Natural Disasters

Fall 2013

e-mail - snelson@tulane.edu        Office Phone 862-3194

Required Textbook: Natural  Disasters 9th Edition by Patrick L. Abbott
Available in Tulane Bookstore and from Coursesmart.

Web Site:
Further course materials, including a copy of this syllabus, all homework assignments, lecture notes, disaster summary information, announcements from the instructor, and useful internet links can be found on the Internet at: http://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/Natural_Disasters/.  Be sure to check this web page regularly throughout the course for important announcements and updates.

Homework and Exams:
The midterm and final exams will be mostly objective in nature with questions coming from the reading material, lectures, and homework assignments. Exam questions for those enrolled in EENS-6050 may differ from those on the EENS-3050 exams.  No make-up exams will be given. The Final Exam will be cumulative. Homework assignments consist of exercises designed to help the student gain practical experience in examining information about the occurrence and effects of natural disasters. All homework answers should be typewritten. Due dates are listed in the schedule below.  All homework is due by the end of the class period on the due date.  Due dates and times are firm.  Late assignments will be subject to a 50% penalty and will not be graded in detail. Turning in homework by email is discouraged because it requires extra work for the instructor. 

Field Trip
Because parts of New Orleans are still in a disaster zone, we have an excellent opportunity to observe the effects of a natural disaster first-hand.  EENS 6050 students are required to participate on a 4.5  hour field trip to the disaster area.  To sign up for a field trip please go HERE.  Be sure to follow all links on that page.

Disaster Summary:
Students will be required to find information on major natural disasters that occur during the time period of the course. Information for this summary will be found in newspapers, magazines, and on the internet. On the last day of class, each student will turn in a short summary of the 10 worst disasters that occurred during the course. This summary should include information on the type, details, effects, death/injury toll, and economic impact of each of these 10 disasters. Further information on the disaster summary can be found HERE.

Term Paper
A 10 to 15 page term paper will be turned in on the last day of class (December 6, 2012).  The term paper can be on any topic related to Natural Disasters, but the topic must be approved by the instructor before September 26, 2013.  The term paper must show an advanced knowledge and understanding of the chosen topic.  The student may turn in a near final version of the term paper by November 21, 2013 for the instructor to review and critique.  The instructor will then return the reviewed paper, along with his comments so that the student has time to make the necessary revisions prior to the due date.  All students are encouraged to take this approach. (Note that if you are seeking to fulfil the writing intnesive component, the term paper must be at least 20 pages and you must turn in a near final version on Novemeber 21 for the instructors review and critique).

Honor Code:
All students are expected to follow the Tulane Honor Code.  If you are unfamiliar with the Honor Code or have any questions about it, get a copy of the Honor Code from your Dean's office or view it at: http://tulane.edu/college/code.cfm .  In short, the Honor Code states that all work turned in for credit must be your own work in your own words, unless clear and explicit acknowledgement of the sources of the work is given.  This does not mean that collaboration on assignments is discouraged.  You may collaborate, just make sure that the work you turn in is in your own words, and not just a copy of the work of your collaborators.

Course Goals and Objectives

1. The student will gain an understanding of the geologic and atmospheric processes responsible for natural hazards, including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, drought, and asteroid impacts.
2. The student will gain an understanding of the areas susceptible to natural hazards and the frequency which these hazards become natural disasters.
3. The student will gain an understanding of practical ways to avoid the effects of natural disasters and mitigate the effects in areas where they are likely to occur.
   
   
   

Schedule of Lectures and Assignments

Date

Topic

Readings

Intro and Natural Disasters & Assessing Hazards and Risk

Homework Assigned: I. Disaster Info on the Internet

Prologue

Ch. 1

Natural Disasters & Assessing Hazards and Risk

Earth Structure, Materials, Systems, and Cycles

Ch1

Ch 2
Lecture Notes

Earth Structure, Materials, Systems, and Cycles

Earthquakes: Causes and Measurements

Homework I Due

Homework Assigned: II. Seismological Exercises

Earthquake Hazards and Risks

Earthquake Prediction, Mitigation, and Control

Earthquake Case Histories

Homework II Due

Volcanoes, Magma, and Volcanic Eruptions

Homework Assigned: III. Volcanological Exercises

Volcanic Landforms, Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics

Volcanic Hazards, Beneficial Aspects, and Predicting Eruptions

Term Paper Topic Approval Due

Volcanic Case Histories

Homework III Due

Tsunami

FALL BREAK

Midterm Exam

The Ocean-Atmosphere System

Homework Assigned: IV Weather Exercises

Tropical Cyclones

Homework IV Due

Homework Assigned: V Flooding Exercises

Flooding Case History

Homework V Due

Slope Stability, Triggering Events, Mass Movement Hazards

Term Paper Draft Due (if you choose this option)

Subsidence: Dissolution & Human Related Causes

Thanksgiving Holiday - no class

Coastal Hazards

Homework VI Due

Meteorites & Impacting Events

Disaster Summary Due

Term Paper Due

Obtain a PDF version of the Syllabus

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