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Schedule

MWF 2:15-3:05 461 Mitchell

JAN 6: Logistics and organization. Introductory overview: what is geophysics and why use it? Need for remote sensing of planetary interiors.

Reading: Chapters 1 and 2 and Sections 5.0, 5.1, and 5.2

JAN 9: Constructs and continuum approximations. Density and mass. Need to consider heat and mass transfer. Principles of heat flow: Conservation of energy and analogy between heat flow and gravity. Global heat balance of planetary interiors. Neutrino geophysics. Steady state conductive heat flow. Temperature within asteroid or planet. Scale dependence of parameters.

JAN 12: Flat earth shallow approximations. Physical properties: thermal gradient and thermal conductivity. Steady-state heat flow in 1-D. Measurement of heat flow and temperature at depth in geothermal exploration.Thermal state of lithosphere and crust: Radioactivity and heat generation in crust: thickness of granitic layer of crust. Temperature in crust.

JAN 14: Heat transfer below crust and thermal history of the Earth. Neutrino geophysics and radioactivity. Thermal conductivity and radioactive heat generation. Temperature and pressure with depth. Xenolith geotherm. Regolith on asteroids.

JAN 16: Thermal state of lithosphere and crust: Radioactivity and heat generation in crust: thickness of granitic layer of crust. Temperature in crust. Heat transfer below crust and thermal history of the Earth. Neutrino geophysics and radioactivity. Thermal conductivity and radioactive heat generation. Temperature and pressure with depth. Xenolith geotherm. Regolith on asteroids.

JAN 19: MLK day no class.

Reading: Sections 5.3 and 5.4

JAN 21: Transient Flow of Heat: Lord Kelvin problem: Thermal history of the Earth. Heat capacity and thermal diffusivity. The cooling of oceanic lithosphere. Relationship between transient and convective heat flow. Convective Flow of Heat: an example, thickness of lid at ridge axis. Transient effects associated with faulting.

Reading: Sections 5.5 and 5.6

JAN 23: Thermal history of the earth; heat sources; global heat flow; convection.The heat flow equation and dimensional analysis. Combined use of steady state heat flow and gravity. Compare with Mars. Review of heat flow and introduction to gravity and isostasy.

Reading: Pages 284-293 and 412-413; Harden Chapter 14, pp. 356-382 and Chapter 18, pp. 490-498 (Mesozoic and Cenozoic)

JAN 26: Case history: California Tectonics. Stress on the San Andreas fault. (SLK)

JAN 28: Case history: Heat flow paradox on the San Andreas fault. (SLK)

Reading: Fowler 298-303, 308-320

JAN 30: Strength of crust. Equilibrium and Metamorphic geotherms. PTt paths, clockwise and counter-clockwise. (SLK)

Reading: briefly read Section 5.7

FEB 02: How to solve problems without actually doing them. Thermal convection. Base of lithosphere. Mars and Venus.

FEB 04: Principles of gravity and combined use with heat flow. The inverse square law; components of the gravity vector; gravitational potential. Compare potential with temperature.

FEB 06: Review for mid-term exam. (WC)

FEB 09: Midterm exam. Students will be allowed their equation dictionary.

Reading: Sections 4.1-4.4.

FEB 11: Gravity. Return to isostasy. Measurement of gravity and potential. Need to correct local surveys for what is known. Start Bouguer and Free-air corrections.

Reading: Continue section 4.4 and start section 4.5

FEB 13: More measurement of gravity: deflection of the vertical; gravimetry; direct measurement of potential; line of sight satellite data. Gravity gradiometer. Return to Gauss' law and simple gravitational bodies: demonstration of Gauss' law; Laplace's equation; buried sphere; examples using the sphere formula. Recompare with steady heat flow. Continue with gravity. Use of GPS and leveling.

FEB 16: Presidents' day no class.

Reading: Section 4.6

FEB 18: Post-earthquake effects. More simple gravitational bodies: cylindrical body; planar and tabular bodies; Gauss' law on a plane; the angle formula; examples using the formulas Interpretation and non-uniqueness of gravity: equivalent surface mass; depth to bodies; derivative method for depth; interpretation where basement is exposed.

Reading: Sections 4.7, 6.0, 6.1, and 6.2

FEB 20: Magnetism compare with isostasy. Return to reduction of gravity data: latitude correction; free air correction; simple and complete Bouguer correction; corrections for gravity at sea; bore hole gravity. Floating icesheet. Induced and remanent magnetism; the magnetic dipole; the components of the magnetic field vector; magnetic measurements; surface "magnetic charges". Scale invariance. Relationship to gradient of gravity. Magnetic gradiemeter

FEB 23: Isostasy and dynamics.

Reading: Sections 8.1 and 8.2

FEB 25: Methods of controlled source seismology. (SLK)

Reading: Burger 499-512

FEB 27: Electromagnetic methods. (SLK)

Reading: Section 4.7

MAR 02: Regional isostasy. Basin and Range. Practicalities of interpretation. Regional anomaly and isostatic correction. Edge effects. The Atlantic margin. The mid-continent gravity high. Continue regional isostasy. Dynamic features: rift valleys and trenches. Geoid anomalies. Stress in icesheet.

Reading: Chapter 7

MAR 04: Paleomagnetism: causes of remanent magnetism; laboratory and field tests of stability. Use of paleomagnetism as a geological tool: field tests of stability. Use on Mars and Moon.

Reading: Section 6.2

MAR 06: Magnetic stripes on sea floor: magnetic pole and equator; polar anomalies observed at the equator and equatorial anomalies observed at the pole; mid-latitude anomalies. Implications of heat transfer at ridge axis. Compare with isostasy.

MAR 09: Return to and review global dynamics

MAR 11: Surface waves. Lithospheric seismic velocity & density. (WC)

MAR 13: General review and help session.

MAR 16: 12:15-15:15 Final. Same rules as midterm.

NOTE: All lectures by Norm Sleep except SLK = Simon Klemperer and WC = Warren Caldwell

Readings

Please do readings before class!

All readings are from Sleep & Fujita, except as stated.

Note that books are reserved for multiple classes in Geology (Branner) library.

Fowler is

The Solid Earth: An Introduction to Global Geophysics by C. M. R. Fowler

Harden is

California Geology (UC Santa Cruz Custom Edition by Deborah R. Harden

Burger is

Introduction to Applied Geophysics: Exploring the Shallow Subsurface by H. Robert Burger, Anne F. Sheehan, and Craig H. Jones