GEOL 455/655
Fall, 2000
Instructor: Dr. John Anderson,
427 LME, Phone: 784-4265
email: jga@seismo.unr.edu
Office hours: Before class
Lecture: Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30-11:15 AM, LMR 253
Course description:
This course is designed to introduce geologically oriented students to the nature of the
solid earth: its structure, composition, and dynamical behavior. The course will emphasize a
conceptual understanding of the whole earth (the atmosphere, oceans, crust, mantle, and core).
Although mathematics is an intrinsic part of the geophysical method, concepts will be
emphasized and rigorous mathematical treatment will be kept to a minimum. However,
quantitative examples and exercises will be used to demonstrate geophysical principles and the
students will be encouraged to expand their computer skills.
This is one of several geophysics courses currently offered to undergraduate geology
majors. GEOL 333, deals with plate tectonics, which is concerned with horizontal forces driving
the lithosphere and upper mantle. GEOL 490/690 or GE 479/679 concentrates on seismological
observations and seismic hazards. GEOL 492/692 and GEOL 493/693 concentrate on
applications of geophysics for industrial exploration.
We will study the structure, composition, and evolution of the earth in the context of
indirect geophysical observations from which physical and chemical properties are inferred. The
class will cover several topics throughout the term:
1) The Earth as a Planet
2) Radioactivity, geochronology, and the age of the earth
3) Thermal state and history
4) Seismology and the internal constitution of the earth
5) Geomagnetism and paleomagnetism
6) Gravity and tides
7) Global seismicity
8) Plate tectonics
Prerequisites :
Physical, Historical and Structural Geology
1 year Physics
1 year Calculus
Texts and References:
Because of the explosion in knowledge in solid earth geophysics in the last several years, no
single text adequately covers the recent advances in the field. To address some of the
fundamental principles, we will use The Solid Earth: An Introduction To Global Geophysics, by
Fowler, C. M. R., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; 1~90. This text will be supplemented
by additional reading each week of articles from various scientific journals and textbooks. An
annotated list of useful geophysical texts and references is
attached. Many of these books are on reserve at the Mackay Mines Library. We will.not be going
through this book in order, but by the end of the course we will have covered most of the
material in the book.
Class Organization
To encourage interactive learning, the course will be organized in a lecture/seminar format.
Before each class meeting, one or two selected scientific articles will be assigned. In the latter
part of the session, a pre-selected student will have the opportunity to review the article and lead
a class discussion. Student will be assigned to each article in advance, and we will rotate through
the entire class. Since an understanding of fundamental principles requires active practice,
problems sets will be given about every other week and will be due the following Thursday.
Examinations will consist of a midterm and a comprehensive final.
Grading:
Class participation 25 %
Homework problem sets: 25 %
Exams 50 %
GEOL 455/655 -Physics of the Earth
Prof. Karlin's Annotated References
Bird, J.M. and Isacks, B. eds., Plate Tectonics: Selected Papers from the Journal of
Geolphysical Research. American Geophysical Union, Washington, D.C., 951 pp./ 1972. An
excellent collection of some of the important early papers on plate tectonics.
Bolt, B.A. Inside the Earth: Evidence From Earth{luakes. Freeman & Co., San Francisco,
191 pp, 1982. A very readable, but somewhat restricted description of the structure of the solid
earth, as obtained from earthquake seismology. Written at a basic conceptual level.
Bott, M.H.P , The Interior Qf the Earth: its structure. constitution and evolution Elsevier ,
London, 403 p, 1982. A very good descriptive text on the structure of the solid earth geophysics
with excellent illustrations. Written at a conceptual level, and somewhat weak on discussion of
geophysical principles (Unfortunately, out of print).
De Btemaecher, J.C., Geophysics: The Earth s Interior John Wiley and Sons, New York, 342 pp.
1985. OK, but somewhat limited in topics.
Garland, G.D., Introduction to Geophysics {Mantle, Core, and Crust). Saunders, Toronto, 493
pp. ,1979 .Perhaps the best all around geophysics text, but unfortunately, out of print.
Glass, B.P., Introduction to Planetaa Geology. Cambridge Univ. Press, New York, 469 pp.,
1982. A broad descriptive overview on planetary geology.
Jacobs, J.A., The Earth's Core and Geomagnetism. Pergammon Press, Oxford, 137 pp., 1964. A
very brief, but wonderfully written description of processes driving the core geodynamo, by a
leading expert in the field. The results presented are somewhat dated, but he gives an excellent
intuitive discussion of the important terms in the geodynamo equation. A real gem
Jacobs, J.A., Russell, R.D., and J.T. Wilson, Physics and Geology. McGraw-Hill, New York,
622 pp. , 1974. An excellent text that covers a wide range of topics in terrestrial geophysics;
however, the discussion is somewhat dated. Also, out of print.
Jacobs, J.A., Geomaagnetism. Volumes 1,2,3, Academic Press, 1987. An excellent series that
covers recent advances in geomagnetism and paleomagnetism written by some of the foremost
authors in the field. Relatively high level.
Merrill, R. T. and McElhinny, M. W ., The Earth's Magnetic Field. Academic Press, London,
401 pp. , 1983. A thorough review of current know ledge on the structure, history and source of
the geomagnetic field. Some descriptive aspects are quite readable, but theoretical discussions
require a moderately high level of mathematics .
McElhinny, M. W ., The Earth. Its Origin. Structure. and Evolution Academic Press, London,
597 pp., 1979. Some very good review articles on the structure, composition and dynamics of the
earth's interior .
Ringwood, A.E., Origin of the Earth and Moon. Springer-Verlag, New York, 295 PP.., 1979. A
readable discussion of the composition and constitution of the earth, moon, and other planets,
written from a rather personal perspective by one of the leading experts in the field.
Stacey, F.D., Phvsics of the Earth. Third Edition, Brookfield Press, Brisbane, Australia,
1992, 513 pp. A very well written, moderately comprehensive text on geophysics, stressing
principles over description. For what it covers, it does so very well.
Turcotte, D.L., and G. Schubert, Geodynamics: Applications of Continuum Physics to
Geological Problems. John Wiley and Sons, 450 pp. , 1982. An excellent graduate level text on
geodynamic principles, especially as applied to lithospheric tectonics.
Verhoogen, I., Energetics of the Earth, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., 139
pp., 1980. A brief account of the energy balance and thermal state within the earth.