they influence the surface environment in which we live.

The course focuses on how interior processes both make the Earth habitable and cause the natural disasters that periodically claim so many lives. We follow the trail of discovery that led to the theory of plate tectonics, which provides a unifying framework for understanding the sources of volcanoes and earthquakes, the building of mountains, and the generation of Earth's crust. A comparison is made between our own planetary structure and those of our closest neighbors - leading to a discussion of what this implies for the evolution of conditions on the surfaces of other planets. The goal throughout is to instill a conceptual understanding of the key interior dynamics that characterize our home.

Core components: The course grade is based on results from laboratory exercises, a mid-term, two short quizzes, and a final examination.

Group: SCI

Offered 200701.

Syllabus

Although syllabi can change from term to term, a syllabus may provide further information about typical instances of this course.