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NATURAL DISASTERS
ERTH2415 – WINTER 2012
COURSE OBJECTIVES
For each natural disaster presented, objectives are:
o To understand its causes
o To describe its characteristics
o To examine its impact on people and infrastructure
o To be aware of mitigation strategies.
Emphasis on Canadian case histories.
LECTURES
Professor:
Claire Samson (2170 Herzberg, x. 4396)
Lectures:
Section A: Friday 11:35 AM – 2:25 PM, Steacie 103
Section V: Broadcast on Rogers Digital Cable Channel
243 and online (http://www2.carleton.ca/cuol/access-yourcourses/) Monday’s from 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM, starting on
Monday, January 9, 2012.
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:
Tuesday 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM and Friday 3:00 – 5:00 PM.
At these times, I am available in person in room 2170
Herzberg and on SKYPE (my SKYPE ID for this course 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 WebCT email.
Teaching assistant:
Raymond Caron
Textbook (required): Abbott, Patrick L. and Samson, C. 2009.
Natural Disasters, Canadian Edition. McGraw-Hill.
ISBN-13: 978-0-07-098037-2; ISBN-10: 0-07-098037-3.
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COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
Please send all emails to Claire Samson and Raymond Caron via WebCT. We
will endeavour to answer you within 2 business days.
SCHEDULE (Subject to change)
Date
Lecture Topic
1
Introduction
2
Impacts with space objects
3
Great Canadian impact tour
13 Jan
4
Geomagnetic hazards
5
Plate tectonics
20 Jan
6
Plate tectonics and earthquakes
7
What happens during an earthquake?
27 Jan
8
Earthquakes close to home
9
Earthquakes and people
3 Feb
10
Tsunami
11
Mass movements I
10 Feb
12
Mass movements II
13
Snow avalanches
17 Feb
14
Fire
Winter break (20-24 Feb): No classes
15
Plate tectonics and volcanoes
2 Mar
16
Active volcanism now!
3 Mar
Exam #1 (12:00 PM – 2:00 PM)
17
Eruptive style and landforms I
9 Mar
18
Eruptive style and landforms !!
19
Canada’s policy on natural disasters
16 Mar
20
Extreme weather I
21
Extreme weather II
23 Mar
22
Hurricanes
23
Floods I
30 Mar
24
Floods II
Examination period: Exam #2
6 Jan
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EVALUATION
Quizzes and exams are true/false and/or multiple choice questions.
Claire Samson will offer special office hours in preparation for exams #1 and #2.
On-line quizzes
Quizz #1
Quizz #2
Quizz #3
Quizz #4
Quizz #5
Exams
Exam #1
(Saturday
3 March 2012
12:00-14:00)
Exam #2
(Exam period)
Evaluation
Practice quizz
Opens 10 Jan;
Closes 15 Jan
Opens 17 Jan;
Closes 20 Jan
Opens 31 Jan;
Closes 5 Feb
Opens 14 Feb;
Closes 19 Feb
Opens 13 Mar;
Closes 18 Mar
Lectures 1 to 14 inclusive
Participation
mark
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
50 %
Lectures 15 to 24 inclusive
40 %
TOTAL
100 %
WebCT
It is the student’s responsibility to download the lecture notes from WebCT prior
to lectures. Students should also check the announcements and their WebCT
email regularly. Students will be able to track their marks on WebCT.
In case of problems with WebCT, contact webct_help@carleton.ca
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
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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, students are expected to confirm their need for accommodation for
on-line quizzes with Claire Samson on Monday 9 January 2012 at the latest.
For religious obligations and pregnancy: Please email me with any requests for
academic accommodation on Monday 9 January 2012 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
Tuesday 6 March 2012 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.
BOOKS IN THE LIBRARY RESERVE
2 hour maximum reading period, 2 copies in reserve

Abbott, Patrick L. and Samson, C. 2009. Natural Disasters, Canadian Edition.
McGraw-Hill.
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