SYLLABUS  DYNAMIC EARTH  MOUNT HOLYOKE

Lecture

Dates

Pages in Book

Topic

1

Jan. 25

3 -27

Introduction to the Earth.

2

Jan. 30

29-55

Geological time and the age of the Earth. An introduction to Scientific Revolutions and how Science works.

3/4

Feb. 1/6

79 -86

Continental drift - birth of the plate tectonics theory.

5/6

Feb. 8/13

86 - 96

Plate tectonics - the theory of sea floor spreading

7

Feb. 15

97 -113

Plate tectonics - a global setting for understanding earthquakes and volcanoes.

8

Feb. 20

- - - - -

Video - The Living Planet (nicely summarizes everything we have covered).

9

Feb. 22

143 - 146

An introduction to earthquakes (a historical perspective).

10

Feb. 27

146 - 152

Faults and earthquakes.

Feb. 29

- - - - -

FIRST ONE HOUR EXAM.

11

March 5

152 - 158

Seismic waves

12

March 7

158 - 173

Earthquake magnitude

13

March 12

- - - - -

Tsunamis (Sumatra and Japan)

14

March 14

175 -192: 192 - 227

Earthquake histories and damage, plus what about the Northeast?

 

March 17

- - - - -

SPRING BREAK.

15

March 26

187 - 204

Forecasting earthquakes (predicting the unpredictable!)

16

March 28

229 - 243

Introduction to volcanoes.

17

April 2

243 - 246

Lava flows.

 

April 4

- - - - -

SECOND ONE HOUR EXAM .

18

April 9

243 - 246; 261 - 263

Hawaiian and Icelandic volcanoes.

19

April 11

246 - 250; 263 - 267

Explosive eruptions and ash fall.

20

April 16

247 -250; 273 - 282

Pyroclastic flows; Pompeii and other disasters

21

April 18

264 - 273

Mount St. Helens

22

April 23

260 - 259

Calderas and Super Volcanoes

23

April 25

284 - 288

Monitoring volcanoes and forecasting eruptions

24

April 30

285 - 287

Video In the Path of the Killer Volcano (Mount Pinatubo, Philipines)

May 3 - 7

FINAL EXAM