Interior of the Earth: EPSc 453
Spring 2015
Instructors: Douglas Wiens (rm 381; x-6517; doug@wustl.edu)
Michael Wysession (rm 385; x-5625, mwysession@wustl.edu)
Class meetings: TTh: 10:00 – 11:30, Rudolph Hall rm 184
Goal of the class: examination of the dynamics, structure, and composition of the crust,
mantle and core of the Earth. How does the interior of the earth work? Discussion of
recent advances and their influence on our understanding of the solid earth and terrestrial
planets.
Student responsibilities: regular readings, occasional problem sets, two papers, and two
class presentations. There is no single comprehensive textbook, so readings will be drawn
from a variety of sources.
Grading: approximate weighting of the grades will be 20% homework sets, 30% oral
presentations, and 50% papers.
Books on reserve:
Anderson: Theory of the Earth
Brown and Musset: The Inaccessible Earth
Davies: Dynamic earth: plates, plumes, and mantle convection
Fowler: The Solid Earth
Karato: The dynamic structure of the deep Earth
Lay and Wallace: An Introduction to Modern Global Seismology
Poirier: Introduction to the Physics of the Earth's Interior
Schubert, Turcotte, Olson: Mantle Convection in the Earth and Planets
Stein & Wysession: Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes and Earth Structure
Stacey and Davis: Physics of the Earth (4th Ed.)
Turcotte and Schubert: Geodynamics
Approximate Schedule and Topics:
Jan
13: (DW) Introduction – overview of the course
15: (DW) Imaging the earth’s interior with seismology; seismic earth models
20: (DW) Seismic anisotropy, lattice preferred orientation, and mantle flow
22: (MW) Gravity and the geoid
27: (DW) Seismic velocity and attenuation: lab experiments and interpretation
29: (DW) Heat flow and the thermal structure of the earth
Feb
3: (DW) Oceanic spreading centers – the formation of oceanic crust
5: (DW) Sub-continental lithosphere - the roots of continents?
10: (DW) Water and volatiles in the earth’s interior
12: (DW) Subduction zones and island arc volcanoes
17: (DW) Mantle convection and mantle mixing
19: (DW) Viscosity of the mantle and postglacial rebound
24: No Class (or guest lecture)
26: (DW) Deep slabs and deep earthquakes
Mar
3: (DW) Student Presentations
5: (DW) Student Presentations
10: Spring Break
12: Spring Break
17: (MW) Mineralogical Earth model
19: (MW) Mineral physics of the mantle
19 - paper #1 due
24: (MW) Structure and dynamics of North America from EarthScope
26: (MW) Structure and dynamics of the lower mantle
Apr
31: (MW) Mantle plumes - I
2: (MW) Mantle plumes - II
7: (MW) Wet spots, warm spots, and hot spots
9: (MW) Core-Mantle Boundary Region
14: (MW) Core structure and composition
16: (MW) Core geodynamo
21: (MW) Earth’s interior and the formation of the planet
23: (MW) Student Presentations
TBD: (MW) Student Presentations
May
1: Paper #2 Due