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: Baosheng.Li@stonybrook.edu Teaching Assistant (TA): TBA Office: Earth and Space Sciences Room XXX Office hours: TBA, or by appointment Email: XXXXXXX@stonybrook.edu

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