Physics and Chemistry of the Earth

GEOL 5700 section 11, Spring 2012

Main course site will be on Desire2Learn

Instructors:

• Craig Jones, ESCI 440C, x2-6994, cjones@cires.colorado.edu
• Lang Farmer, ESCI 422A, (303-49)2-6534, e-mail: farmer@cires.colorado.edu.

Text:

• Anderson, New Theory of the Earth (2007), required
• Supplemental: Karato, The Dynamic Structure of the Deep Earth
  • Turcotte and Schubert, Geodynamics, 2nd edition.
  • Brown and Mussett, The Inaccessible Earth, 2nd edition (1993) is out of print but on reserve and will be used for some readings
  • Stüwe, Geodynamics of the Lithosphere: An Introduction (2002 or 2007) might be used for some readings.
  • Don Anderson's Theory of the Earth has useful information; it is out of print but available online as pdfs

Coursework:

• Homeworks as assigned
• Professional readings (2/week most weeks, to be discussed Fridays)
• Midterm Exam
• Final Exam

News:

• D2L webpage is more up to date generally
• 2012 syllabus
• Readings

This week's schedule:

18- Introduction
20- Basic chemical principles (FARMER)
Reading- Anderson, Chapt. 1-3;)

What's here now:

• Math background handout (pdf; from R. Anderson)
• Rheology handout
• Convection handout
• Seafloor subsidence handout

Important Dates:

• 25 January is add day
• 1 February is drop day
• 3 February is last day to add with instructor's signature
• 29 February is last day to drop with instructor's signature without petitioning the Dean
• 5 March midterm (tentative)
• 26-30 March is spring break                                                                                            
• Final: Either last class or official slot (Tues May 8, 4:30-7:00 pm)

Topics:

• Creation of the Earth
• Differentiation of the Earth
• Core's chemistry
• The geodynamo and magnetic history of the Earth
• Mantle convection and viscosity structure
• Seismological and chemical transitions in the mantle
• Plumes: chemical constraints, physical models
• Origin and transport of melts
• Evolution of oceanic lithosphere
• Continental lithosphere over geologic time

Links

• Silicate Gallery of the Virtual Museum of Minerals and Molecules
• Mike Sandiford's discussion of lateral heat conduction and reduced heat flow problems
• Java script showing difference between slab heating and exponential decay heating (Sandiford)

GEOL5700 home | C. H. Jones | CIRES | Dept. of Geological Sciences | Univ. of Colorado at Boulder

Last modified at January 12, 2012 3:18 PM