FRS 001U — Sec. 001 — (1 unit) — CRN 55887 — W 3:10-4:00pm — 175A Phys/Geo
Volcanic Hazards: Eruptions, Landslides, Tsunamis

Instructor: Peter Schiffman, Department of Geology, College of Letters and Science

Description: Volcanoes and volcanic processes pose a potential threat to humans and their infrastructures. In this seminar we will examine some key eruptions (e.g., Santorini, ca.1620 BC, Vesuvius in AD 79, Krakatau in 1883, Mt St Helens in 1980) and their impact. We will also examine potential hazards posed by other volcanoes, particularly those close to home here in the western United States and Hawaii. It is my hope these students will gain an appreciation for some natural processes (i.e., volcanism and volcanic eruptions) and the impact of these processes on humans and their infrastructure. I especially hope that this seminar may get more freshman interested in thinking about science and natural processes in a more synthetic and integrative fashion, something which they probably have never been exposed to before.

Format: The seminar will meet for one hour each week for 10 weeks. If I can schedule a Saturday field trip to examine local volcanic rocks during the quarter. I will reduce the number of regular class meetings accordingly. There will be no formal text, but I will provide readings from web sites and electronic journals. Students who lead topical seminars will be assigned additional reading. I will present an introductory lecture on basic principals of volcanology for our first class meeting. For the second class meeting, I will lead the discussion on the topic for that week. In subsequent weeks, small groups (of 2 or 3 students) will be responsible for leading the discussion section. Students will also write a short paper (400-500 words) on an approved topic. Grading: Students will be given a letter grade based on the quality of their participation -- their ability to lead and participate in class discussions (30 and 20% respectively) and the quality of their written contribution (50%).

About the Instructor: Peter Schiffman is a Professor of Geology who specializes in the study of volcanic rocks. In his 25 years as a researcher, he has studied active and fossil volcanoes from California, Cyprus, Oman, the Canary Islands, New Zealand, Australia, and from the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Most recently, his field studies have taken him to Hawaii and Iceland. At UCD, he has taught about volcanoes to non-scientists (GEL 32) as well as to upper-division Geology majors (GEL 138, in Hawaii).