Table of Contents
Syllabus
Course Description
This course teaches principles in continuum mechanics necessary for understanding plate tectonics and geological phenomena. Major topics include the kinematics and balance laws of continnum, stress and strain in earth’s crust, bending of the elastic part of the Earth, heat transfer in the Earth by conduction and convection, the rheology of rocks, and basic mechanics of faults.
Course Objectives
After taking this course, students will
- have confident command of the kinematics and balance laws of continuum,
- understand the governing equations for various geodynamic processes, and
- be able to tackle complex geophysical problems by finding an approximate model and derive a (semi-)analytic solution to it.
Through a term project, students will -build in-depth knowledge in advanced topics in geophysics and related fields and -gain scientific communication skills.
Topics
- Continuum mechanics: Introduction and kinematics
- Continuum mechanics: Stress and balance laws
- Continuum mechanics: Constitutive equations, linear elasticity
- Heat flow: The general form of transport equation, heat conduction and generation. Measuring heat flux, geotherms in mantle and continents. Lecture slides
- Heat flow: Solutions to heat diffusion equation
- Heat flow: Geodynamic applications
- Fluid mechanics Basics: Description of fluid motion, force balance in fluid and Stoke’s equation
- Fluid mechanics: 1D channel flows. Stream function for 2D flows
- Fluid mechanics: Mantle convection and stability analysis
- Rock rheology: Brittle and ductile deformation. Strength envelope
- Rock rheology: Anderson theory of faulting
- Rock rheology: Critical taper theory
If time permits
- Elastic bending of plates: Theory and geodynamic applications
- Gravity anomaly and isostasy
Homework
Meet your instructor
Eunseo ChoiFAQs
Are there prerequisites?
There are no prerequisites for the first course.
How often do the courses run?
Continuously, at your own pace.