| CODE | LAS1064 | |||||||||
| TITLE | Our Restless Planet: Earthquakes and More | |||||||||
| UM LEVEL | I - Introductory Level | |||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | |||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 4 | |||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Centre for the Liberal Arts and Sciences | |||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | What lies deep beneath the surface of the Earth that causes the ground to shake so violently that buildings collapse, leading to human tragedy? Earthquakes are one of the many manifestations of the Earth’s vast resource of internal energy. Such phenomena have existed since the earth formed into a planet, but as the population increases, cities grow larger and civilisations develop on geologically vulnerable regions, the impact of geohazards on society is becoming larger. This Unit will explore the make-up of our unique planet, its behaviour as a huge heat engine, and the constant dance and evolution of the brittle crust on which humans live. We shall explore the scientific richness that earthquakes provide about the Earth itself, as well as how human society needs to adapt to this natural hazard. This unit is intended to address the various questions asked by non-specialists about the Earth, its internal structure, dynamics and the interaction of natural geological processes with society and civilization. We shall first present a brief history of how our planet was formed and how it is structured today. The historic scientific achievements that have helped us understand how the Earth functions will be discussed. The history of seismology including instrumentation – the design and workings of a seismograph, seismic networks, earthquake locations, and deep earth seismic imaging will be presented. Students will learn how to interpret a seismic waveform by understanding how the different seismic phases propagate inside the Earth. Additionally, extra-terrestrial seismic experiments on the moon and on Mars will be discussed. This course will then describe the internal dynamic processes inside of our planet and their manifestation at the surface with particular emphasis on surface processes such as earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, and the associated hazards. The history of notable catastrophic events will be discussed, with special attention set on to the Mediterranean region. The unit will present state-of-the-art methodologies for detecting, monitoring and analysis of such processes. Students will learn how to access and visualize online data and use it to learn more about the dynamics of the planet. Societal aspects of such hazards will be discussed through the use of case studies, and special attention will be given to Mediterranean processes and events and their impact on Malta. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: • Describe the structure and composition of the Earth’s interior; • Explain why and where earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes occur; • Distinguish between the terms hazard and risk; • Access earthquake data and extract useful information; • Assess and discuss the societal implications of geohazards. 2. Skills By the end of the Unit the student will be able to: • Read and understand topical scientific articles related to geological science; • Work out the relationship between the structure of the planet and major geological processes; • Access online databases and extract required information about earthquakes; • Perform a literature search and produce written reports about chosen geological hazards and processes. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, Davidson et al. (2002). - Earth, Frank Press and Raymond Siever 1985. - Inside the earth: Evidence from earthquakes.Bruce A. Bolt 1982. - Earthquakes: Predicting the Unpredictable? Susan Hough. (2005) Princeton University Press. - Richter's scale: measure of an earthquake, measure of a man. Susan Hough (2016) Princeton University Press. - The Million Death Quake. Roger Musson (2012) Pan MacMillan. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | |||||||||
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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