[ Syllabi | Schedule | Assignments ]
Catalog description: Mechanisms that
cause earthquakes and volcanoes, relation to plate tectonics, associated
hazards, examples in Oregon and western United States. 4 credits, lecture 3
hr/wk. Prerequisites: introductory physical geology.
Instructor: Dr. Bob Reynolds
Office : 237 Ochoco Phone: 383-7557 e-mail: breynolds@cocc.edu
Office Hours: M-W-F 10-11 AM
(Lava cascading into the ocean at Kilauea volcano, August 2002)
Overview: Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are arguably among the most powerful and catastrophic releases of energy on Earth. In addition, both are among the most common geologic phenomena on Earth. Dozens of volcanic eruptions and thousands of earthquakes occur each year. Hardly a day goes by that one or the other is not in the news. Moreover, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have had a significant impact on human civilization. Much of our scientific understanding of earthquake and volcanic processes has come through efforts to identify and predict the behavior of these potential disasters. These are areas where scientists make a direct and important contribution to society. Irrespective of whether you are planning a career in science, every citizen should have a clear sense of how scientists study volcanoes and earthquakes, what we know about them and how they impact this planet and society.
In this course we will examine the origin, distribution and causes of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. We will make extensive use of earthquake and volcano databases with an emphasis on earthquake and volcanic activity in the Pacific Northwest.
Posters: You will design and construct two posters, which will be presented to the class during the quarter. The one poster will be a summary of a historic earthquake and the second will be a summary of a historically active volcano. Guidelines for designing your posters will be provided.
Field Trips: There will be two required field trip to examine volcanoes and earthquakes in Oregon. Date for field trips are listed on the accompanying class schedule.
Grading: The grade that you earn will be based upon the scores you receive in the categories listed below. In figuring you final grade, I will drop the score of your lowest one lab and homework activity. Final grades will be assigned as follows:
A = 93-100% A- = 90-92% B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82% C+ = 77-79% C = 70-76% D = 60-69% F < 60%.
value category
20% Midterm exam
20% Final exam
15% Earthquake Poster
15% Volcano Poster
15% 2 Field Trips
15% Problem sets
