ILAS Seminar-E2 :Earthquakes & Volcanoes - Prediction and Hazards
| Numbering Code | U-LAS70 10002 SE50 | Year/Term | 2022 ・ Second semester |
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| Number of Credits | 2 | Course Type | seminar |
| Target Year | Mainly 1st year students | Target Student | For all majors |
| Language | English | Day/Period | Thu.5 |
| Instructor name | ENESCU, Bogdan Dumitru (Graduate School of Science Associate Professor) | ||
| Outline and Purpose of the Course | We are going to read scientific papers related to a topic that is important both scientifically and socially. Is it possible to predict the occurrence of large earthquakes and volcanic eruptions? What are the current scientific advances in this field? We will also learn about earthquake and volcano hazard and discuss ways to reduce the risk of associated disasters. | ||
| Course Goals |
The course aims to show students the importance of studying about natural disasters caused by earthquakes and volcanoes, which may help finding better ways to reduce their risk. To facilitate understanding, some materials/vocabulary in Japanese will be provided during the seminar. 日本語のキーワード等もだしますので、遠慮なく参加してください。近年重要度が高まっている地震・防災学を学びながら、英語の能力も向上しましょう！ |
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| Schedule and Contents |
Each student is going to choose a paper and prepare a short report (few PowerPoint slides), summarizing the main ideas of the study. The paper can be chosen freely; some broad suggestions include: - The physics of great earthquakes (e.g., the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku-oki earthquake): any clues for predicting them? - Large volcanic eruptions and possibilities of prediction; - Earthquake and volcano hazard; - Earthquake simulations and laboratory experiments; - Artificial intelligence (AI) in Geosciences. The first class will give students some broad options of topics/papers. During the second class we will decide the paper that each student is going to present. I will exemplify with a research presentation during the third and fourth classes. Starting with the fifth class, each student is going to present the chosen paper and get feedback for improving his report. In the examination day, each student should present briefly his updated/revised report. Depending on the number of students and available time, we are going to visit the underground seismic base isolation at the "Kyoto University Clock Tower", the nearby Hanaore Fault and/or the Disaster Prevention Research Institute (DPRI), Kyoto University (Uji campus), to discuss with earthquake/volcano scientists. For students interested in more advanced topics, including computer programming (Python, Fortran, C, Matlab) for Geosciences, I can provide additional materials and guidance. Note: there are 14 classes, one examination, and one feedback class. |
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| Evaluation Methods and Policy | Grading will be based on attendance and participation (60%) and presentation of chosen paper (40%). | ||
| Course Requirements | None | ||
| Study outside of Class (preparation and review) | The student will have to prepare the assigned paper. | ||
