Earth 202: Earth's Interior (Winter
2008)
Instructor: Seth Stein Rm 311 Locy
Hall, (847) 491-5265
Office
Hours: by appointment
email:
seth@earth.northwestern.edu
Teaching
Assistant: Emily Martin Rm 10, Locy Hall, (847) 497-5379
Office
Hours: By appointment
email:
emartin@earth.northwestern.edu
Class time and location: Tuesday
and Thursday 2:00-3:20 pm at Rm 301 Locy Hall
Wednesday 2:00-2:50 pm at Rm 109 Locy
Hall
Website:
http://www.earth.northwestern.edu/people/seth/202/index.html
Supplementary Texts (on reserve in
the Main Library Reserve):
Uyeda, New View of the Earth
Bolt, Inside the Earth (currently
missing)
Wood, The Solar System
Press and Siever,Earth
Brown and Mussett, Inaccessible
Earth (2nd edition)
Davidson, Reed, and Davis, Exploring
Earth
Grades: Problem sets (20%),
Laboratory Exercises (10%), Presentation (10%), Test #1 (30%), Test #2 (30%)
Dates:
No lab Wednesday,
January 7
First homework
due Tuesday, January 13
Exam 1 review
Wednesday, February 4
Exam 1 Thursday,
February 5
Exam 2 review
Wednesday, March 4
Exam 2 Thursday,
March 5
Extra Credit due
Monday, March 16
Homework and labs
are due a week after being handed out at the beginning of class. A minimum 50% penalty applies to late work without
prior approval from Instructor or TA.
Students may
discuss homework and reports with each other, but are expected to work and do
their write-ups independently.
No portable
electronic devices will be allowed in class. This includes cell phones, PDAÕs, laptops etc.
Make-ups are ONLY
allowable through advance arrangement with the Office of Studies. Attending all
lectures and lab periods is required (and expected).
Tentative outline (subject to
change without notice!)
|
Week |
Subject |
Supplemental Reading |
Discussion Agenda |
|
1 |
Size, mass, & density of the
earth, seismic waves |
Bolt: Chaps. 1,2 + Brown & Mussett: pp. 11-20,
27-32 |
No Lab |
|
2 |
Earth structure from seismology |
Bolt: 3-4 + |
Gravity Lab |
|
3 |
Minerals and rocks |
Press & Siever: Chaps. 1,3 |
SnellÕs Law Lab |
|
4 |
Composition of mantle and core |
Brown & Mussett: Chaps. 6,7 |
Mineral and Rocks Lab |
|
5 |
Heat and temperature in the
earth, radiometric age dating |
Press & Siever: Chap. 14 Bolt: Chap. 7 + |
Exam 1 Review |
|
6 |
Origin of the elements, formation
of the solar system |
Wood: Chap. 6 + Brown & Mussett: pp. 43-61 |
Tour of Mineral Physics Lab |
|
7 |
Meteorites, formation of the
planets |
Wood: pp. 157-180 Brown & Mussett: pp.
61-67,73,76-82,96-101 |
Meteorite Lab |
|
8 |
Continents and oceans,
paleomagnetism, continental drift |
Uyeda: Chaps. 1,2,3 + |
Plate Tectonics Lab |
|
9 |
Earthquake focal mechanisms,
plate boundaries and kinematics, mechanics of plate tectonics |
Uyeda: Chaps. 4,5,6 + |
Exam 2 review |
|
10 |
Exam 2 review |
|
No Class |