INSTRUCTOR: Prof. J. Michael Rhodes, Morrill IV, Room 163
(Phone 545-2841; E-mail: jmrhodes@geo.umass.edu)
(Office hours, Morrill IV, Room 163: Tuesday and Thursday 3:00-5:00 pm)
Teaching Assistant: Samaya Hamdi, Morrill IV, Room 261
(E-mail : shamdi@umass.edu)
(Office hours, Morrill IV, Room 261: Wednesday 9:30 - 11:30, TuTh 1:00-2:00)
TEXTBOOK: Dynamic Earth (GEO-105) Custom published by McGraw Hill (Cost ~ $60 new E-version about $50).
COURSE DESCRIPTION
The earth is a dynamic planet, constantly creating oceans and mountain ranges, accompanied by earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. This course explores the ideas that led to the scientific revolution of plate tectonics; how plate tectonics provides a comprehensive theory explaining how and why volcanoes and earthquakes occur; and the hazards that they produce and their impact on humans. Emphasis is placed on current earthquake and volcanic events, as well as on momentous events from the past, such as the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the recent devastating earthquakes and tsunanis in Sumatra and Japan, the 79 A.D. eruption of Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii, and the more recent eruptions of Mount St. Helens (Washington), Pinitubo (Philippines) and Kilauea (Hawaii).
LECTURES
Lecture 1
Lecture 2
Lecture 3
Lecture 4
Lecture 5
Lecture 6
Lecture 7
Lecture 9
Lecture 10
Lecture 11
Lecture 12
Lecture 13
Lecture 14
Lecture 15
Lecture 16
Lecture 17
Lecture 18
Lecture 19