Physics and Chemistry of the Earth

GEOL 5700 section 2 (CHANGED from section 1), Fall 2006

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:

• Karato, The Dynamic Structure of the Deep Earth (required)
• Supplemental:
  • 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) 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
• Readings (2/week most weeks, to be discussed Fridays)
• Midterm Exam
• Final Exam

News:

• 2006 syllabus online
• Reading this week:
  • handouts
  • readings for Friday below
• Previous readings here

What's here now:

• Syllabus (2006)
• Math background handout (pdf; from R. Anderson)

Important Dates:

• First class, Aug. 28
• Labor Day, Sept. 4 (no class)
• Midterm early OCT (TBA) (in class)
• Thanksgiving holiday, Nov. 20-24 (no class)
• Last class, Dec. 15. (Dec. 8 because of AGU??)
• Final either last class or Dec. 19 10:30 am - 1:00 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)

This week's schedule:

• 4- Production of silica-rich magmas and anatexis
• 6- Physics of earthquakes
• 8- Discussion-
  • Buck, W. R., Modes of continental lithospheric extension, J. Geophys. Res., 96, 20,161-20,178, 1991. (in folder in mailroom)
  • Klepeis, K. A., G. L. Clarke, and T. Rushmer, Magma transport and coupling between deformation and magmatism in the continental lithosphere, GSA Today, 13, 4-11, 2003.
    
• Reading- Handouts, part of Stein and Wysession

Next week's schedule:

• AGU

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

Last modified at December 6, 2006 3:43 PM