Courses Offerings

Fall 2024

Rock Fracture
Subject associations
GEO 543

Application of fracture mechanics to a wide range of geologic processes, including dike and hydrofracture propagation, fault and joint growth and earthquake rupture. Topics include engineering fracture mechanics, analytic solutions for cracks in elastic media, numerical boundary element methods, and applications to geologic examples including observed fracture paths and patterns, small-scale structures associated with faults and dikes, and interpretation of geodetic data and seismological data.

Instructors
Allan M. Rubin

Spring 2025

Natural Disasters (SEL)
Subject associations
GEO 103

An introduction to natural (and some society-induced) hazards and the importance of public understanding of the issues related to them. Emphasis is on the geological processes that underlie the hazards, with discussion of relevant policy issues tied to reading recent newspaper/popular science articles. Principal topics: Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunami, hurricanes, floods, meteorite impacts, global warming. Intended primarily for non-science majors.

Instructors
Allan M. Rubin

Previous Semesters

FALL COURSES

Geodynamics
Subject associations
GEO 442 / PHY 442

An advanced introduction to setting up and solving boundary value problems relevant to the solid earth sciences. Topics include heat flow, fluid flow, elasticity and plate flexure, and rock rheology, with applications to mantle convection, magma transport, lithospheric deformation, structural geology, and fault mechanics.

Instructors
Allan M. Rubin
Fundamentals of the Geosciences II
Subject associations
GEO 506

A survey of fundamental papers in the Geosciences. Topics include present and future climate, biogeochemical processes in the ocean, geochemical cycles, orogenies, thermochronology, Earth structure and mechanics, and seismicity. This is the core geosciences graduate course.

Instructors
Stephan A. Fueglistaler
John A. Higgins
Ching-Yao Lai
Elizabeth Niespolo
Allan M. Rubin
Gabriel A. Vecchi
Fall 2022
Rock Fracture
Subject associations
GEO 543

Application of fracture mechanics to a wide range of geologic processes, including dike and hydrofracture propagation, fault and joint growth and earthquake rupture. Topics include engineering fracture mechanics, analytic solutions for cracks in elastic media, numerical boundary element methods, and applications to geologic examples including observed fracture paths and patterns, small-scale structures associated with faults and dikes, and interpretation of geodetic data and seismological data.

Instructors
Allan M. Rubin
Fall 2021

SPRING COURSES

Natural Disasters (SEL)
Subject associations
GEO 103

An introduction to natural (and some society-induced) hazards and the importance of public understanding of the issues related to them. Emphasis is on the geological processes that underlie the hazards, with discussion of relevant policy issues tied to reading recent newspaper/popular science articles. Principal topics: Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, tsunami, hurricanes, floods, meteorite impacts, global warming. Intended primarily for non-science majors.

Instructors
Allan M. Rubin
Spring 2023
Responsible Conduct of Research in Geosciences (Half-Term)
Subject associations
GEO 503 / AOS 503

Course educates Geosciences and AOS students in the responsible conduct of research using case studies appropriate to these disciplines. This discussion-based course focuses on issues related to the use of scientific data, publication practices and responsible authorship, peer review, research misconduct, conflicts of interest, the role of mentors & mentees, issues encountered in collaborative research and the role of scientists in society. Successful completion is based on attendance, reading, and active participation in class discussions. Course satisfies University requirement for RCR training.

Instructors
Leo Donner
Thomas S. Duffy
John A. Higgins
Larry W. Horowitz
Allan M. Rubin
Daniel M. Sigman
Frederik J. Simons
Rong Zhang
Spring 2023
Fundamentals of the Geosciences
Subject associations
GEO 505

A yearlong survey, in sequence, of fundamental papers in the geosciences. Topics in 505 (Spring) include the origin and interior of the Earth, plate tectonics, geodynamics, the history of life on Earth, the composition of the Earth, its oceans and atmospheres, past climate. Topics in 506 (Fall) include present and future climate, biogeochemical processes in the ocean, geochemical cycles, orogenies, thermochronology, rock fracture and seismicity. A core course for all beginning graduate students in the geosciences.

Instructors
Jie Deng
Adam C. Maloof
Satish C. Myneni
Allan M. Rubin
Daniel M. Sigman
Frederik J. Simons
Spring 2023