SIGkit (Software for Introductory Geophysics toolkit) for modelling and visualization of data part of Workshop 07: Activities
Charly Bank, University of Toronto
Predicting what geophysical data may look like and making basic inferences from data are critical learning outcomes of introductory geophysics courses whether they happen in a classroom or in a field setting. This ...

Earthquake Epicenter Location Exercise using Google Earth and OneNote part of Workshop 07: Activities
Jeffrey Nunn, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Students are provided with data from 4 seismograms which are used to plot the epicenter of an earthquake using OneNote to pick the P-S wave arrival gap and Google Earth to plot the circles which intersect at the ...

Density structure of the earth from mass and moment of inertia part of Workshop 07: Activities
Donald Forsyth, Brown University
Using mass and moment of inertia as constraints, students construct density models of the whole earth. This activity uses concepts from physics, multi-dimensional calculus, and linear algebra, and also reinforces ...

Concept puzzles about geophysical methods part of Workshop 07: Activities
Sarah Titus, Carleton College
These exercises can be used in class to insure students have a firm grasp on the concepts behind a variety of geophysical techniques and can take anywhere between 10-45 minutes.

Earthquake! A Term Paper and Presentation Assignment part of Workshop 07: Activities
Laura Wetzel, Eckerd College
In this writing and oral presentaion assignment, students are challenged to assess a building site for a fictitious organization, the Society for Earthquake Enthusiasts. Each student must choose a historically ...

Scorpions as Seismologists part of Workshop 07: Activities
Laura Wetzel, Eckerd College
Students investigate how seismologists and scorpions use wave travel times to locate sources of movement. The primary strength of this exercise is that it links geophysics and biology to enhance interest for ...

Interpretation of plate boundaries from topography, bathymetry, volcanoes, and earthquake focal depths using Google Earth and OneNote part of Workshop 07: Activities
Jeffrey Nunn, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Students are provided with data on topography, bathymetry, locations of earthquakes and volcanoes and earthquake focal depths in Google Earth. They are asked to plot a cross-section of topography/bathymetry and ...

Seismic refraction exercise for a hydrogeology course part of Workshop 07: Activities
Devin Castendyk, SUNY Oneonta
This problem has students analyze seismic refraction data to determine the depth to the water table and stratigraphy. Simple, useful, and gratifying.

Well Logs part of Workshop 07: Activities
Kevin Brewer, Olivet Nazarene University
This lab is an exercise focused on wells and well logs. In it, the student will examine four well logs, correlate major unit boundaries, and construct three figures: a cross-section diagram, a structure map, and an ...

Driving forces of plate tectonics and the importance of inertia part of Workshop 07: Activities
Donald Forsyth, Brown University
Simple in class calculations showing that inertia or momentum is completely unimportant in considering the driving forces of plate tectonics

Introduction to Plate Tectonics part of Workshop 07: Activities
Elizabeth Cochran, University of California-Riverside
Uses maps created in Google Earth to explore concepts of plate tectonics including locations of plate boundaries, age of the sea floor, and distribution of earthquakes

Learning how to use resistivity soundings for interpretation of subsurface stratigraphy part of Workshop 07: Activities
Remke Van Dam, Michigan State University
This activity uses a combination of field measurements, lab experiments and simple modeling to develop an understanding of electrical resistivity methods as a tool in geology and hydrology. Students work in groups ...

What is Magnitude? Earthquake Magnitude By Analogy part of Workshop 07: Activities
Scott White, University of South Carolina-Columbia
Understanding magnitude scales by analogy to distance. Students use distance as a proxy for understanding how the logarithmic earthquake magnitude scale works. Very simple class or lab exercise for introductory ...

Introduction to Seismic Refraction part of Workshop 07: Activities
Stephen Boss, University of Arkansas
First exposure of students to manipulating seismic refraction/reflection principles to developing a very simple model using spreadsheet software. Emphasize computing and numeracy skills and learning to use ...

Sequenced writing assignment part of Workshop 07: Activities
Steven Jaume, College of Charleston
An iterative term paper where students include new geophysical data in each new version. This allows the instructor to work closely with the student and point out how different geophysical datasets constrain ...

Groundwater Depth and Fracture Pattern Determination part of Workshop 07: Activities
Lawrence L. Malinconico, Lafayette College
Learning to use the resistivity methodology for both vertical profiling and horizontal mapping.

Volcano Homework Assignment part of Workshop 07: Activities
Steven Jaume, College of Charleston
This assignment includes rank ordering lava flow data from Hawaii and using it to predict repeat times of lava flow areas. This and similar quantitative assignments emphasize power law frequency-magnitude ...

Trans-California Seismic Profile Analysis part of Workshop 07: Activities
Magali Billen, University of California-Davis
Homework assignment focused on identifying seismic arrivals and determining layer thickness and velocity using real-world data from a published article.

Using Geophysical Field Studies as the Focus for Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in an Introductory Geophysics Course part of Workshop 07: Activities
Paul Kelso, Lake Superior State University
Using field geophysics projects as the focus of problem based learning activities in an introductory geophysics course provides students with the opportunity to work and think as geophysicists. Students are ...

Finding the Moho part of Workshop 07: Activities
Stephen Boss, University of Arkansas
This lab activity uses the Rapid Earthquake Viewer (on on-line seismogram viewer),spreadsheet software, and students' knowledge of seismic refraction principles to recapitulate Mohorovicic's classic ...