Instructor:
Fenglin Niu (ESCI Room 316; tel: 713-348-4122; fax: 713-348-5214)
Lectures:
Tues. and Thurs. 09:25 - 10:40 AM
Location:
ESCI Room 327
Office Hours:
Tuesday 1:00 - 2:00 pm; Wednesday 10:00 – 12:00 am; or by appointment.
TA:
Joern A. Jernsletten (ESCI Room 322; tel: 713-348-3272)
TA Office Hours:
Monday 2:00 - 4:00 pm; Friday 10:00 – 11:00 am;
Course
Description:
This course is a review
(or more proper, an introduction) of the structure of the Earth and key physical
processes that have shaped it. It emphasizes on concepts rather than
mathematical derivations. Topics include the structural seismology, chemical
composition of the earth, earthquakes, physics Earth’s potential fields
(gravitational and magnetic fields), heat flow and thermal structure of the
earth, and plate tectonics. Laboratory exercises are computer based. Each involves using data and modern software
to constrain aspects of the Earth's structure or history. Some labs are based on classical analyses
from the literature, while others are based on observations, acquired using the
Internet, of current geophysical events.
Grading:
The grading will be based on: 30% midterm exam; 30% final exam;
10% LAB, 10% attendance; 20% homework.
Required Text:
R.J. Lillie, Whole Earth Geophysics, Prentice Hall.
Recommended Text:
C.M. Fowler, The Solid Earth: An Introduction to Geophysics, Cambridge University Press.
N. H. Sleep, K. Fujita, Principles of Geophysics, Blackwell Science.