Description of courses
Division of Earth Sciences
EAR701 Natural Hazards and Society
AUs: 4
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 1
This course examines the natural and human dimensions of hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, tropical storms, floods, landslides, soil erosion and desertification. Course work focuses on the causes of major natural hazards -- such as climate change, sea-level rise, and tectonics – as well as their spatial and temporal distribution. Moreover, students will be exposed to the assessment of risks posed to society and possibilities for sustainable adaptation.
EAR702 EOS/DES Seminar
AUs: 3
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 1 & 2
Weekly seminars will provide exposure to a broad range of research in the earth sciences. Speakers will be from the Earth Observatory of Singapore, other academic groups at NTU, and other universities and research institutes. Students are required to attend 8 seminars and to participate in a discussion session following each of these. Students will submit written and oral reports on 3 of the seminars, summarizing and critiquing the work, methods and conclusions presented.
EAR 703 Reviews of Special Topics in Earth Sciences
AUs: 3
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 1
Keeping abreast of important advances in science requires not only keen research skills and avid study but also the ability to identify the published wheat from the chaff. This course will introduce students to important new literature and at the same time teach them to effectively identify important new work through a series of reviewing exercises that teach critical and efficient analysis of material in mainstream media, grey-media and peer-reviewed journals. To aid in the development of their own writing skills, students will also be asked to examine critically the writing styles exemplified in the reviewed materials.
This course requires student to investigate and review the current state of knowledge of a field in their area of specialization. Students are encouraged to use this opportunity to develop a strong background in their research field and to produce a review paper.
EAR704 Field Studies
AUs: 3
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 1 & 2
Graduate students in DES must participate in at least one field campaign with a DES faculty member, regardless of their faculty specialization. The student will assist in planning for the field trip, collect data and/or samples, make maps and sketches and keep a detailed record of observations and interpretations. A scientific report, written upon completion of the field trip, will describe the scientific purpose and outcome of the campaign.
EAR705 Foundations of Earth Sciences
AUs: 3
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 2
An introduction to the physical and chemical processes that shape the earth. Topics covered include: early earth, earth structure, earth materials, plate tectonics, earth resources, earth system science, and earth surface processes.
EAR706 Tectonics and Seismotectonics
AUs: 3
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 2
This course investigates the processes at work in the main tectonic environments of our planet (rifts and ridges, subduction zones, collisional mountain- and plateau-building, and strike-slip faults). Physical mechanisms of deformation are introduced, based on theoretical and experimental rock mechanics, and it is shown how they operate in integrated fashion over a wide range of spatial and time scales (from crystals to plates, and from millions of years to seconds). Examples will be drawn from the most typical and best understood regions of the world, with a strong emphasis on eastern Asia. The emphasis will also be placed on active faulting and tectonics, to throw light on the processes through which faults generate earthquakes, and on what can be learnt about crustal structure and rheology from earthquakes. Large-scale deformation models will be discussed. The course includes a field trip to one outstanding region of Asia or the world (for example, the Himalayan MFT in Nepal, Ailao Shan Shear zone in Yunnan, Assal Rift in Djibouti).
EAR707 Volcanic Processes
AUs: 3
Prerequisites: Division approval
Semester 2
This course will cover pre-, syn-, and post-eruption processes. It will cover the basic physical and chemical properties of magma, supply from depth into upper crustal reservoir(s) and further ascent to the surface, various rates and styles of eruption, and relations of all of these to regional tectonics. Students will study the geological, geophysical, and geochemical changes from which eruptions can be forecast, and processes by which erupted products are redistributed after eruptions. Finally, students will look at how to reconstruct magmatic and eruptive histories of volcanoes. The course will include a field trip to an active volcano with recent deposits and geochemical and geophysical unrest.
Note: The above courses are subject to revision. Please check http://www.earthobservatory.sg regularly to read the latest updates.
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