Earthquakes & Plate Tectonics
1. What is the global pattern of earthquake distribution? Where are belts of shallow and deep-focus earthquakes? How is this pattern related to the distribution of Earth's lithospheric plates and plate boundaries?
2. Describe the theory of plate tectonics. What observations led to its discovery? How do we know that plates are in motion? What is its driving mechanism?
3. What physical properties characterize elastic and plastic materials? How do elastic and plastic materials respond to stress? What controls these material properties? How are these properties related to the occurrence of earthquakes?
4. Describe the different types of geological faults observed on the earth's surface. How are they related to plate tectonic environment? To applied stresses? How can we measure movement along faults?
5. Describe the theory of elastic rebound. What is the evidence in support of this theory? How does it relate to the concept of the earthquake cycle?
6. How are earthquakes measured? Describe the principle of the electromagnetic seismograph. What are the principal types of seismic waves that are recorded by seismographs? How can they be used to compute the location of an earthquake?
7. What can seismology tell us about the internal structure of the Earth? What is the seismic evidence for the existence of the crust, mantle, and core of the Earth?
8. How do we describe the size of an earthquake? How do the seismic intensity and earthquake magnitude scales work?
9. How can we predict the occurrence of future earthquakes? Describe the methods used for long-term earthquake forecasting and for short-term earthquake prediction.
10. What are the various secondary effects of earthquakes? What conditions make areas susceptible to each of these effects? What can be done to mitigate these hazards?
11. What causes buildings to collapse during earthquakes? Describe the characteristics of a building that put it at risk for earthquake collapse. How can earthquake engineering be used to mitigate the hazards of building collapse?
Volcanoes
1. What are the various types of volcanic landforms and eruption types? How are they related to the magma type?
2. Where and how does magma originate? What processes lead to melting of the Earth's mantle? How is the generation of magma related to plate tectonic environment?
3. What are the different families of magma, and how can they be distinguished? What are the rock types associated with these magma families? What types of volcanic landforms and eruption styles are associated with each magma type?
4. Describe the concept of fractional crystallization. How can this process explain the variety of volcanic rocks that we observe at the Earth's surface?
5. What are the principal properties of magma that control eruption style? How are these properties related to magma chemistry? To plate tectonic environment?
6. Describe the different types of volcanic materials produced by volcanic eruptions (lava, ash, tephra, pyroclastic flow, etc)? What processes control what materials come out of what volcanoes?
7. What are the various secondary effects of volcanic eruptions? What conditions make areas susceptible to each of these effects? What can be done to mitigate these hazards?
8. Make a list of the 'classic' volcanic eruptions in history. What were the effects of these eruptions?
9. How can we predict the occurrence of future volcanic eruptions? Describe the methods used for long-term and short-term volcanic prediction.
10. How can volcanoes be used for geothermal energy? What are the conditions that must be met for successful use of geothermal energy? What are its limitations?
11. How are volcanoes related to the concentration of mineral deposits?
12. What is the connection between volcanic eruptions and climate? What physical properties of volcanic eruptions lead to effects on global climate?
