Physics of the Earth Honours Reseach Project

The structure and dynamic processes of the Earth are measured, quantified and understood by utilizing principles and methods from the physical sciences. Core areas of study include seismology, geodynamics, geodesy and geophysical fluid dynamics. A variety of course work from these fields is on offer, in addition to a supervised research project worth 50% of the final mark. The goal of Physics of the Earth Honours is to gain a solid grounding in quantitative analysis of physical processes based on both theory and observation. For example, plate tectonics, in which distinct pieces of the rigid outer shell of the Earth constantly move and interact due to internal heating, manifests in seismic (e.g. earthquakes), geodetic (e.g. GPS displacement) and geodynamic (e.g. crustal deformation) observation. Evidence from these fields of study have been central to gaining a better understanding of convection within the Earth's mantle, and how the continents have shifted and deformed over time. More specifically, coursework will cover seismic wave propagation, earthquake source mechanisms and seismic imaging; fundamental concepts in fluid dynamics and their application to the Earth (e.g. Buoyancy driven flow in the ocean); sea level change and variations in polar ice cap volumes from satellite data; the physical behaviour of minerals and rocks at pressures and temperatures encountered deep within the Earth; and theory and numerical methods for solving geophysical inverse and data inference problems.