Fisica | INTRODUCTION TO EARTH PHYSICS

cod. 0512600010

INTRODUCTION TO EARTH PHYSICS

	0512600010
	DIPARTIMENTO DI FISICA "E.R. CAIANIELLO"
	EQF6
	PHYSICS
	2018/2019

PERCORSO COMUNE

	YEAR OF COURSE 2
	YEAR OF DIDACTIC SYSTEM 2017
	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. 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.