Earthquake Geology and Neotectonics

Geology 415/515 - Winter Quarter 2008

Meeting: MWTh 11:00-11:50 AM
Lab: Wednesday, 2-4:50 PM
Text(s): Tectonic Geomorphology by Burbank and Anderson, 2001 and Geology of Earthquakes by Yeats, Allen and Sieh, 1997 (on reserve in my office)
Supplemental Readings: Journal articles in classroom.
Instructor: Charles M. Rubin
Office: Hebeler 109 (Rubin)
Telephone: 963-2827
Email: charlier@geology.cwu.edu
Office hours: TBA

Click here for 2006 SEOI comments (GE415)

Click here for 2006 SEOI comments (GE515)

Class description

Characterize earthquakes from a geological perspective. Class lectures will discuss earthquake process, and the application of a variety of geologic tools (e.g., changes in relative sealevel, geomorphology, stratigraphy) to identify past earthquakes.

Class information

 2008 Syllabus
 Reading assignments
 Laboratory and problem sets
 Poster presentation
 Student outcomes
 Powerpoint presentations

Earthquakes of the week

At the beginning of each lab a group of students will provide a summary of the major global earthquakes for the previous week (above some threshold, approximate magnitude 6.0). Data presented for each earthquake will include date, time, magnitude, location, depth, fault type, and tectonic setting.

The first lab exercise will show students how to access this information from the home pages of the Seismological Laboratory at California Institute of Technology and the United States Geological Survey.

Expectations and materials

 Reading assignments will primarily come from The Geology of Earthquakes, by Yeats, Sieh, and Allen, Burbank and Anderson, and a numerous published journal articles and books. Photocopies of journal articles will be available for reading in the classroom (Rm 102).

 Geology 101 is the only requirement for Earthquake Geology, however, everyone should review stress, strain, and faults in a standard structural geology textbook.

 Assignments should be neat and completed on time.

 Grades will be determined by five lab exercises [30%], one mid-term exam [15%], a final exam [25%], and a term paper [30%].

Student responsibilities

You are responsible for the reading assignments, and if you have questions or require clarification of lecture, lab, or reading material, it is your responsibility to ask during class time or during office hours.

It is to your advantage to study and work with other students in this course. I suggest that you discuss your laboratory exercises and data, its analysis and interpretations with others members of the class; this is a constructive and realistic way of solving geologic problems.

However, your final product should be your own individual and creative work. If you have any questions about the acceptability of collaboration, ask Charlie Rubin before you complete the assignment, not after. Remember, few aspects of geology are completely cut and dry, your laboratory exercises are not exception to this. Don't forget scientific writing style, logic, organization, data quality, and presentation are all part of the final product.