This class explores the fundamental nature of catastrophic processes that have shaped and continue to shape the Earth and the environment in which we live. The physical processes causing earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, windstorms, floods, landslides, meteorite impacts, and other phenomena will be described, along with the role played by these rapid processes in the geological and biological evolution of Earth. The entire time scale from formation of the Universe to the present and future Earth system will be considered.
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Date |
Lecture Topic |
Reading |
|---|---|---|
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Friday, Sept. 25 |
#1 Introduction/Syllabus |
Abbott Ch. 1 |
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Part I. Cosmology and Global Catastrophes |
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Monday, Sept. 28 |
#2 Big Bang: Spectroscopy, Red Shift |
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Wednesday, Sept. 30 |
#3 Nucleosynethesis, Stars, Supernovae |
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Friday, Oct. 2 |
#4 Accretion of Earth, Moon Formation |
Abbott Ch. 2 |
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Monday, Oct. 5 |
#5 Origin of Life: The Archaen |
Abbtt Ch. 16 |
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Wednesday, Oct. 7 |
Video: Death of a Star |
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Friday, Oct. 9 |
Video: The Doomsday Asteroid |
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Monday, Oct. 12 |
#6 Evolution of Life: Proterozoic and the Phanerozoic Explosion |
Abbott Ch. 16 |
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Wednesday, Oct. 14 |
#7 Geologic Time/Mass Extinctions |
Abbott Ch. 16 |
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Friday, Oct. 16 |
#8 Extinctions and Evolution: The K-T Event |
Abbott Ch. 17 |
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Monday, Oct. 19 |
#9 Impactd and Environmental Crises |
Abbott Ch. 17 |
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Wednesday, Oct. 21 |
QUIZ # 1 on PART I (in class) |
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Part II. Internal Earth Processes and Catastrophes |
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Friday, Oct. 23 |
#10 Earth's Dynamic Systems: Plate Tectonics and the Geodynamo |
Abbott Ch. 3 |
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Mondy, Oct. 26 |
#11 Earthquakes: Faults and Seismic Waves |
Abbott Ch. 4 |
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Wednesday, Oct. 28 |
#12 Earthquakes: Seismic Recordings |
Abbott Ch. 4 |
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Friday, Oct. 30 |
#13-14 Earthquake Prediction and Mitigation |
Abbott Ch. 5 |
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Monday, Nov. 2 |
#15 Volcanoes: Melting and Arcs |
Abbott Ch. 6.7 |
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Wednesday, Nov. 4 |
Video: The Day the Earth Shook |
Abbott Ch. 8 |
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Friday, Nov. 6 |
#16 Volcanoes: Rifts and Hotspots |
Abbott Ch. 9 |
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Monday, Nov. 9 |
#17 Volcanoes: Products and Prediction |
Abbott Ch. 9 |
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Wednesday, Nov.11 |
NO CLASS - Veteran's Day Holiday |
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Friday, Nov. 13 |
QUIZ #2 on Part II (in class) |
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Monday, Nov. 16 |
#18 Atmospheric Processes: Energy, Circulation, Absorption, Ozone |
Abbott Ch. 11 |
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Wednesday, Nov. 18 |
#19 Climate Variations: Greenhouse Warming, Ice Ages |
Abbott Ch. 12 |
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Friday, Nov. 20 |
#20 Weather, Winds and Dust Storms and Hurricanes |
Abbott 10 |
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Monday, Nov. 23 |
#21 Water Cycle, Storms, Rivers and Floods |
Abbott Ch. 13 |
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Wednesday , Nov. 25 |
Video: An Inconvenient Truth |
Abbott Ch. 14 |
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Friday, Nov. 27 |
No Class - Thanksgiving |
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Monday, Nov. 30 |
#22-23 Floods: Great Dam Bursts/Landslides |
Abbott Ch. 14 |
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Wednesday, Dec. 2 |
#24 Human Induced Catastrophes |
Abbott 15 |
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Friday, Dec. 4 |
QUIZ #3 on Part III (in class) |
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