Introduction to Earthquakes

EASA-193, Saint Louis University, Fall 2009



Instructor
Robert B. Herrmann
Otto W. Nuttli Professor of Geophysics
rbh@eas.slu.edu (email)
www.eas.slu.edu/People/RBHerrmann(web)
203 O'Neil Hall (office) 3642 Lindell Boulevard
(314) 977-3120 (voice)
(314) 977-3117 (fax)

Teaching Assistant

Sebastiano D'Amico (email)



Meeting Times
Lectures: MWF 0900-0950, O'Neil Hall
Office Hours (RBHerrmann): by appointment


Textbook
Earthquakes, 5th edition, by Bruce Bolt



Syllabus

Class Web Page for Fall 2009 (this page)
www.eas.slu.edu/People/RBHerrmann/Courses/EASA193F09/

Student Educational Services


Academic honesty and disability accomodations

Academic Honesty

Accomodations

Topics

  1. Introduction to earthquakes

  2. Earth history

  3. Plate tectonics

  4. Faults and faulting

  5. Earthquakes revisited

  6. Seismic waves, seismograms, seismometers

  7. Earth structure in detail

  8. Societal questions

Grading

  • Assignments and Quizes

  • Attendance
  • Timely submission of assignments
  • A : 90-100
    B+: 85-89
    B :75-84
    C+: 65-74
    C : 50-64
    D :40-49
    F : 0-39

  • Grade Distribution at Midterm

  • Raw Grades at Midterm

Etiquette

  • Feel free to ask questions during lectures

  • Do not socialize or otherwise disrupt the class

  • No cell phones/PDA's or wireless

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Notable Dates

Aug 24 - Classes begin
Sep  04 - Last day to drop
Sep  07 - Labor Day
Sep  22 - last day for P/NP for A&S
Oct  12-17 - Mid-Term
Oct  19-20 - FALL Break
Oct  20  - Midterm grades due
Nov 25-27 Thanksgiving Break
Dec  7  - Last class
Dec  9-15 Final exams

FINAL EXAM MONDAY DEC 14

Dec 17 -Grades Due


Sep 29-30






Recent Earthquakes - USGS

Notable 2005 Earthquakes

Notable 2006 Earthquakes

Notable 2007 Earthquakes

Notable 2008 Earthquakes

Notable 2009 Earthquakes





























ACTUAL (Official list of topics and Assignments)
This list will indicate when assignments are due, quiz dates and final project requirements



Date

Topic

External Links Colors: White=actual, pale=tentative

Readings

Assignments

08/24/09

Introduction




08/26/09

Units

SI Units



08/28/09
Measurements
Determine Volume of fluid


08/31/09
Units
SI Units

09/02/09
Units, Density
Java earthquake of September 2, 2009


09/04/09
Intensity -
Part I
Bolt Chapter 8, Appendix C Bolt
Chapter 8
Appendix C

09/07/09

NO CLASS LABOR DAY
Bolt
Chapter 1

09/09/09
Intensity
Part II
Maps and contours, errors

HW1
Due Sept 16

09/11/09
Intensity
In class exercise

HW2
Due Sept 18
09/14/09 Seismograph
Seismograph and Seismogram
Bolt

09/16/09

MEQ 800 Portable Seismograph
Bolt
 Chapter 5

HW3 Seismogram Example and questions

Due Sept 23
09/18/09
SLU EQ Center
Earthquake Center Tour


09/21/09

Seismic Waves P & S


09/23/09

Earthquake Location


09/25/09

Seismograms P and S waves


09/28/09

Movie and Assignment

Ass1 - Paper on Tangshan earthquake
Due Oct 5
09/30/09
QUIZ 1 Units
Bolt Chapter 1
Bolt Chapter 8 - Intensity of Shaking (first section)
Appendix C
Multiple choice, essay
QUIZ
10/02/09

Epicenter

Earthquake Location



10/05/09

Seismic phases in the Earth: P, S, PP, PPP, PKP, PKS, PcP, ScS


10/07/09




10/09/09

Wadati technique to get origin time using P and S times


10/12/09

Location using distances from S-P times


10/14/09

Introduction to magnitude - logarithms


10/16/09

MagnitudeHTML HTML
Review this
HW2
Due Friday Oct 23
09

FALL BREAK


10/21/09

Scientific method:
Scientific Method -University of Rochester

The scientific method has four steps
1. Observation and description of a phenomenon or group of phenomena.
2. Formulation of an hypothesis to explain the phenomena. In physics, the hypothesis often takes the form of a causal mechanism or a mathematical relation.
3. Use of the hypothesis to predict the existence of other phenomena, or to predict quantitatively the results of new observations.
4. Performance of experimental tests of the predictions by several independent experimenters and properly performed experiments.

