MAT3172

Quantitative seismology

Coordinator: Dr Paul Cally

4 points - Two 1-hour lectures per week - Second semester - Clayton - Prerequisites: MAT2030, MAT2040 - Prohibitions: GPS3252, MAA3142

Objectives On the completion of this subject, students will understand how waves propagate in linear elastic media; understand the differences between the major types of body and surface waves and be able to derive simple reflection, refraction and dispersion relations; be able to relate the concepts of ray and wavefront to observations of travel-time vs distance; have a conceptual understanding of free oscillation phenomena and source moment tensor; be able to apply the theory to examples from global seismology.

Synopsis Vector operators; strain, stress and traction; continuum mechanics of elastic media; conservation laws; potential functions, elastic waves; reflection and refraction; oscillations; Helmholtz equation for a sphere; Green's tensor; moment tensor of source; radiation patterns.

Assessment Examination (2 hours): 80% - Assignments: 20%

Prescribed texts

Gubbins D Seismology and plate tectonics CUP, 1990

Back to the 1999 Science Handbook