Fisica | INTRODUCTION TO EARTH PHYSICS

cod. 0512600010

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH PHYSICS

	0512600010
	DIPARTIMENTO DI FISICA "E.R. CAIANIELLO"
	EQF6
	PHYSICS
	2020/2021

PERCORSO SHARED STUDY PATHWAY

	YEAR OF COURSE 3
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2017
	PRIMO SEMESTRE

TEACHING UNITS

	SSD	CFU	HOURS	ACTIVITY	TYPE OF ACTIVITY
	GEO/10	6	48	LESSONS	SUPPLEMENTARY COMPULSORY SUBJECTS

	Objectives
	THE COURSE AIMS TO GIVE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PHYSICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING SOME SOLID-EARTH GLOBAL-SCALE OBSERVATIONS. KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: FUNDAMENTALS OF EARTHQUAKE AND VOLCANO DISTRIBUTION, SEISMIC WAVES, GRAVITY ANOMALIES, ISOSTASY, SUPERFICIAL HEAT FLUX, BATHYMETRY AND AGE OF OCEAN FLOOR, COOLING OF THE OCEANIC LITHOSPHERE. APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING: SIMPLE QUANTITATIVE MODELLING OF THE ABOVE LISTED GEOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA.

THE COURSE AIMS TO GIVE AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PHYSICAL PROCESSES UNDERLYING SOME SOLID-EARTH GLOBAL-SCALE OBSERVATIONS.

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
FUNDAMENTALS OF EARTHQUAKE AND VOLCANO DISTRIBUTION, SEISMIC WAVES, GRAVITY ANOMALIES, ISOSTASY, SUPERFICIAL HEAT FLUX, BATHYMETRY AND AGE OF OCEAN FLOOR, COOLING OF THE OCEANIC LITHOSPHERE.

APPLYING KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING:
SIMPLE QUANTITATIVE MODELLING OF THE ABOVE LISTED GEOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA.

	Prerequisites
	FUNDAMENTALS OF CALCULUS (DERIVATIVES, INTEGRALS, LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS) AND CLASSICAL PHYSICS (MECHANICS, THERMODYNAMICS) ARE MANDATORY PRE-REQUISITES.

	Contents
	GLOBAL OBSERVATIONS ON PLATE TECTONICS. STRESS AND STRAIN (ELASTOSTATIC). GROUND DEFORMATION FROM A PRESSURIZED SPHERICAL CAVITY. TECTONIC STRESS. ADMONTON LAW. COULOMB STRESS AND FAULT INTERACTION. SEISMIC WAVES. GEOID. GRAVIMETRIC ANOMALIES. ISOSTASY. THE LITHOSPHERE AS AN ELASTIC PLATE: FLEXURE AND SUBDUCTION. HEAT PRODUCTION IN THE EARTH. HEAT CONDUCTION. EQUILIBRIUM LITHOSPHERIC GEOTHERMS: HEAT FLUX FROM THE MANTLE, CRUSTAL PROFILE OF RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS. NON-EQUILIBRIUM HEAT CONDUCTION: PERIODIC HEATING OF A SEMI-INFINITE HALF-SPACE, INSTANTANEOUS COOLING OF A SEMI-INFINITE HALF-SPACE. MENTIONS OF FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE OCEANIC LITHOSPHERE.

Contents

GLOBAL OBSERVATIONS ON PLATE TECTONICS.
STRESS AND STRAIN (ELASTOSTATIC). GROUND DEFORMATION FROM A PRESSURIZED SPHERICAL CAVITY. TECTONIC STRESS. ADMONTON LAW. COULOMB STRESS AND FAULT INTERACTION. SEISMIC WAVES. GEOID. GRAVIMETRIC ANOMALIES. ISOSTASY. THE LITHOSPHERE AS AN ELASTIC PLATE: FLEXURE AND SUBDUCTION. HEAT PRODUCTION IN THE EARTH. HEAT CONDUCTION. EQUILIBRIUM LITHOSPHERIC GEOTHERMS: HEAT FLUX FROM THE MANTLE, CRUSTAL PROFILE OF RADIOACTIVE ELEMENTS. NON-EQUILIBRIUM HEAT CONDUCTION: PERIODIC HEATING OF A SEMI-INFINITE HALF-SPACE, INSTANTANEOUS COOLING OF A SEMI-INFINITE HALF-SPACE. MENTIONS OF FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF THE OCEANIC LITHOSPHERE.

	Teaching Methods
	LECTURES (48 HOURS, 6 ECTS). EACH LECTURE ECTS INCLUDES 8 HOURS OF TAUGHT CLASS AND 17 HOURS OF HOMEWORK. STUDENTS SERVE THEIR INTERESTS BEST BY REGULAR ATTENDANCE.

	Verification of learning
	FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION, ABOUT HALF AN HOUR LONG, INCLUDING QUESTIONS ON THE COURSE TOPICS AND SOLUTIONS OF SIMPLE PROBLEMS. THE MINIMAL SCORE OF 18/30 IS OBTAINED IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS A SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE COURSE AND SOME UNCERTAINTIES IN THE SOLUTION OF PROPOSED PROBLEMS. THE MAXIMUM SCORE OF 30/30 IS OBTAINED IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS A DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPICS OF THE COURSE AND NO UNCERTAINTY IN THE SOLUTION OF PROPOSED PROBLEMS. THE MAXIMUM SCORE "CUM LAUDE" IS OBTAINED IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS AN EXTENDED KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPICS OF THE COURSE, WITHIN CONTEXT GOING BEYOND THE ONES INVESTIGATED IN THE COURSE.

Verification of learning

FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION, ABOUT HALF AN HOUR LONG, INCLUDING QUESTIONS ON THE COURSE TOPICS AND SOLUTIONS OF SIMPLE PROBLEMS.
THE MINIMAL SCORE OF 18/30 IS OBTAINED IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS A SUFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE OF THE MAIN TOPICS OF THE COURSE AND SOME UNCERTAINTIES IN THE SOLUTION OF PROPOSED PROBLEMS.

THE MAXIMUM SCORE OF 30/30 IS OBTAINED IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS A DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPICS OF THE COURSE AND NO UNCERTAINTY IN THE SOLUTION OF PROPOSED PROBLEMS.

THE MAXIMUM SCORE "CUM LAUDE" IS OBTAINED IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS AN EXTENDED KNOWLEDGE OF THE TOPICS OF THE COURSE, WITHIN CONTEXT GOING BEYOND THE ONES INVESTIGATED IN THE COURSE.