GEODYNAMICS- SIO 234

http://topex.ucsd.edu/geodynamics

A general course on the dynamics and kinematics of the solidearth based on the text of Turcotte and Schubert.
Prerequisite: some familiarity with (or willingness to learn ) partial differential equations and fourier transforms.



David Sandwell; 1102 IGPP; dsandwell@ucsd.edu; Ph. 534-7109
John Orcutt; 2213 IGPP; Ph. 822-6378

Lecture course, 4-units, letter grade or S/U grade, homework, weekly and final quiz.

MWF, 9:00 - 9:50 AM,  - Munk Conference Room

class@ucsd.edu


SYLLABUS
DATE
TOPIC
READING/HOMEWORK
LECTURER

Introduction and Structure of the Earth


25 SEP
Introduction
Lithospheric dynamics preview
HW1
Sandwell
Orcutt
28 SEP
Applications of fourier transforms;

Functions of a Complex Variable (review);
Matlab Tutorial
Sandwell
30 SEP
Global tectonic observations;
Radial earth structure
Read: T&S, Ch.1. 1-55 or
Plate Tectonics, S,T&O, Ch. 2.
Sandwell
02 OCT
Lab1-Fourier Transforms in Matlab

Sandwell

Plate Tectonics


05 OCT
Flat earth kinematics and plate motions on a sphere; Read: The Ocean basins: Their Structure 
and Evolution
, Chapter 2 (in IGPP Reading Room)
HW2
Sandwell
07 OCT
Crustal generation at mid-ocean ridges;
Plate motion inversions;

Orcutt
09 OCT
Quiz 1: Radial Earth Structure
Marine magnetic anomalies

Orcutt

Heat Flow


12 OCT
Heat conduction, heat flow measurements, and Global heat budget; Read: Heat Transfer, T&S, Ch. 4., 153-166
HW3
Sandwell
14 OCT
Solving heat conduction problems

Sandwell
16 OCT
Quiz 2: Plate Tectonics
Cooling of dikes and sills
Read: Heat Transfer, T&S, Ch. 4., 166-183 Sandwell
19 OCT
Cooling of the oceanic lithosphere; Lateral Plate Shrinkage
Sandwell
21 OCT
Ocean floor topography; 
Buoyancy of the lithosphere;
Read: Doin and Fleitout, EPSL, 1996
HW4 Problems from T&S, Ch. 4
4-9, 4-14, 4-23, 4-25, 4-37
DUE OCT 30
Sandwell
23 OCT
Cooling of a lava lake (Stefan problem)
Movies
Read Hillier and Watts, JGR, 2005
Read: T&S, Ch. 2. 89-104
Sandwell

Isostasy, Rheology, and Flexure

26 OCT
Isostasy and crustal thickness; Review Stress and Strain
Sandwell
28 OCT
Review of Stress and Strain
Rheology of the Lithosphere
Read: Brace and Kohlstedt, JGR, 1980
Burov and Watts
Burgmann and Dresen_2008
Sandwell
30 OCT
Moment vs. Curvature Read: Elasticity, T&S, Ch3, 105-120
HW5
Sandwell
02 NOV
Flexure Theory Read: Flexure, T&S, Ch.3, 112-131;
Sandwell
04 NOV
Flexure Examples
Sandwell
06 NOV
Student Presentations of HW3 H. Thermal Shrinkage
Nicholas Trombetta
Daniel Ebuna


G. Earthquake Heat
Diego Melgar
Valeria Sahakian

Orcutt/Stegman/Sandwell
09 NOV
Student Presentations of HW3
F. Plume
Robert Peterson


C. Wine Cellar
Samer Naif
Fernando Paolo

Stegman
11 NOV

Holiday - Veterans Day


13 NOV
Student Presentations of HW3
B. San Andreas fault
Dylan Connell
Weilan Liu


A. Magnetics
Jesse Vavrek
Laura Sumiejski
Natalie Juda

Orcutt/Stegman

Earthquakes

16 NOV
Theories of faulting; 
Seismic cycle. 
Written HW3 due
Reading 
Interseismic deformation due to strike-slip faults
Class notes, T&S Chapter 8, 339-359;
Sandwell
18 NOV
Earthquake stress drop and absolute driving stress;
Heat flow paradox of the San Andreas fault
Reading
Heat flow paradox
Reading
Stein and Wysession p. 215-245
T&S Chapter 8-12;
Sandwell





Gravity

20 NOV
Reference gravity
Gravity Anomalies
Read T&S, Gravity, 195-207 Sandwell
23 NOV
Laplace's equation and satellite altimetry
Poisson's equation and Bouguer anomalies
HW6
Watts, JGR, 1978
Sandwell
25 NOV
Gravity/topography transfer function; Isostatic geoid anomalies, Swell-push force
Sandwell
27 NOV
Holiday - Thanksgiving



Fluid Mechanics


30 NOV
Chanel Flow and Stream Function
Read T&S, Fluid Mechanics, 226-241
Sandwell
02 DEC
Postglacial Rebound
HW7
Sandwell
04 DEC
Quiz 4:
flexure
gravity/topography transfer function
post glacial rebound




SIO 234 SUGGESTED BOOKS:

Textbooks:

Geodynamics: Second Edition,  Turcotte, D. L. and Schubert, G., John Wiley & Sons, New York, 2002.
 

Reference Books:

Mantle Dynamics:    Mantle Convection in the Earth and Planets, Schubert, G., Turcotte, D. L. and P. Olson, Cambridge University Press, 2001

Fourier Transforms:    The Fourier Transform and its Application, Bracewell, R. N.,  McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York, 1978.  (Chapters 2, 6)

Marine Geophysics:    The Ocean Basins: Their Structure and Evolution, The Open  University , Pergamon Press, 1989.   (Chapters 2, 3)

General Ref.:     Physics of the Earth, Stacey, F. D.,  John Wiley & Sons, New  York, 1969.

Computer Homework:

Computer homework can be done using Fortran, C, or MATLAB which runs on most machines.  If you do not have a computer account we will set you up.