TECTONICS

The purpose of this page is to provide ready access to diagrams and imagery pertinent to the topics we will be discussing during the semester, but inconvenient to display in lecture. In addition, links to useful sources of information are also included.

GEOMAGNETISM

• Earth's Magnetic Field
• motion of the north magnetic pole
• core convection and the geodynamo
• see a movie of a field reversal
• more animations of a field reversal (note wrapping of field lines in the outer core)

EARTHQUAKE SEISMOLOGY

• Canadian National Seismograph Network (see what's happening near Geneseo as well as elsewhere)
• Seismo Lab home page (monitor the "Record of the Day")
• determination of Richter magnitude
• other magnitude scales
• seismic risk map of the United States
• animations of Northridge, CA and Kobe, Japan earthquakes
• The epicenter of the August 17, 1999 earthquake in Turkey is located along the North Anatolian Fault. The area is tectonically active with a long history of large seismic events and significant seismic risk. The focal plane solution for the event, along with surface displacements, demonstrates that the motion was right lateral. In this respect, the North Anatolian Fault is similar to the San Andreas Fault of Southern California. Most seismographs record three components (north-N, east-E and vertical-Z) of ground motions caused by earthquakes. Once an earthquake, like that in Turkey, has been located the N and E components are transformed to radial (R) and transverse (T) components.In this format (R, T and Z)it is easier to distinguish between the Love and Rayleigh waves on the seismic records.

TERRESTRIAL HEAT FLOW

• three views (Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans) of global heat flow distribution
• heat flow in the United States

EARTHS CRUST

• crustal thickness(km) of Earth
• crustal thickness(km) of China

go to Professor Brennan's personal page