Details of ES2101 (Autumn 2012)
Level: 2 | Type: Theory | Credits: 3.0 |
Course Code | Course Name | Instructor(s) |
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ES2101 | Planetary, Earth and Environmental Sciences | Ravikant Vadlamani, Sutapa Bose, Tarun Kumar Dalai |
Syllabus |
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Planetary, Earth and Environmental sciences
Scope: This course deals with introduction to planetary, earth and environmental sciences Course content The Universe and our solar system- age, origin. The Earth-Moon system; Characteristics of the Planets. Time - absolute and relative and cosmic time scales. Kinds of forces and their magnitudes in the Earth. Time scales of processes - days to millions of years. Meteorites - what they tell. Planet Earth Formation of a zoned planet; The structure - from core to the upper levels of magnetosphere. The interior structure, distribution of pressure, temperature and density: Information from seismology . Magnetic field, gravity field, mechanical properties rheology. Origin and cosmic abundance of elements, Cosmochemical and geochemical classification. Origin of ocean and atmosphere. Building Blocks of Earth - Minerals, rocks, water, melts and the atmosphere.The Surface we live on - Geomorphologic features and processes. Sediments and sedimentary processes. Plate tectonics today and its consequences An introduction to Earthquake, Volcanoes, Mountain Building, Tsunami, Mineral Deposits. Geologic time scale: Measurement of absolute time. Evolution of isotopic reservoirs- an introduction particularly relevant to core, mantle and crust formation (Nd isotopes, Sr isotopes, Hf-W isotopes). Origin of Life - development of the genetic components; Oxygen revolution. Dynamics of the Earths Atmosphere and the oceans. Sustenance of Life and resources Environment today; problems and future perspectives. Earths climate, climate forcing factors. |
References |
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Text Books:
1. Press, Siever, Grotzinger & Jordan: Understanding Earth; W.H. Freeman & Co., NY, 2004 (4th Ed). 2. The Solid Earth: An Introduction to Global Geophysics: 2nd Ed, CMR Fowler, Cambridge University Press, 2005. 3. Condie, K.C.: Earth as an evolving Planetary System: Elsevier, 2005. 4. Marshak: Earth, portrait of a planet; W.W. Norton & Co., NY, 2005, (2nd Ed). 5. Lunine: Earth, evolution of a habitable world: Cambridge, 1999. 6. Eby: Principles of environmental geochemistry; Thomson, 2004. 7. Alberede, F: Geochemistry, an introduction; Cambridge, 2003. 8. Ranalli, G: Rheology of the Earth; Chapman & Hall, 1995 (2nd Ed). 9. Stanley, S.M.: Earth System History, W.H. Freeman & Co. m 2005 (2nd Ed). 10. Davies, G.F.: Dynamic Earth, Plates, Plumes and mantle Convection, Cambridge, 2001. 11. Turcotte, D.L. & Schubert, G: Geodynamics, Cambridge, 2002 (2nd Ed). 12. Anderson, G.M.: Thermodynamics of natural systems, John Wiley, 1996. 13. Turcotte, Schubert & Olson: Theory of Mantle Convection and Plumes, Cambridge, 2000. |
Course Credit Options
Sl. No. | Programme | Semester No | Course Choice |
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1 | IP | 1 | Not Allowed |
2 | IP | 3 | Not Allowed |
3 | MS | 3 | Core |
4 | RS | 1 | Not Allowed |