EOSC 353 - Seismology

General information about the course for the spring term, 2007. (Return to the eosc353 home page)

Course details:

• Instructor: Felix J. Herrmann, Room 208, EOS East, E-mail: fherrmann at eos.ubc.ca
• Office Hours: TBA
• Lectures: Mon Wed Fri at 10:00, Room 113, EOS Main
• Laboratory: Monday 15:00 - 17:00, Room 203, EOS Main

Book:

An introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structucture by Seth Stein and Michael Wysession

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Topics covered include Hooke's law for isotropic media, elastic wave equation, reflection and refraction methods for imaging the Earth's internal structure, plane waves in an infinite medium and interaction with boundaries, body wave seismology, inversion of travel-time curves, generalized ray theory, crustal seismology, surface waves and earthquake source studies.

• Course Outline:
  • Stress and strain relations
  • Seismic wave equation
  • Ray theory: travel time aspects
  • Inversion of travel times
  • Ray theory: amplitudes; reflection/transmission coefficients
  • Reflection seismology: theory
  • Reflection seismology: applications to exploration and the environment
  • Surface waves
  • Earthquake source theory
• Mark Assignments: Within the percentage ranges shown here, the combination to 100% that produces the highest overall mark will be assigned.
  • Laboratory 20% - 15%
  • Class assignments 10% - 15%
  • Midterm examination 20% - 25%
  • Final examination 50% - 45
• Relevant references:
  • Introduction to seismology, Peter M. Shearer, 1999, Cambridge Press
  • The Solid Earth, C.M.R. Fowler, 1990
  • An Introduction to Geophysical Exploration (3rd ed); P. Kearey, M. Brooks and I. Hill, 2002
  • (3rd ed); P. Kearey, M. Brooks and I. Hill, 2002
  • Applied Geophysics (2nd ed); W.M. Telford, L.P. Geldart and R.E. Sheriff, 1990.
    

Homework assignments:

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