NFYK15009U CANCELLED: Earth Structure and Processes

Volume 2018/2019
Education

MSc Programme in Physics
MSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience

Content

The course will cover several aspects of the dynamics of the solid earth, concentrating on basic concepts and breaking problems down so that they can be solved analytically.  We will start with an introduction of plate tectonics as a framework for the problems that follow.  We will then introduce basic theory to analyse stress, strain, fluid flow, deformation in general, heat flow, gravity, and faulting.  Each of these theories will then be applied to simple problems, again emphasizing concepts.  More complex applications found in research articles will be discussed in class.

Learning Outcome

Skills
This course aims to provide the student with skills to

  • solve equations of elasticity and flexure, as applied to the solid Earth
  • analyse fluid mechanics processes in the Earth
  • solve simple rock rheological problems
  • quantitatively analyze simple fracture and faulting processes
  • describe and analyze flow in porous media
  • describe heat transfer processes in the Earth

 

Knowledge
The course will give the students

  • a basic understanding of the physical processes in the Earth's interior

 

Competences
The students will be able to:

  • explain fundamental physical theories as applied to processes in the Earth.
  • critically evaluate physical models for concrete geological models.
Literature

See Absalon for final course material. The following is an example of expected course literature.

 

Turcotte and Schubert, Geodynamics. Cambridge University Press. Lecture notes on geodynamics.

Mathematical analysis, basic partial differential equations, linear algebra.
Lectures and computer exercises
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 32
  • Practical exercises
  • 16
  • Preparation
  • 68
  • Project work
  • 90
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Oral examination, 30 minutes
Continuous assessment
3 projects (group or individual) [weighed by 12.5%, 12.5% and 25%] followed by 1 individual oral examination [weighed by 50%]

Each part of the exam is assessed individually and the final grade is given on this basis.
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
several internal examiners
Re-exam

Same as ordinary exam. The student can choose to re-use points from projects handed in during the course, or make new projects.

Criteria for exam assesment

see learning outcome