Module Identifier | EA11710 | |||||||||||
Module Title | THE DYNAMIC EARTH | |||||||||||
Academic Year | 2007/2008 | |||||||||||
Co-ordinator | Dr Bill Perkins | |||||||||||
Semester | Semester 1 | |||||||||||
Other staff | Dr Charles Bendall | |||||||||||
Course delivery | Lecture | 20 Hours. 1 hour lectures. | ||||||||||
Assessment |
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The chemical and structural evolution of the Earth will be considered leading to an understanding of the present day distribution of elements within the planet.
The geophysical methods of investigating internal structures of the Earth will be described. This section of the course will cover aspects of: Seismic geophysics including the study of seismic waves as a form of energy and factors controlling the passage of seismic waves in the Earth. Earthquakes as a source of seismic energy will be discussed and the derivation of fault movements and stress regimes from seismological data will be described. Historical aspects of seismic studies will be covered including the discoveries of the major structures within the Earth. The latter part of this section will introduce the concept of the Lithosphere and Asthenosphere.
In the lectures on magnetic studies the Earth's magnetic field will be described, its behaviour, in geological time discussed and the application of magnetism preserved in rocks will be explained. The periodical reversals of the Earth's magnetic field will be described leading to an understanding of the reversal time scale.
In the lectures on gravity the acceleration due to gravity and its measurement will be described. Isostacy will be introduced and its implications for the vertical and lateral movement of the outer part of the Earth described.
The lectures on Earth chemistry and physics will lead into the description of Plate Tectonics. The history and concept of continental drift will be described and the origin of major Earth features will be discussed in a plate tectonic framework using both modern and ancient examples.
This module is at CQFW Level 4