GEO 107: Natural Hazards (3 Credits)
(Updated 8/20/2017)
Instructor: Baosheng Li Office: Earth and Space Sciences Building Room 118 Office hours: Wednesday 12:30 to 2:00pm, or by appointment Email: [email protected] Teaching Assistant (TA): TBA Office: Earth and Space Sciences Room XXX Office hours: TBA, or by appointment Email: [email protected]
Course Description
- Fulfills D.E.C Requirement E (Natural Sciences)
This course provides an introduction to the concepts, techniques, and scientific methods
used in the earth sciences. Natural hazards posed by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, extreme
weather, and climate change are used as a focus. These phenomena are examined in the context
of the theory of plate tectonics to understand their cause, destructive potential, as well as the
methods of forecasting and mitigating damages from the occurrences of each hazard. Societal
responses and economic impacts of each hazard are also considered.
The teaching objectives are to provide an overview of our current understanding about
the Earth as an energy system comprehensible to the science and non-science students. The
emphasis on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and extreme weather related to climate change will
facilitate critical thinking on issues that interface society and science. Homework assignments
will use the internet for accessing relevant information to evaluate this information.
Textbook
Natural Disasters (Tenth Edition) by Patrick L. Abbott
Course Logistics: The course content is distributed through two 80‐minute lectures per week.
This course is lecture style, using Powerpoint presentations. Presentations are posted on
Blackboard ahead of time for students to download to facilitate note‐taking and for later study.
Topics Covered by the Course: (1)The structure of Earth’s interior and plate tectonics
(2) Earthquakes and seismological methods
(3) Earthquake forecast and mitigation
(4) Volcanic hazards
(5) Landslides and ground subsidence
(6) Tsunami
(7) Wildfires
(8) Severe weather
(9) Hurricanes
(10) Climate and climate change
(11) Floods
(12) Meteorite Impacts
(13) Mass extinctions
Course Schedule:
Date Topic Textbook
Reading 1 8/29/2017 Course Introduction and Overview 2 8/31/2017 Natural Disasters and Population Ch_01, Ch_02 3 9/5/2017 No Class-Labor Day 4 9/7/2017 Earth and Plate Tectonics Ch_02 5 9/12/2017 Earthquake and Seismology Ch_03 6 9/14/2017 Earthquake Mitigation Ch_03 7 9/19/2017 Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes Ch_04 8 9/21/2017 Earthquakes in US and Canada Ch_05 9 9/26/2017 Earthquake Prediction Ch_05 9/28/2017 Test I 10 10/3/2017 Volcanic Eruptions Ch_06 11 10/5/2017 Plate Tectonics and Magmas Ch_06 12 10/10/2017 Killer Volcanoes Ch_07 13 10/12/2017 Monitoring Volcanoes Ch_07 14 10/17/2017 Mass movement Ch_15 15 10/19/2017 Tsunami Ch_08 16 10/24/2017 Wildfires Ch_14 10/26/2017 Test II 17 10/31/2017 Weather and Climate Ch_09 18 11/2/2017 Tornados, Lightening, Cold, Heat Ch_10 19 11/7/2017 Hurricanes Ch_11 20 11/9/2017 Hurricane examples Ch_11 21 11/14/2017 Climate Change Ch_12 22 11/16/2017 Climate Change and
Global Warming
Ch_12
23 11/21/2017 Floods Ch_13 11/23/2017 No Class-Thanksgiving 24 11/28/2017 Asteroid/comet
impacts
Ch_16
25 12/1/2017 Mass extinctions Ch_17 26 12/5/2017 Course Synthesis epilogue 27 12/7/2017 Test III 12/12-12/16
Finals Final*
*: Optional Final Exam, Exam content is semester-cumulative.
Grading Scale:
There will be 3 mid‐term exams worth 100 points each. A cumulative make-up exam
worth 100 points can be taken during the final exam period to replace the mid‐term exam with
the lowest grade or a missed exam.
Your final grade for the course will be based on summing the best 3 exam grades (each worth a
max of 100 points), plus all bonus points (20 point maximum).
Test I, II, III: 100.0 points, multiple choice. No books, notes, phones, or discussion; see class schedule
for date.
Final Exam: 100.0 points, multiple choice. No books, notes, phones, or discussion; see class schedule
for date.
Extra Credit:
Periodically, extra credit quizzes will be offered during class time, usually without prior
notice. To receive credit for these activities, you must be present in class to hand them in
personally, unless they are offered as homework. Therefore, it is in your best interest to attend
each class session, even though we will be posting the class lectures on Blackboard, and will not
be taking formal attendance.
A maximum of 20 bonus points may be earned throughout the semester, by any combination
of the following assignments.
(1) Class time quizzes (3 points each)
(2) Select a major natural hazard event that occurs during the 2017 Fall semester and write a
one-page summary about the event (5 points maximum)
Total Number of Points Course Grade
279 or greater A
270 to 278 A-
261 to 269 B+
249 to 260 B
240 to 248 B-
231 to 239 C+
219 to 230 C
210 to 218 C-
201 to 209 D+
180 to 200 D
0 to 179 F
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY SYLLABUS STATEMENT
Each student must pursue his or her academic goals honestly and be personally accountable for
all submitted work. Representing another person's work as your own is always wrong. Any
suspected instance of academic dishonesty will be reported to the Academic Judiciary. For more
comprehensive information on academic integrity, including categories of academic dishonesty,
please refer to the academic judiciary website at:
http://www.stonybrook.edu/commcms/academic_integrity/index.html
Adopted by the Undergraduate Council September 12, 2006
If you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability that may impact your
course work, please contact Disability Support Services at (631) 632-6748 or
http://studentaffairs.stonybrook.edu/dss/. They will determine with you what accommodations
are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation is confidential.
Students who require assistance during emergency evacuation are encouraged to discuss their
needs with their professors and Disability Support Services. For procedures and information go
to the following website:
http://www.sunysb.edu/ehs/fire/disabilities.shtml
Instructional and Student Responsibilities (updated 2008)
http://sb.cc.stonybrook.edu/bulletin/current/policiesandregulations/policies_expectations/min_ins
tructional_student_resp.php