EAS 6314: Seismology

A study of the nature of earthquake motion and the damage it causes. Text: Modern Global Seismology, Thorne Lay and Terry C. Wallace.

1. Earthquake interpretation. The definition and nomenclature for the phases of an earthquake and the use of these phases to determine Earth structure.
   
   
2. Seismometry and Instrument Calibration. The theory of seismic sensors, methods of recording and data exchange.
   
   
3. Location of Earthquakes. The solution to the location problem and its associated errors. Joint hypocenter location methods. Interpretation of seismic velocity.
   
   
4. Seismic Waves at Short Distances. Microearthquake and aftershock surveys. Character of seismograms. Stress, Strain and the elastic constants. Derivation of the equations of motion for P and S waves. Wave reflection/refraction at boundaries.
   
   
5. Seismic Waves in the Crust and Upper Mantle. Description of the Lg wave guide and other crustal phases. Application of ray theory and its limitations. Derivation of travel time curves and amplitude versus distance relations. The determination of velocity structure from travel time curves.
   
   
6. Surface Waves. The equations for Rayleigh and Love waves. Influence of higher modes. Interpretation of dispersion using group and phase velocity measurements. Use of the surface waves in understanding crustal structure.
   
   
7. The Earthquake Source. The elastic rebound theory. Description of the double couple and moment tensor for focal mechanisms. Implications of studies of focal mechanisms for global tectonics. The explosive source. Earthquake source spectra and their interpretation.
   
   
8. Magnitude and Statistics. The use of the Gutenberg/Richter recursion relation. Distributions of earthquakes. Aftershock statistics and mechanisms.
   
   
9. Earthquake Intensity. Interpretation of intensity data and isoseismals. Description and interpretation of damage expected at different intensity levels.
   
   
10. Seismic Hazard Computation. Examination of probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analysis. How to define seismic zones. Earthquake building codes.
    
    
11. Earthquake Prediction. Examination of theories concerning earthquake prediction. Responsibility in making a prediction.