SPRING 2016

Details of courses Earth and Climate Science

1

Course Code

ECS321

Course Title

Weather and Climate

Credits

Course Coordinator &

participating faculty (if any)

Dr. Neena Joseph

Nature of Course

Lectures & Tutorial

Pre requisites

None

Objectives

This course aims to introduce undergraduate students to the

phenomenology of weather and climate from observations to prepare
them for the theoretical and modeling courses. It will also prepare them
to appreciate the challenging outstanding problems in the field.

Course contents

The observed three dimensional mean state of the atmosphere and the
Ocean; Basic equations and some constraints that maintain the mean
state, Angular momentum conservation, energy conservation and water
mass conservation; Stationary waves in the atmosphere; Low frequency
sub-seasonal variability in the extra-tropics; Low-frequency sub-seasonal
variability in the tropics; Waves in the atmosphere and ocean, drivers of
weather; Examples of weather phenomena, e.g. Tropical cyclones;
Examples of year-to-year variation of climate, the QBO, the El Nino and
Southern Oscillation, Indian Monsoon; Examples of Long term variations
of climate, glacial-interglacial Milankovitch cycles; Climate feedbacks and
prediction.

Evaluation/Assesment

End-Sem Examination- 35%

Mid-Sem Exam-35%
Quizzes and Assignments- 30%

10

1. Physics of climate (1992) by J. Peixoto and A. Oort ,AIP Press, 520

pp.
2. Atmosphere, Weather and Climate (2003) byR. G. Barry and R J
Chourley, Routledge Press,472 pp.

Suggested Readings

Course Code

ECS322

Course Title

Landscapes and earth surface processes

Credits

Course Coordinator &

participating faculty (if any)

Dr. Argha Banerjee

Nature of Course

Lectures & Tutorial

Pre requisites

None.
Understanding on Partial differential equation will be advantageous for
this course.

Objectives

Course contents

Evaluation/Assesment

To describe the shape of the earth surface at different scales:

from small ripples to large ocean basins.
To understand the origin of various landforms in terms of the
physical and chemical processes like diffusion, fluid flow,
weathering
To use analytical and numerical tools for quantitative
understanding of landforms and related processes
The structure of earth; atmosphere and hydrosphere; tectonics and rock
cycle; shape of earth at very large scales; role of tectonics; weathering;
isostacy and uplift; hill-slope processes; diffusion; elements of fluid
dynamics; landforms related to rivers, glaciers and wind
End-Sem Examination- 35%
Mid-Sem Exam-35%
Quizzes and Assignments- 30%

10

1. Geomorphology:
The
mechanics
and
chemistry
of
landscapes(2010) by R. Anderson and S. Anderson, Cambridge
University Press, 651 pp.
2. Fundamentals of Geomorphology (2011) byR. J. Hugget,
Routledge Press,536pp.
3. Quantitative Modeling of Earth Surface processes (2008) by J D
Pelletier, Cambridge University Press, 304 pp.

Suggested Readings

Course Code

ECS323

Course Title

Seismology: Theory and Application

Credits

Course Coordinator & participating

faculty (if any)

Prof. Shyam S Rai

Nature of Course

Lectures & Tutorial

Pre requisites

None.
Understanding on mathematical methods will be advantageous for this
course.

Objectives

This course presents an overview of the basic observations and methods

of seismology: Earthquake detection, geometry, characteristics and
relation to tectonics, earthquake recording instruments and their
characteristics, and different types of data (body waves, surface waves,
and normal modes). One-dimensional and three-dimensional structures
of the Earth as inferred from seismology using inverse theory, and
implications for composition and dynamics.

Course contents

1.Wave Theory:
Fundamentals of wave motion; seismic wave types. stress-strain
relations; linearised equations of motion; elastic moduli.
The wave equation: dilatational and rotational solutions; separation of
variables; plane and spherical waves.
Reflection and refraction of plane waves at a plane boundary;
independence of SH and P and of SV waves; boundary conditions; P, SV
and SH waves incident at the free surface of a homogeneous half-space
and at general interfaces; energy conversions.
Rayleigh waves for a homogeneous half-space; Love waves for a two-layer
half-space. Superposition of plane waves, group velocity, dispersion. Free
oscillations, toroidal and spheroidal modes.
2. Earthquake Seismology:
Introduction to Earthquake Seismology - an example from a recent event.
Seismic Recording: Sensors, recorders, networks and arrays
Earthquake Mechanics: Friction and fracture, dynamics, scaling.
Introduction to Inverse theory and Signal Processing
Earthquake Location
Seismic tomography.
The Earthquake Source: Focal mechanisms, moment tensors.
Seismotectonics: Distribution of seismicity in space, regional stress and
strain tensors, relationship to tectonics.
Seismic Hazard: Time-independent and time-dependent.

Evaluation/Assesment

End-Sem Examination- 35%

Mid-Sem Exam-35%
Quizzes and Assignments- 30%

10

Suggested Readings

1. Principles of Seismology(2000) by A. Udias, Cambridge University

Press, 492 pp.
2. An introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure
(2009) byS. Stein,and M. Wysession, Wiley-Blackwell
Publications,512pp.