How the Earth Works II-E2 :Earth's History
| Numbering Code | U-LAS15 10010 LE58 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | Lecture | |
| Target Year | All students | Target Student | For all majors | |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Thu.4 | |
| Instructor name | ENESCU, Bogdan Dumitru (Graduate School of Science Associate Professor) | |||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | The Earth was born as a "fireball" of mixed molten rock and metal; after subsequent hardening, it was very similar with the other "inner" planets: Mars, Venus and Mercury. However, Life was formed only on planet Earth. Why Earth followed a different destiny from other planets? During this lecture we will follow the history of Earth's evolution, from its formation until present days. To facilitate understanding and encourage active participation during the class, some materials and vocabulary in Japanese will be also provided. | |||
| Course Goals | The student will familiarize with the most important events in the Earth history and will be able to understand the formation and structure of planet Earth. | |||
| Schedule and Contents |
- Formation of the Solar System and the Earth; - Structure of the Earth; - Beginning of Plate Tectonics; - Birth and evolution of Life; - Atmosphere evolution: oxygen and carbon dioxide; - The supercontinent cycle; - Continent fragmentation and magmatic activity; - Macro-evolution of Life and extinction episodes. For each of the topics above, we plan 1-2 lectures.There will be in total 15 classes, including the feedback class. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Evaluation will be based on class attendance and active participation (30%), class-room exercises (30%) and a final examination (40%). | |||
| Course Requirements | None | |||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | Students will be expected to do readings in preparation for the class. Class-related materials should be downloaded and printed out by students, from a dedicated website, which will be announced at the beginning of the lecture. | |||
| Textbooks | Textbooks/References |
A pack of class materials (mainly Power Point/PDF files) will be provided to students. The following textbook is recommended, but not required: C.H. Langmuir and W. Broecker, How to Build a Habitable Planet: The Story of Earth from Big Bang to Humankind, Princeton University Press, 2012, ISBN: 9781400841974 (*Japanese edition available). |
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| References, etc. | Understanding Earth (7th edition), John P. Grotzinger and Thomas H. Jordan, (W.H. Freeman and Company), ISBN:978-1-4641-3874-4 | |||
