Course Description and Objectives:
Earthquakes impact people and places as some of the world’s most devastating natural disasters– how do scientists determine where, when, and how the dramatic consequences will be expressed? Increasingly the study of hazards involves the synthesis of work from multiple disciplines and perspectives including fields within physical/natural science, social science, and engineering. This semester we will concentrate on earthquakes to investigate just how such efforts can be undertaken. This course will explore the geological aspects of earthquakes and earthquake hazards. We will rely on specific places and events as examples to study topics ranging from identifying and collecting diverse geologic data and information to analyzing and interpreting those data in an effort to quantify earthquake hazard. The course will conclude with a conversation of how to communicate the geology and hazards of earthquakes to diverse audiences.
Through examining earthquake geology and earthquake hazard studies and experiences students will meet the following course objectives:
- Discover what and how we know about earthquake geology
- Consider how hazard assessments are constructed and disseminated