Geology 151j INTRODUCTION TO VOLCANOES and VOLCANOLOGY JanPlan, 2005
[ Class Meets MTWTh from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in Arey 5]
Instructor: Prof. Robert E. Nelson ("Dr. Bob")
Text: Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change
Office: Mudd 212 (phone ext. 3247)
by Fisher, Heiken & Hulen
Campus e-mail: renelson
Office hours: 11:00-noon M-Th
Geology Web page URL : http://www.colby.edu/geology
AND by appointment
TENTATIVE LECTURE SCHEDULE
Date
3 January, 2005
Subject(s)
Text readings:
Introduction & Expectations
What are and where are the volcanoes?
Chap. 1
4 January, 2005
Why volcanoes? An Introduction to Plate Tectonics
Video: Eruptive Phenomena of Kilauea's East Rift Zone, Hawai'i (40 min.) *
5 January, 2005
Volcanic geography homework due at beginning of class
Chemistry of the Molten Earth: Magmas and Rocks
Chap. 2
6 January, 2005
Eruptive Styles & Volcanic Forms
Chap. 3
Videos: Inside Hawaiian Volcanoes (25 min.); The 1943 eruption of Vesuvius (17 mins.)
(1 synopsis due covering both videos)
10 January, 2005
Eruptive Styles & Volcanic Forms (cont.)
Video: Montserrat's Andesite Volcano (50 min.)
11 January, 2005
Underwater Volcanism
Chap. 4
Video: Eruption at the Sea (30 min.) (1 synopsis due covering both videos)
Video: Secrets of Underwater Volcanoes (60 min.)
12 January, 2005
Explosive Eruptions & Pyroclastic Flows
Chap. 5
Video: The Eruption of Mt. St. Helens (30 min.)
13 January, 2005
Lahars: Volcanic Mudflows
Chap. 6
Video: Volcano! Nature's Fury (35 min.)
17 January, 2005
FIRST HOUR: mid-JanPlan Exam
Second hour: Video: Ten Years of Volcanic Activity in Alaska (25 min.)
18 January, 2005
Lava Flows
Chap. 7
Video: The Eruption of Heimaey, Iceland, 1973 (ca. 60 min.)
19 January, 2005
Volcanic Gasses and Ash Clouds
Chaps. 8, 9
20 January, 2005
Volcanoes & Humans: It's Not Entirely Negative
Chaps. 11-14
24 January, 2005
Volcanoes & Humans (cont.)
25 January, 2005
Volcanic Hazards: Living with the Inevitable
Chap. 15
Video: In the Path of a Killer Volcano: The Eruption of Pinatubo (60 min.)
26 January, 2005
Video: Hollywood's volcano perspective (ca. 90 min.)
27 January, 2005
Paper on Hollywood Films DUE;
COMPREHENSIVE FINAL EXAM
* A written synopsis on each video shown will be due at the beginning of the class period following
the showing of the film. See handout for specifics on this.
Grading for Course:
Homework Assignment: Geography ................................... 25 points
Classroom participation ....................................................... 100 points
First Hour Exam.................................................................... 100 points
Video Synopses 9 x 10 pts ................................................... 90points
Final Exam (incl. 25-pt. critique of Hollywood film) ........... 185 points
Total Possible ......................................................... 500 points
(see reverse for more information!)
GE151j
January, 1998
Syllabus, Page 2
Classroom Participation is obviously an important component of this class, and should be easy if
you are indeed engaged in the subject matter. Each class will begin with discussion of the
previous day's material, OR material covered in the reading assigned for that day, or both. You
will be expected to have at least one question ready on this material at the beginning of each
class - and I may call on anyone in the class to present his or her question as a basis for opening
discussion. Obviously, if you're not in class, you can't participate.
The Geography Homework is important because you need to know where various features actually
are situated on the Earth, in order to understand the connections between them.
The Video Synopses are more for your benefit than mine, to help you keep straight which features
you saw in which video. These will be particularly important as you are writing your technical,
scientific critique of the Hollywood volcano-based film that will be part of your final exam.
More about these will be found in the separate handout.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL BE FOUND ON THE SYLLABUS WEB PAGE:
http://www.colby.edu/geology/GE151jsyll.html