EART 162 – PLANETARY INTERIORS
Spring 2010 Class Notes
All files are in Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt) or Word (.doc) format unless otherwise indicated
Email Prof. Nimmo (fnimmo@es.ucsc.edu) if you have problems accessing them
Timing/Location: Tues/Thurs from 2:00 to 3:45 in E&MS D226
Course Goals: To provide an introduction into how we use remote-sensing observations and geophysical modeling to obtain a quantitative understanding of the structure and evolution of planetary interiors.
Course Outline: see below
Text: Turcotte and Schubert, Geodynamics (2nd edition), available in the bookstore. Not all parts of the course are covered in detail in this book.
Grading:
40% Weekly homeworks (due each Wednesday 5pm)
20% Midterm
40% Final
Prerequisites:
One of: 110C, 111, Maths 22, Maths 23 A-B; and
One of: 113, Phys 6C, Phys 5C.
I am going to assume familiarity with ordinary differential equations. Some use will be made of vector calculus (div, grad, curl) and partial differential equations.
Plagiarism:
Collaboration on homework assignments is permitted and encouraged. But the work
that you hand in must be your own i.e. if I ask you to reproduce your work on
the board without your notes, you must be able to do so. If you are ever unsure
about the appropriate level of collaboration, please ask.
If you use the textbook or other outside sources (such as web sites) then you must cite the source that you use.
Week 1 (March 30*): Introduction, solar system formation, cosmochemistry, gravity.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#1 Answers
Week 2 (April 6): Gravity (cont’d), moments of inertia. (Francis away 8th)
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#2 Answers
Week 3 (April 13): Stress and strain, material properties, equations of state. (Francis away 13th)
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#3 Answers
Week 4 (April 20): Isostasy and flexure.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#4 Answers
Week 5 (April 27): Heat generation and heat transfer.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#5 Answers
*dates refer to Tuesday of each week
Formula sheet for the midterm
Midterm (Thurs May 6th). BRING A CALCULATOR!
Week 6 (May 4): Seismology.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides.
Week 7 (May 11): Fluid dynamics and convection.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#6 Answers
Week 8 (May 18): Convection (cont’d); Tides and orbits.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#7 Answers
Week 9 (May 25): Case study – using these techniques in practice.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides. Homework#8 Answers
Week 10 (June 1): Revision lecture.
Powerpoint slides. PDF slides.
List of relevant practice questions from Geodynamics (Turcotte and Schubert, 2002)
Formula sheet for the final
Example questions from a previous final
Final exam is Mon 7th June 4:00-7:00 p.m. in D236