UW-Milwaukee: L&S Freshman Scholars Seminars

Fall 2008 Seminars

GEOSCIENCES

Shaking, Quaking Earth: Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics (Full)

Keith A. Sverdrup, Professor

We live in a world that can be crudely divided into three environments: the atmosphere, the oceans, and the solid earth. A unifying characteristic of these environments is motion, motion that occurs at different rates and that is identified with different physical phenomena that range from the commonplace to the extraordinary. Motion in the atmosphere is evidenced by wind, in the ocean by waves, and in the solid earth by the slow jostling of huge tectonic plates resulting in earthquakes.

This course will explore the large scale planetary motions that produce earthquakes as well as the resultant motion caused by seismic waves transporting the energy released in an earthquake. We will learn why and where earthquakes occur, how to detect seismic waves produced by earthquakes, and how to use earthquakes to learn about our planet's internal structure. We will also explore efforts to predict earthquakes and prevent structural damage.

What is the Richter Scale? How much energy does an earthquake release? How often do big earthquakes occur? Where have the largest earthquakes in the United States occurred and why did they occur there? Answers to all these questions and more will be found in this course.

Keith Sverdrup received his Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography studying the occurrence and relationship between earthquakes and seafloor features in the Pacific Ocean basin. He is the author of two introductory oceanography textbooks and will be returning the UWM in the Fall after working for two years at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Keith is a past recipient of UWM's Undergraduate Teaching Award.

Number: GEO SCI 194, SEM 001
Credits: 3NS
Time: TR 8:00-9:15am
Place: LAP 258
Class Number: 60622

© College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Freshman Scholars Program, PO Box 413, Holton Hall G18, Milwaukee, WI 53201
Send your questions and comments to L&S Web Team
Last Updated: June 30, 2008


Humanities Africology Celtic Studies Communication Comparative Literature English Ethnic Studies German History Italian Philosophy Women's Studies Natural Science Atmospheric Sciences Biological Sciences Geosciences Physics Social Science Africology Anthropology Economics Political Science Psychology Sociology Cultural Diversity English		Fall 2008 Seminars GEOSCIENCES Shaking, Quaking Earth: Earthquakes and Plate Tectonics (Full) Keith A. Sverdrup, Professor We live in a world that can be crudely divided into three environments: the atmosphere, the oceans, and the solid earth. A unifying characteristic of these environments is motion, motion that occurs at different rates and that is identified with different physical phenomena that range from the commonplace to the extraordinary. Motion in the atmosphere is evidenced by wind, in the ocean by waves, and in the solid earth by the slow jostling of huge tectonic plates resulting in earthquakes. This course will explore the large scale planetary motions that produce earthquakes as well as the resultant motion caused by seismic waves transporting the energy released in an earthquake. We will learn why and where earthquakes occur, how to detect seismic waves produced by earthquakes, and how to use earthquakes to learn about our planet's internal structure. We will also explore efforts to predict earthquakes and prevent structural damage. What is the Richter Scale? How much energy does an earthquake release? How often do big earthquakes occur? Where have the largest earthquakes in the United States occurred and why did they occur there? Answers to all these questions and more will be found in this course. Keith Sverdrup received his Ph.D. from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography studying the occurrence and relationship between earthquakes and seafloor features in the Pacific Ocean basin. He is the author of two introductory oceanography textbooks and will be returning the UWM in the Fall after working for two years at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Keith is a past recipient of UWM's Undergraduate Teaching Award. Number: GEO SCI 194, SEM 001 Credits: 3NS Time: TR 8:00-9:15am Place: LAP 258 Class Number: 60622 Check current enrollment information.
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© College of Letters and Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Freshman Scholars Program, PO Box 413, Holton Hall G18, Milwaukee, WI 53201 Send your questions and comments to L&S Web Team Last Updated: June 30, 2008