Undergraduate Course: Seismology (EASC10035)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Earth Science |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The course covers two areas of seismology: Part I covers Wave theory and Part II Earthquake Seismology. The course content is given in more detail in the syllabus below.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Fields and Waves (EASC09033) AND
Physics of the Earth (EASC08016)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | The above pre-requisites are for students intending to graduate in one of the stream of Geophysics degrees in the School of GeoSciences. The course is also open to students from elsewhere in Edinburgh or elsewhere who can demonstrate an equivalent grounding in mathematics and the physics of fields and waves up to at least the level of year 2 of a 4-year BSc programme in Scotland. |
| Additional Costs | None. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | See above. |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
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Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Class Delivery Information |
There will be 2 lectures per week for 9 weeks in Semester 1. These are on Mondays and Thursdays, both at 11.10 - 12.00 from weeks 1 to 11 inclusive. There will also be two 3-hr practical exercises, one of which is a group computer-based exercise, and 6 hours of tutorials to be arranged.
There are additional lectures on Friday weeks 1-6, 9-9.50am, this slot may also be used when needed for tutorials during weeks 7-11. |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 21,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 6,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 4,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
60 )
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| Additional Notes |
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| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
100 %,
Coursework
0 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| Students who take this course will gain a thorough, critical understanding of advanced seismology and the range of techniques employed in this field. They will gain a detailed understanding of earthquake seismology and a detailed understanding of wave equations and their solutions. Students will be able to use, interpret and evaluate these. Students will be able to offer professional level insights because much of this course is informed by recent developments. Their ability to critically review and consolidate this knowledge will be showcased in the degree exam, in tutorials and in two practical exercises. |
Assessment Information
| 100% degree exam. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
An advanced course in seismology provided by experts in mathematical geophysics and earthquake seismology. |
| Syllabus |
Part I: Wave Theory
Fundamentals of wave motion; seismic wave types. Stress tensor, strain tensor, stress-strain relations; linearised equations of motion; elastic moduli.
The wave equation: dilatational and rotational solutions; separation of variables; plane and spherical waves.
Reflection and refraction of plane waves at a plane boundary; independence of SH and P and of SV waves; boundary conditions; P, SV and SH waves incident at the free surface of a homogeneous half-space and at general interfaces; energy conversions.
Rayleigh waves for a homogeneous half-space; Love waves for a two-layer half-space. Superposition of plane waves, group velocity, dispersion. Free oscillations, toroidal and spheroidal modes.
Part II: Earthquake Seismology
Introduction to Earthquake Seismology - an example from a recent event.
The Earthquake Source: Focal mechanisms, moment tensors, source time function.
Earthquake Mechanics: Friction and fracture, populations, dynamics, scaling.
Seismic Recording: Sensors, recorders, networks and arrays.
Seismograms: Natural and synthetic, time and frequency domain, combined influence of source, ray path, recording site and instrument.
Earthquake Location: Ray parameters (arrays) and the Geiger method (networks).
Global Earth Structure: Layered structure from travel time tables, 3D structure from seismic tomography.
Seismotectonics: Distribution of seismicity in space, regional stress and strain tensors, relationship to tectonics.
Seismic Hazard: Time-independent and time-dependent, can we predict individual earthquakes?
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| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Shearer, P.M. (1999) Introduction to seismology, Cambridge University Press.
Stein, S. & Wysession, M. (2003). An introduction to seismology, earthquakes and earth structure, Blackwells.
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Seismology |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Ian Main
Tel: (0131 6)50 4911
Email: |
Course secretary | Mrs Katie Leith
Tel: (0131 6)50 8510
Email: |
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