Planetary Geophysics

Catalog description

GEOSC 480 is an advanced geophysics course that introduces students to the mathematics and physics behind the processes governing planet formation and planet evolution. Students will learn about planet and star formation, and differentiation of planetesimals into cores and mantles. Students will learn about heat transfer by conduction and convection, and apply this knowledge to learn about the temperature distribution within planets, and how they evolve over time. The course also covers the interior structure of planets, and uses basic physical laws to determine the pressure, density, and gravity profiles through planetary interiors. Students will also learn about gravitational interactions between planetary bodies, including tidal interactions between the Earth and moon. We will then cover geophysical techniques for constraining the interior structure and properties of planets, including moment of inertia, gravity, and lithospheric flexure. Homework problems will be used to hone student's skills, including simple exercises in plotting and modeling with MATLAB. The course will be capped off by a term project, where each student will conduct research on a topic of their choice relevant to planetary interiors and their evolution.