CAUSE 2018: Living on the Edge – Plate Tectonics and Society (EMSC 470 Sp/Su/Fall 2018) is an exploration of plate tectonics, from its mechanics to the role it plays in our society. The three semster course includes travel during Maymester 2018 where students will be able to trace the evolution of the western U.S. from Portland to San Francisco. Students will carry out individual and team-based projects of their choosing, and will work together virtually and in person across the three semesters.
Field Locations
- The 2-week Maymester travel component begins with obvious attributes and effects of plate tectonics (Mt. St. Helens, coastal tsunami hazards), then moves south through subduction-related volcanoes (Mt. Hood, Newberry Volcanics) to the Mendocino Triple Junction where the San Andreas Fault is born and subduction is manifest in geothermal features. The plate boundary exploration concludes with a focus on seismic activity, from creeping faults in the suburbs to parts of the San Francisco Bay Area that were flattened by the great earthquake of 1906 and damaged heavily in the 1991 Loma Prieta event.
When
- Spring 2018 (2 credits): Synchronous hybrid course (on-line and virtual) - selected students will be registered for EMSC 470.
- Maymester 2018 (1 credit): Field trip to the western United States
- Fall 2018 (3 credits): Residential course at University Park with student projects and classroom engagement - selected students will be registered for EMSC 470.
Eligibility
- Open to 2nd year EMS students (Commonwealth Campuses and University Park) who will be enrolled at University Park in Fall 2018.
Cost
The cost is $300 plus one credit of summer tuition.
Instructors
- Kevin Furlong, Professor of Geosciences
- Maureen Feineman, Assistant Professor of Geosciences
- Tanya Furman, Professor of Geosciences
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Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis: EMS undergraduates take on tectonics