Physics and Chemistry of the Earth
GEOL 5001, Spring 2025
Main course site will be on Canvas
Times and Place: MWF 9:00-9:50 am, Room BESC 355
Instructors:
Text:
- Anderson, New Theory of the Earth (2007), required (now much is online at Caltech)
- Supplemental:
- Karato, The Dynamic Structure of the Deep Earth
- Turcotte and Schubert, Geodynamics, 2nd edition.
- Brown and Mussett, The Inaccessible Earth, 2nd edition (1993)
is out of print but on reserve and will be used for some readings
- Stüwe, Geodynamics of the Lithosphere: An Introduction (2002 or 2007)
might be used for some readings.
- Don Anderson's Theory of the Earth has useful information;
it is out of print but available online as pdfs
Coursework:
- Homeworks as assigned
- Professional readings (2/week most weeks, to be discussed Fridays)
- Midterm Exam
- Final Exam
News:
- Canvas webpage will be more up to date generally
- 2018
syllabus
- Readings
Important Dates (2023):
- 10 January start of open enrollment
- 17 January start of term
- 25 January is last day to add via CUInfo
- 1 February is regular drop day (last date to drop without paying)
- 20 March? is last day to arrange for alternate exam times if having 3 exams on the same day
- 24 March is last day to drop without instructor's signature
- 27-31 March is spring break
- 4 May Last day of classes
- Final: TBA (officially Tuesday, May 9 at 1:30 pm)
Topics:
- Creation of the Earth
- Differentiation of the Earth
- Core's chemistry
- The geodynamo and magnetic history of the Earth
- Mantle convection and viscosity structure
- Seismological and chemical transitions in the mantle
- Plumes: chemical constraints, physical models
- Origin and transport of melts
- Evolution of oceanic lithosphere
- Continental lithosphere over geologic time
- Earthquakes and volcanoes
Links
Please send mail to cjones@colorado.edu
if you encounter any problems or have suggestions.
GEOL5001 home | C.
H. Jones | CIRES
| Dept. of Geological
Sciences | Univ. of Colorado
at Boulder
Last modified at
January 5, 2025 12:40 PM