Tulane University

EENS607 Seminar in Fault Growth & Interaction

Fall 2003

Dr. Nancye Dawers ndawers@tulane.edu

Office: 301 Dinwiddie Hall, 862-3200

Office hours: TBA & by appointment

Class Meetings: Th 2:30-4:30 pm, in the "library"on 3^rd floor of Dinwiddie

Papers to discuss: We'll take turns getting papers from Howard-Tilton library. Papers will be by the windows in the geology library. ~3 papers per week.

Reserve Textbook: The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting, by C.H. Scholz, 2002, 2^nd ed., Cambridge University Press.

Goal of this course: To gain an understanding of the current literature relating to fault growth, evolution of fault populations, development of large fault systems, and fault interaction. Papers will include theoretical and observational studies. A range of processes and timescales will be covered.

Course format: Seminar-style discussion of papers

Course grading:

Term paper 30%

Presentations 20%

Class participation 50%

No exams.

Tentative Schedule of Topics (reading list to follow, updates on the web)

Sept 4 Lecture: Overview of fault growth & interaction

Mon, Sept 8 Models of fault development (conceptual, numerical and fracture mechanics)

Sept 11 NO CLASS

Sept 18 Elastic fracture mechanics models of fault interaction

Sept 25 Tip propagation vs segment linkage

Oct 2 Space-time patterns in fault populations (form numerical modeling and strat studies)

Oct 9 NO CLASS

Oct 16 Patterns of displacement rate variation (from geomorph and modeling studies)

Oct 23 Temporal evolution of large fault systems (from geomorph and strat studies)

Oct 30 Fault interactions and seismicity

Nov 6 Normal fault populations (MORs, Basin & Range, East Africa)

Nov 13 Plate boundary-related distributed deformation (Asia, California)

Nov 20 Current problems in evolution of fold-thrust populations

Nov 27 NO CLASS - Thanksgiving

Dec 4 Term Paper Presentations (Papers due following day by 5 pm.)