EARTHQUAKES

Catalog description

This is a freshman seminar.Earthquakes is a first-year seminar designed to use seismology as an example of how scientists approach problems, formulate and test hypotheses, gain an understanding of Earth processes, and interact with natural hazards and society. This course reviews several case-examples of major earthquakes in order to establish the mechanisms that operate during an earthquake and the consequences of seismic rupture. Concepts gained from these case-studies are used as a background for considering historic interpretations of the causes of earthquakes and the progression to modern ideas. How scientists study earthquakes and what earthquakes can teach mankind about the Earth are considered throughout the course. The status of earthquake prediction and control is examined and ways to mitigate earthquake damage are evaluated.