EES 215                                     ENVIRONMENTAL GEOPHYSICS                                  FALL 2007

 

UDO FEHN                                                                                                                   Hylan 201       

224Hutchison fehn@earth.rochester.edu                                                                          TR 9:40-10:55

   x57884

 

OUTLINE

 

In this course we will discuss the physical processes occurring at the surface of the earth.  The course is subdivided into three sections, the solid earth or lithosphere, the hydrosphere and the atmosphere.  In each of these sections we will start with a discussion of the major characteristics of these subsections of the earth, investigate the dynamics of these systems and analyze the interaction between human activities and these systems.  In the last section we will also examine the interaction between the three systems and discuss specific cases such as the greenhouse effect, El Niño and the occurrence of ice ages.    

 

1.            Lithosphere: Make-up of the earth and the crust; rotation and shape of the earth; movements of the crust - plate tectonics; earth quakes and seismology; heat generation, heat flow and volcanism.

 

2.            Hydrosphere: The hydrologic cycle; rivers, lakes and drainage patterns; hydropower and flood control; groundwater - permeability, porosity and Darcy's Law; principles of modeling of groundwater flow systems; the oceans: make-up, movement and energy transport.

 

3a.          Atmosphere: Make-up of atmosphere; wind and wind patterns; heat flow and transport of energy in the atmosphere; windpower.

 

3b.          Interaction between hydrosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere: climate and climate models; build-up of CO2 and the greenhouse effect; El Niño; ice ages.

 

Readings will come from a variety of sources, which are on reserve in Carlson. There will be weekly homework sets, two exams and a final.  The final grade in the course will be calculated from the three highest point scores reached in the three tests and the homework.

 

The course web site will be:

http://www.earth.rochester.edu/fehnlab/ees215/

An outline of each lecture, including the most important graphs, will be posted there after we have met in class.

 

EES 215                                           SCHEDULE AND READING LIST     Fall  ‘07

 

THE LITHOSPHERE

Date       Topic                                                                                          Reading

 

Sept. 4    Introduction; the make-up of the earth                              Press/Siever, Ch.1

                                                                                      

Sept. 6    Age and shape of the earth                                               Press/Siever, Ch.2; Fowler,p. 233-239

 

Sept. 11 Plate Tectonics and Seismology                                       Fowler, p. 100-122

 

Sept. 13  Mechanics of Earthquakes                                               Fowler, p. 123-140

 

Sept. 18  Applications of seismology                                               Fowler, p. 140-178

     

Sept. 20  Seismology and Internal heat production                           Fowler, p. 269-284

 

Sept. 25  Heat generation and heat flow                                          Fowler, p. 285-303

 

Sept. 27 Heat generation and heat flow, cont.                                  Sharma, Ch.1, 11

 

Oct.  2    Review

 

Oct. 4     Test 1

 

                                                            SCHEDULE AND READING LIST 2

 

                                                                  Hydrosphere and Atmosphere

 

 

 

Oct. 9     Surface flow, erosion and transport                            Press, Ch. 5

 

Oct. 11   River systems; hydropower                                     Freeze/Cherry, p.15-38

 

Oct. 16   Groundwater Flow and Geological Processes        Freeze/Cherry, p. 193-217

 

Oct. 18   Groundwater systems                                             Apel, p.1-20

 

Oct. 23   Oceans, physical characteristics                                 Ocean Circulation, p.31-58

 

Oct. 25   Forces on the oceans; stratification and Circulation     Ocean Circulation, p.73-101

 

Oct. 30   Geostrophic currents; Interaction between

               Hydrosphere and Lithosphere:Tsunami                    http://www.tsunami.noaa.gov/

                                   

Nov. 1    Atmospheric composition and energy                         Barry/Chorley, Ch.1   

 

Nov. 6    Atmospheric motion                                                   Barry/Chorley, p.96-122                                                                                                                                   

 

Nov. 8    Circulation of the atmosphere                                     Barry/Chorley, p.123-139                                                                                                                     

 

Nov. 13  Review

 

Nov. 15  Test 2

 

Nov. 20  No class

 

Nov. 22  Thanksgiving

 

SCHEDULE AND READING LIST 3

 

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ATMOSPHERE, HYDROSPHERE AND LITHOSPHERE

 

 

Nov. 27           Severe Weather: Tornadoes, Hurricanes etc.     Barry/Chorley,Ch.4    

 

Nov. 29           Climate and El Niño                                          http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/ 

 

Dec. 4              Greenhouse Effect        http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/science/recentcc.html

 

Dec. 6              Ice ages                        http://www.museum.state.il.us/exhibits/ice_ages/

 

Dec. 11            No Class (away for AGU)

 

Dec. 13            Review

 

Final Exam: Wednesday, Dec 19, 1600, Hylan 201 (here)

 

Readings on Reserve in Carlson Library:

 

Books:

 

Fowler, The Solid Earth  

Press/Siever, Earth

Sharma, Geophysical Methods in Geology

Craig, Vaughan and Skinner, Resources of the Earth

Freeze and Cherry, Groundwater

Domenico and Schwartz, Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology

Apel, Principles of Ocean Physics

Ocean Circulation (prep. by Open University)

R. Barry and R. Chorley, Atmosphere, Weather and Climate