Global Tectonics - SIO 160
http://sioviz.ucsd.edu/~fialko/tectonics/
An introduction to geological and geophysical aspects of forces shaping our planet.
Prerequisite: Earth10 (or consent of instructor)

Steve Cande; RH 300 G; scande@ucsd.edu; Ph. 4-1552
Yuri Fialko; 321 IGPP; yfialko@ucsd.edu; Ph. 2-5028
Neal Driscoll; VH 307; ndriscoll@ucsd.edu; Ph. 2-5026
Lecture course, 4-units, letter grade or S/U grade, homework (20%), midterm exam (30%), final exam (50%).
Time: Tue Thu, 2:00-3:20 PM, 4301 IGPP - Revelle Room

class@ucsd.edu



 
 

SYLLABUS

Date Topic Reading/Homework Lecturer
01 APR Historical Perspective Read: K&V, Ch. 1, 3;
Class notes
SC
03 APR Magnetic Anomalies and Seafloor Spreading Homework 1
Read: K&V, Ch. 4
Pacific-Antarctic movies
SC
08 APR Plate tectonics on a plane Read: K&V pp. 95-102; Cox and Hart, Chapter 2 (Electronic reserves)
Tanya Atwater's movies
SC
10 APR Plate tectonics on a sphere Homework 2
Read: K&V pp. 76-95; Cox and Hart, Ch. 4 (Electronic reserves)
SC
15 APR Ocean Ridges and Transforms Read: K&V, Ch. 6, 7.4 SC
17 APR Subduction Zones Animation of a propagating ridge
Homework 3 (assigned in class)
; Read: K&V, Ch. 8
SC
22 APR
Back-Arc Basins and Andean Collisions
Read: K&V, Ch. 9.1-9.2 SC
24 APR Continental Collisions Read: K&V, Ch. 10.1 - 10.6; Moores and Twiss, Ch. 12.4 SC
29 APR Mid-term exam Read: SC
01 MAY Earthquakes Read: K&V, Ch. 2.1 YF
06 MAY SeismoTectonics Read: Class notes YF
08 MAY Gravity and Isostasy Homework 4
Read: K&V, Ch. 2.11
Class notes
YF
13 MAY Internal Structure of the Earth Read: K&V, Ch. 2.3, 2.8, 2.9, 2.12
Class notes
YF
15 MAY Mantle Convection and Plate Driving Forces Homework 5
Read: K&V, Ch. 2.13, 11.5-11.6
Class notes
YF
20 MAY Mantle Plumes and Large Igneous Provinces Read:K&V, Ch. 5.4-5.7
Class notes
YF
22 MAY Deformation in the Crust and Mantle Homework 6
Read: Class notes
ND
27 MAY Continental Rifts Read: Class notes ND
29 MAY Basin Formation Read: Class notes ND
03 JUN Tectonics and Driving Subsidence Read: Class notes ND
05 JUN Tectonics in your backyard Read: ND
10 JUN
3-6 pm
Final exam Read:

 



SIO 160 SUGGESTED BOOKS (some on reserve at SIO Library):

Textbook:

Global Tectonics,  P. Keary and F. J. Vine (2nd Ed.), Blackwell, 1996.
 
 

Reference Books:

Plate Tectonics Cox and Hart, Allen & Unwin, Boston, MA, 1986.
 

Principles of structural geology,  J. Suppe, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1985.
 

Mantle Dynamics:    Dynamic Earth: Plates, Plumes and Mantle Convection, Davies, G. F., Cambridge University Press, 1999.
 

Getting started with Matlab, R. Pratap
 

Computer Homework:

Computer homework can be done most easily by using MATLAB which runs on most machines.  If you do not have a computer account we will set you up.
 


Back to Top

Last modified: Thu Apr 24 12:59:57 PDT 2008