Fisica | INTRODUCTION TO EARTH PHYSICS

cod. 0512600010

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH PHYSICS

	0512600010
	DIPARTIMENTO DI FISICA "E.R. CAIANIELLO"

	PHYSICS
	2015/2016

PERCORSO COMUNE

	YEAR OF COURSE 2
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2010
	SECONDO 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. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS SIMPLE QUANTITATIVE MODELLING OF THE ABOVE LISTED GEOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA. INDEPENDENT THINKING CRITICAL EVALUATION OF INFORMATION, IDEAS AND INTERPRETATIONS, INDEPENDENT THINKING, ACCEPTING A STATEMENT AS TRUE ONLY IF IT IS VERIFIED OR AT LEAST CAREFULLY EXAMINED COMMUNICATION SKILLS EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION TO SPECIALISTS AND NONSPECIALISTS LEARNING SKILLS SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING, USE OF THE INTERNET AS AN INFORMATION SOURCE.

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.

TRANSFERABLE SKILLS

SIMPLE QUANTITATIVE MODELLING OF THE ABOVE LISTED GEOPHYSICAL PHENOMENA.

INDEPENDENT THINKING

CRITICAL EVALUATION OF INFORMATION, IDEAS AND INTERPRETATIONS, INDEPENDENT THINKING, ACCEPTING A STATEMENT AS TRUE ONLY IF IT IS VERIFIED OR AT LEAST CAREFULLY EXAMINED

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION OF INFORMATION TO SPECIALISTS AND NONSPECIALISTS

LEARNING SKILLS

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING, USE OF THE INTERNET AS AN INFORMATION SOURCE.

	Prerequisites
	FUNDAMENTALS OF CALCULUS (DERIVATIVES, INTEGRALS, LINEAR DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS) AND CLASSICAL PHYSICS (MECHANICS, THERMODYNAMICS).

	Contents
	STRESS AND STRAIN (ELASTOSTATIC). 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

STRESS AND STRAIN (ELASTOSTATIC). 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.