Subject: GPGN
Number: 455/555
Course Title: Earthquakes and Active Tectonics
Section:A
Semester/year: Spring 2016
Instructor or Coordinator: Edwin Nissen
Contact information (Office/Phone/Email): 303-273-3578, enissen@mines.edu
Office hours: Monday 10-12 am
Class meeting days/times: MWF 3-4 pm
Class meeting location: Green Center 211
Web Page/Blackboard link (if applicable): Blackboard page
Teaching Assistant (if applicable):
Contact information (Office/Phone/Email):
Instructional activity: _3__ hours lecture
___ hours lab
_3__ semester hours
Course designation: ___ Common Core ___ Distributed Science or Engineering
___ Major requirement _X_ Elective ___ Other (please describe ___________)
Course description:
Earthquakes are amongst the most significant natural hazards faced by mankind, with millions of fatalities
forecast this century. They are also our most accessible source of information on Earth’s structure,
rheology and tectonics, which are what ultimately govern the distribution of its natural resources. This
course provides an overview of how earthquake seismology, geodesy and geology are used to determine
earthquake locations, depths and mechanisms; decipher Earth’s tectonics and rheology; establish longterm earthquake histories and forecast future reoccurrence; and mitigate against seismic hazards.
Prerequisite: GPGN320 or consent of instructor. 3 hours lecture; 3 semester hours. Offered Spring
semester.
Textbook and/or other requirement materials:
Recommended texts (not required): (1) S. Stein & M. Wysession, An Introduction to Seismology,
Earthquakes and Earth Structure (Blackwell Publishing, 2003); (2) R. S. Yeats, K. E. Sieh & C. R. Allen,
Earthquake Geology (Oxford University Press, 1997).
Other required supplemental information:
Instructional outcomes:
Students will: (a) be familiar with the seismological, geodetic and geological tools used to determine
earthquake source parameters and study the earthquake cycle; (b) be able to communicate effectively
both orally and in writing; (c) formulate and solve quantitative problems related to earthquakes and active
faulting; (d) evaluate limitations, uncertainty and errors in data.
Student learning outcomes: At the conclusion of the class students will have:
1. an ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science, and engineering
2. an ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and interpret data
3. an ability to communicate effectively
4. a knowledge of contemporary issues
5. an ability to analyze, quantitatively, the errors, limitations, and uncertainties in data
Student Outcomes Addressed by Course:
a
b
X
X
Criterion 3
c
d
X
e
f
X
g
X
h
X
i
j
X
k
X
1
2
X
program criteria
Brief list of topics covered:
1. Earthquake seismology; locations, depths and source parameters from waveform analysis
2. Earthquake geodesy: the earthquake cycle from GPS and InSAR observations
3. Earthquake geology: paleoseismic records, fault slip-rates, and tectonic geomorphology
4. Seismotectonics: deformation and rheology of the continents, oceans, and intraplate regions
5. Earthquake hazards: societal impacts, earthquake forecasting and early warning systems.
Policy on academic integrity/misconduct:
The Colorado School of Mines affirms the principle that all individuals associated with the Mines
academic community have a responsibility for establishing, maintaining an fostering an understanding
and appreciation for academic integrity. In broad terms, this implies protecting the environment of mutual
trust within which scholarly exchange occurs, supporting the ability of the faculty to fairly and effectively
evaluate every student’s academic achievements, and giving credence to the university’s educational
mission, its scholarly objectives and the substance of the degrees it awards. The protection of academic
integrity requires there to be clear and consistent standards, as well as confrontation and sanctions when
individuals violate those standards. The Colorado School of Mines desires an environment free of any
and all forms of academic misconduct and expects students to act with integrity at all times.
Academic misconduct is the intentional act of fraud, in which an individual seeks to claim credit for the
work and efforts of another without authorization, or uses unauthorized materials or fabricated information
in any academic exercise. Student Academic Misconduct arises when a student violates the principle of
academic integrity. Such behavior erodes mutual trust, distorts the fair evaluation of academic
achievements, violates the ethical code of behavior upon which education and scholarship rest, and
undermines the credibility of the university. Because of the serious institutional and individual
ramifications, student misconduct arising from violations of academic integrity is not tolerated at Mines. If
a student is found to have engaged in such misconduct sanctions such as change of a grade, loss of
institutional privileges, or academic suspension or dismissal may be imposed.
The complete policy is online.
Grading Procedures: (Note: all courses must have a published, transparent grading policy that students
can use to gauge their performance and progress in the class through the course of the semester.)
40% on assignments
40% on final exam
20% on class participation
Coursework Return Policy: (Note: all courses must have a published, good-faith policy defining when
homework, exams, and other graded coursework will be returned. In general most work should be
returned to students within two weeks, along with suitable materials/feedback that enable students to
understand how to improve their learning/performance.)
Coursework will be returned to the student annotated and graded.
Absence Policy (e.g., Sports/Activities Policy):
Acceptable with prior consent.
Homework:
Assignments will be set approximately every two weeks. Each assignment will be returned to the student
annotated and graded.
Common Exam Policy (if applicable):
Detailed Course Schedule: (Note: it is recommended that the syllabus provide a detailed week-by-week
schedule of course activities, including readings, exam and project due dates, etc., as a common
courtesy to students.)
Available at the start of each Spring semester.