EAPS Seminars and Special Offerings

Spring 2010

Fall 2009

12.490 Microbial Sediments: Units: 3-3-6
A graduate or upper-level undergraduate class. The class surveys microbial processes in sedimentary environments throughout Earth history. Topics include microbially-influenced mineral formation, sediment binding, fossilization and formation of sedimentary structures, preservation of organic compounds in sediments, recognition of biosignatures and current controversies. The topics will be studied both in lecures and in the laboratory. A three-day weekend field trip.
Tanja Bosak
12.571 Seminars in Geophysics: Near-Surface Geophysical Imaging: Units: 3-3-3
Near-surface geophysics has been developed to study the geophysical properties and imaging technologies for the areas within the top 500 m of Earth. Determining the near-surface properties has been a major challenge for exploration and for environmental and geotechnical studies.

The near-surface problems often vary dramatically from one area to another on land. Irregular topography associated with complexity of the geophysical property variations in the near-surface area often prohibits any single method to delineate the near-surface model. Therefore, multiple geophysical solutions dealing with different near-surface situations must be available along with sufficient QC tools. This course will cover geophysical theories and applications of gravity, magnetic, electromagnetic, resistivity, induced polarization, and seismic methods for the near-surface imaging. The emphasis shall be on seismic imaging, since it has been extensively used in the oil and gas industry. The course will include lectures, computer exercises and many opportunities to process real data and solve real near-surface imaging problems. At the end of the course, each group of students shall work together and complete a technical paper jointly, which may be submitted for conference presentation and/or for publication.
Dale Morgan
Jie Zhang
12.581 Core Mantle Boundary: Units: 3-0-3
At the boundary between the core and the mantle, silicate mantle rocks are in direct contact with molten iron alloy of the core. Inspired by this large physical and chemical changes, many have proposed that the core-mantle boundary is the ultimate graveyard for the subducting slabs and the birthplace for the mantle plumes. This seminar course discusses recent developments in seismology, mineral physics, geochemistry, and geodynamics on this important region in the Earth's interior.
Dan Shim
12.991 Questions in Climate: Units: 2-0-4
This course will deal with topics other than global warming: notably, the Early Faint Sun Paradox, Snowball Earth,, Equable Climates, and Ice Age Cycles. The course will deal, as well, with some preliminaries from basic general circulation theory (ie, baroclinc equilibrium, Hadley dynamics, etc.) as well as cloud physcis and boundary layer theory. Prerequisites are 12.800, 12.810, and 12.815; or permission of instructor.
Dick Lindzen