Classroom, Lab and Field Exercises in Geophysics

This collection of teaching materials allows for the sharing of ideas and activities within the community of geophysics teachers.

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Results 1 - 20 of 156 matches

Equation Dictionary part of Workshop 07: Activities
Jackie Caplan-Auerbach, Western Washington University
The equation dictionary is an expansion of the traditional notecard that students bring to equation-based tests. It requires them to provide a prose explanation for the processes described by an equation as well as ...

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Learning About Marine Sediments Using Real Data part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Kristen St. John, James Madison University
This exercise set explores marine sediments using real core photos and composition data from the scientific ocean drilling programs DSDP, ODP, and IODP in an inquiry-based approach.

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Visualizing Global Earthquakes – Where and Why do Earthquakes Occur? part of Visualization:Examples
Cara Harwood, University of California-Davis
In this activity students visualize the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes at and below the surface of Earth and how their distribution is related to plate boundaries. Earthquakes are visualized on a 3D ...

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Global Earthquakes: Teaching about Earthquakes with Data and 3D Visualizations part of Visualization:Examples
Cara Harwood, University of California-Davis
In this series of visualizations and accompanying activities, students visualize the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes and explore their distribution at plate boundaries. Earthquakes are visualized on a 3D ...

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How do Faults Slip: Earthquakes versus Episodic Tremor and Slip part of Deep Earth:Activities
Mike Brudzinski, Miami University-Oxford
A comparison of earthquakes and episodic tremor and slip using GPS and seismic data to illustrate how faults slip.

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Taking the Pulse of Yellowstone's "Breathing" Volcano part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Beth Pratt-Sitaula, EarthScope; Shelley E Olds, EarthScope Consortium
In this activity, students learn about volcanism in Yellowstone National Park, focusing on its history of eruptions, recent seismicity, hydrothermal events, and ground deformation. They learn how scientists monitor ...

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Visualizing Earthquakes at Convergent Plate Margins part of Visualization:Examples
Cara Harwood, University of California-Davis
In this activity students visualize the distribution and magnitude of earthquakes at convergent plate boundaries. Earthquakes are visualized on a 3D globe, making it easy to see their distribution within ...

Sonar Demonstration -- Human Sound Wave part of Oceanography:Activities
Kent Syverson, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Sonar technology allowed scientists to produce high-resolution maps of the sea floor for the first time. This sonar demonstration uses a Human Sound Wave to image the "sea floor" in a lecture hall. In ...

Assesing the angle of subduction using GeoMapApp part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Rory McFadden, Carleton College
This activity has students determine the angle of subduction using GeoMapApp. Students use datasets available within GeoMapApp to examine the influence of the age of oceanic lithosphere and convergence rate on the ...

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Sea Ice Extension for the Earth as a System Learning Activity part of Visualization:Examples
Gary Randolph, GLOBE
The purpose is to identify global patterns and connections in environmental data contained in the GLOBE Earth Systems Poster; to connect observations made within the Earth Systems Poster to data and information at ...

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Exercise 10: Egypt remote sensing part of GIS and Remote Sensing:Activities2
Barb Tewksbury, Hamilton College
Barbara and David Tewksbury, Hamilton College Summary In this set of activities, students gain experience in creating multiband image composites and layering multiple raster data sets (DEM and hillshade, geologic ...

The science behind Plate Tectonics part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
John Weber, Grand Valley State University
Plate tectonics is a quantitative, robust and testable, geologic model describing the surface motions of Earth's outer skin. It is based on real data and assumptions, and built using the scientific method. New ...

Skill puzzles part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Sarah Titus, Carleton College
These are short exercises that allow students practice with concepts in Structural Geology, Tectonics, or Geophysics. (Many of them were designed with Eric Horsman.) The basic idea is to give students opportunities ...

New Views of an Old Continent: A Tectonics Lab Exercise Using Geophysical Maps of Australia part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
David Greene, Denison University
In this lab activity students are given five different map views of the continent of Australia: Geology, Gravity Anomaly, Magnetic Anomaly, Digital Elevation, and Satellite Image, and asked to investigate and ...

Active Tectonics Field Trip part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
George Davis, University of Arizona
By far most field trips in structural geology and regional tectonics do NOT take place in large urban centers with a trip focus on mitigation of hazards. What is described here is an example of the instructional ...

Exercise on the Mesozoic/Cenozoic Development of the North American Cordillera part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Steven Wojtal, Oberlin College
This assignment is intended to have students use the map reading skills they have learned in previous labs and their understanding of the lower crust and upper mantle derived from classroom lectures and ...

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Seismic Refraction Lab part of Structural Geology and Tectonics:Structure, , and Tectonics 2012:Activities
Scott Marshall, Appalachian State University
The following lab will introduce students to the basic concepts of seismic refraction as well as some actual data collected during seismic refraction surveys. You will use your knowledge of seismic refraction to ...

Emergent Models in Google Earth part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Declan De Paor, Old Dominion University
This is one sample of a set of emergent models we are developing for use with Google Earth. Students use the Google Earth time-slider to lift 3D models of the subsurface into view. They can substitute their own ...

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Tsunami assignment part of Introductory Courses:Activities
Klaus Neumann, Ball State University
Students read reports about potential sources for tsunamis on the US east coast and compare them with previously discussed dangers for the west cost.

HMK 1_Plate Boundaries: Present, future, & past part of Geodesy:Activities
Brian Hampton, New Mexico State University-Main Campus; , Michigan State University
This project builds on in-class exercises and lectures by having students learn to identify modern, future, and past plate boundaries. Students will use trends in topography, distribution of earth quake and ...