2024 Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Introduction to Earth Sciences
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Junichi Nakajima / Akira Ishikawa
- Class Format
- Lecture (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 5-6 Mon / 5-6 Thu
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- EPS.A205
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 2Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 17, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
Evolution of the Earth and planets is learned through geophysics and Earth material sciences.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will acquire the basic knowledge to learn solid state Earth and planetary sciences.
Keywords
Earth, plate, crust, mantle, core, tide, earthquake
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
Before coming to class, students should read the course schedule and prepare for the topics with handouts and references.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Structure of the Earth's interior and plate motion | To learn the basis for understanding the Earth |
| Class 2 | Plate motion | To investigate the plate tectonics theory |
| Class 3 | Magmatism (igneous rocks) | To investigate the creation process of igneous rocks. |
| Class 4 | Evolution of the Earth-Moon system: Ocean tide | To understand that the ocean tide is determined from the balance between the centrifugal and gravitational forces in the Earth-Moon system. |
| Class 5 | Physics of plates | To understand the cooling process of plate |
| Class 6 | Mechanisms of subducting plates | To understand the force balance of subducting plates |
| Class 7 | Interaction between atmosphere, ocean, and solid Earth (sedimentary rocks) | To investigate the creation process of sedimentary rocks. |
| Class 8 | Collision of continents (metamorphic rocks)、Rocks at Moon and Mars | To investigate the creation process of sedimentary rocks, and rocks found in Moon and Mars. |
| Class 9 | Mantle rocks | To investigate the rocks consisting the Earth's mantle. |
| Class 10 | Materials in the Earth's core | To investigate the materials in the Earth's core |
| Class 11 | Geophysical imaging of the Earth's interior | To understand how to image the Earth's mantle |
| Class 12 | Plate movement and deformation | To understand the physics of deformation along plate boundaries |
| Class 13 | Earthquakes and volcanoes in abduction zones | To understand the causes of seismicity and volcanism in subduction zones |
| Class 14 | Evaluate the level of understanding | Evaluate the level of understanding |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 100 minutes preparing for class and another 100 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Materials necessary for the class will be given.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Score is determined with tests and several reports on the subject related to the lecture.
Related courses
- EPS.A202 ： Introduction to Earth and Planetary Sciences
- EPS.L202 ： Laboratory in Earth and Planetary Sciences (petrology)
- EPS.B201 ： Mathematics for Physics A (EPS course)
- EPS.B210 ： Mathematics for Physics B (EPS course)
- EPS.A332 ： Volcanology
- EPS.A331 ： Earth Materials
- EPS.L331 ： Experiments in Earth Material Science
- EPS.A336 ： Dynamics of the Earth and Planet
Prerequisites
Physics and mathematics in the first grade should be understood.