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COURSE OBJECTIVES
For each natural disaster presented, objectives are:

To understand its causes

To describe its characteristics

To examine its impact on people and infrastructure

To be aware of mitigation strategies.
Emphasis on Canadian case histories.
LECTURES
Professor: Claire Samson (claire_samson@carleton.ca;
2170 Herzberg, x. 4396)
Lectures: Section A: Monday 8:35 AM – 11:25 AM, Steacie 103
Section V: Broadcast on Rogers Digital Cable Channel
243 and online (http://www2.carleton.ca/cuol/access-yourcourses/) Wednesday from 11:00 AM – 1:59 PM, starting on Wednesday January 9, 2013.
Also available on CUOL’s Video on Demand (VOD) subscription service. (https://vod.cuol.ca/)
Additionally, free viewing of the recorded lectures are available in the CUOL student centre, Loeb D299.
Office hours: Monday 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Tuesday 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
At these times, I am available in person in room 2170
Herzberg and on SKYPE (my SKYPE ID is
CU_ERTH2415). Feel free to come to see me or to connect with me via text, audio or webcam.
Individual appointments also available at other times with prior arrangements made via email.
Teaching assistants: Laura Olson (LauraDixon@cmail.carleton.ca) and
Wenzhe Lu (wlu@connect.carleton.ca)
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Textbook ( required ):
Abbott, P.L. and Samson, C. 2012 (2 nd
Edition). Natural Disasters – Canadian
Edition. McGraw Hill Ryerson, ISBN-10: 0-07-038549-1; ISBN-13: 978-0-07-
0385498.
OR
Abbott, P.L. and Samson, C. 2009 (1 st
Edition). Natural Disasters – Canadian
Edition. McGraw-Hill Ryerson, ISBN-10: 0-07-098037-3; ISBN-13: 978-0-07-
098037-2.
SCHEDULE (Subject to change)
7 Jan
14 Jan
1 Introduction
2
3
4
Canada’s policy on natural disasters
Impacts with space objects
Great Canadian impact tour
21 Jan
28 Jan
6
7
8
9
Plate tectonics and earthquakes
What happens during an earthquake?
Earthquakes and people
Earthquakes close to home
4 Feb
11 Feb
10 Tsunami
11 Mass movements I
12 Mass movements II
Winter break (18-22 Feb): No classes
25 Feb
2 Mar
4 Mar
11 Mar
18 Mar
25 Mar
Review before exam #1
Exam #1 (9:00 AM – 11:00 AM)
14 Geomagnetic hazards
15 Plate tectonics and volcanoes
16 Eruptive style and landforms I
17 Eruptive style and landforms II
18 Active volcanism now!
19 Extreme weather I
20 Extreme weather II
21 Hurricanes
22 Fire
1 Apr
24 Floods II
8 Apr
Review before exam #2
Examination period: Exam #2
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EVALUATION
Quizzes and exams are true/false and/or multiple choice questions.
Evaluation
On-line quizzes Quiz #1
Quiz #2
Quiz #3
Opens Thu 17 Jan;
Closes Sun 20 Jan
Opens Thu 24 Jan;
Closes Sun 27 Jan
Opens Thu 7 Feb;
Closes Sun 10 Feb
Quiz #4 Opens Thu 14 Feb;
Closes Sun 17 Feb
2 %
2 %
2 %
2 %
Quiz #5 Opens Thu 21 Mar;
Closes Sun 24 Mar
Lectures 1 to 13 inclusive
2 %
Exams Exam #1
(Saturday
2 March 2013
9:00AM-
11:00AM)
Exam #2
(Exam period)
Lectures 14 to 24 inclusive
50 %
40 %
TOTAL 100 %
CULearn
You can log into CULearn by going to: https://www.carleton.ca/culearn/

Download the lecture notes from CULearn prior to lectures.

Check the announcements and your email regularly.

Post all content-related questions to the discussion board.

You will be able to track your marks on CULearn.
In case of problems with CULearn, go to: http://www5.carleton.ca/culearnsupport/
EMAILS
Claire Samson, Laura Olson and Wenzhe Lu will endeavour to answer your emails within 2 business days.
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REQUESTS FOR ACADEMIC ACCOMMODATIONS
You may need special arrangements to meet your academic obligations during the term because of disability, religious obligations or pregnancy.
Students with disabilities requiring academic accommodations in this course must register with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities (PMC) for a formal evaluation of disability-related needs. Documented disabilities include but are not limited to mobility/physical impairments, specific Learning
Disabilities (LD), psychiatric/psychological disabilities, sensory disabilities,
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and chronic medical conditions.
Registered PMC students are required to contact the PMC (613-520-6608) every term to have a Letter of Accommodation sent to the Instructor by their
Coordinator. In addition, PMC students are expected to confirm their need for accommodation for on-line quizzes with Claire Samson on Monday 14 January
2013 at the latest .
For religious obligations and pregnancy: please email Claire Samson with any requests for academic accommodation on Monday 14 January 2013 at the latest , or as soon as possible after the need for accommodation is known to exist.
You can visit the Equity Services website to view the policies and to obtain more detailed information on academic accommodation at: http://carleton.ca/equity/accommodation.
MISSED EXAMS

For exam #1: Students who are unable to write exam #1 because of illness or other circumstances beyond their control must inform Claire Samson on
Wednesday 6 March 2013 at the latest. Their case must be substantiated with an official medical note or other documents. These students will write a deferred exam.

For exam #2: see the Undergraduate Calendar, section 2.5
APPROPRIATE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

Cell phones must be turned OFF at all times.

Laptops are to be used only to annotate the lecture notes.
BOOK IN THE LIBRARY RESERVE
2 hour maximum reading period

Abbott, P.L. and Samson, C. 2012 (2 nd
Edition). Natural Disasters –
Canadian Edition.
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