Wikipedia
1. Use your experience - consider the problem and try to make sense of it. Look for previous explanations; if this is a new problem to you, then do
2. Conjecture an explanation - when nothing else is yet known, try to state your explanation, to someone else, or to your notebook.
3. Deduce a prediction from that explanation- if 2 were true, then state a consequence of that explanation.
4
. Test - look for the opposite of that consequence in order to disprove 2. It is a logical error to seek 3 directly as proof of 2. This error is called affirming the consequent.

This model underlies the scientific revolution. One thousand years ago, Alhacen demonstrated the importance of steps 1 and 4. Galileo (1638) also showed the importance of step 4 (also called Experiment) in Two New Sciences. One possible sequence in this model would be 1, 2, 3, 4. If the outcome of 4 holds, and 3 is not yet disproven, you may continue with 3, 4, 1, and so forth; but if the outcome of 4 shows 3 to be false, you will have go back to 2 and try to invent a new 2, deduce a new 3, look for 4, and so forth. Note that 2 can never be shown to be absolutely true by scientific method[7]; only that 2 can be shown to be absolutely false by scientific method. (This is what Einstein meant when he said "No amount of experimentation can ever prove me right; a single experiment can prove me wrong.")


Science Buddies

Kids Research Rack


History of scientific method - wikipedia

1 Early methodology

2 Aristotelian science and empiricism

3 Emergence of inductive experimental method

4 Early modern methodologists

5 Integrating deductive and inductive method

6 Mention of the topic

7 Current issues

8 Science and pseudoscience

9 See also


10 Notes and references

Timeline of the history of the scientific method - wikipedia

Writing Scientific papers

How to write a scientific paper
How to write a paper in Scientific Journal Style and Format


10/23/09
Earthquake Focal mechanisms and beachballs
HTML
Read This

10/26/09
Faults and Faulting
HTML
Bolt Chapters 3,4,7,11

10/28/09
Elastic Rebound
HTML HW3
HW4
Due Wednesday Nov 4
10/30/09
Plate Tectonics Overview

HTML
11/02/09
Continents vs Oceans

HTML
11/04/09
QUIZ 2
Lectures since 9/21  Bolt Chapters 5, 6, 8

QUIZ
11/09/09

INTRODUCTION TO FINAL ASSIGNMENT


11/11/09

FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Presentation times



Oral presentations
Nov 20, 30, Dec 2, 4, 7

Plate Tectonics Powerpoint
Link to Visualizations



Plate Tectonics Earth's Magnetic Field
Apparent Polar Wandering


What is polar wandering?
What was the contribution of Vine-Matthews?
Plate Motions
HTML


Plate Tectonics

mid-ocean ridges - Tuzo Wilson's puzzle (in class exercise)

Tuzo's Puzzle
Plate Tectonic Animation
UCSB Animations
WebDoGS Plate Tectonic Reconstruction
Plate Tectonics - Wikipedia
Plate Tectonic Reconstructions at UTIG




Plate Tectonics



Mid-Ocean Ridges
mid-ocean Ridges (Question are there any ridges on land?) HTML

Transform Faults

HTML

Subduction Zones

HTML






Exceptions to Plate Tectonics

HTML

Earth History

HTML

Earth Dynamics

HTML

Earthquake Hazard



11/18


neic_slu.ppt (Dr. Benz's Powerpoint presentation)
neic_slu.pdf (Dr. Benz's presentation as a PDF)



11/20
Presentation
FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Presentation times



11/23

2004 Tsunami


11/30

FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Presentation times



12/02

FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Presentation times



12/04

FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Presentation times



12/07


Quiz



12/07


Last class - Evaluation











Useful Links!

Help Sheets and Study Guides














Comments or questions?? Send email to rbh@eas.slu.edu
Latest revision: October 26, 2009