Classes I Teach
I regularly teach two classes, Geophysical Fields and Tectonic Geodesy, and I
co-teach a geophysics seminar course with Doug Christensen. I am also serving as
the faculty coordinator for (with much of the work done by a student and some
staff members) on a new course that serves as an
introduction to programming, unix and MATLAB for geoscience graduate students. I have
also taught Geodynamics from time to time, although it looks like a new faculty
hire will take over that class for the long term.
For the last several years we have
been talking about making changes in the graduate curriculum, and signs are pointing
toward action on this front.
Fall 2009: GEOS 692 Geophysics Seminar
Fall 2009: GEOS 692 Beyond the Mouse: Computer Programming Skills for Geoscientists
Spring 2010: GEOS 602 Geophysical Fields
Fall 2010: GEOS 692 Geophysics Seminar
Spring 2011: GEOS 655 Tectonic Geodesy
Fall 2012: GEOS 431+631 Foundations of Geophysics (with Erin Pettit)
Fall 2012: GEOS 436+636 Beyond the Mouse
Fall 2013: GEOS 431+631 Foundations of Geophysics (with Erin Pettit)
Fall 2013: GEOS 436+636 Beyond the Mouse
GEOS 431+631 Foundations of Geophysics
This is the new core geophysics course. The parts I teach include Flexure and Loading, Gravity, Magnetics, and Plate Tectonics.
flow. Part of the graduate core requirements, this class provides basic
background material that all geophysics graduate students ought to know. Current
textbook:
Geoodynamics, by Turcotte and Schubert.
GEOS 436+636 Beyond the Mouse: Computer Programming Skills for Geoscientists
This class was originally the handiwork of graduate student
Ronni Grapenthin.
The goal of the course is to introduce
students to computer programming skills and give them an introduction to MATLAB
and the Linux/Unix computer operating system.
Current textbook:
Essential MATLAB For Engineers and Scietists, 4th edition.
GEOS 655 Tectonic Geodesy
This class covers modern geodetic tools and the problems in tectonics and other
fields that can be addressed using modern space geodesy. The course can be used
to satisfy the concentration requiremets for solid earth geophysics graduate students.
Current textbook: none; I'm still looking for a good one.
GEOS 692 Geophysics Seminar
This seminar class is designed to get students into the habit of reading, discussing
and understanding research papers, and to expand their base of knowledge beyond what
we can cover in formal coursework. Based on student input (and often student selection),
we read a research paper each week and discuss it.
Current textbook: none; we read and discuss recent and classic research papers.
OLD COURSES:
GEOS 602 Geophysical Fields
This class combines potential field theory, heat flow and a survey of global
geophysics. Part of the graduate core requirements, this class provides basic
background material that all geophysics graduate students ought to know. Current
textbook:
Geoodynamics, by Turcotte and Schubert.
GEOS 620 Geodynamics
This class combines continuum mechanics, stress and strain (rheology), and fluid
flow. Part of the graduate core requirements, this class provides basic
background material that all geophysics graduate students ought to know. Current
textbook:
Geoodynamics, by Turcotte and Schubert.
