2026 (Current Year) Faculty Courses School of Science Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
Seismology
- Academic unit or major
- Undergraduate major in Earth and Planetary Sciences
- Instructor(s)
- Junichi Nakajima
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - Class
- -
- Course Code
- EPS.A336
- Number of credits
- 200
- Course offered
- 2026
- Offered quarter
- 4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 26, 2026
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course focuses on earthquakes, magmatism, thermal convection, material transportation, plate motion, and chemical reaction that are ongoing in the Earth.
Students will have the chance to tackle practical problems in the Earth by applying knowledge acquired through this course.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) understand characteristics of seismic waves
2) understand source process of earthquakes
3) understand seismotectonics beneath Japan
3) understand how to live through earthquakes and volcanic eruptions
Keywords
Earth, Seismic wave, Elastic constant, attenuation, velocity model, fault, fault-plane solution, density, temperature, composition, convection system, volcanism, plate motion
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 | Introduction |
Introduction |
| Class 2 | Strain |
Understand the strain |
| Class 3 | Stress |
Understand the stress |
| Class 4 | Fundamental equations |
Understand fundamental equations of elasticity |
| Class 5 | Fundamental nature of body waves |
Characteristics of body waves |
| Class 6 | Fundamental nature of surface waves |
Characteristics of surface waves |
| Class 7 | Propagation of seismic waves |
Propagation of seismic waves |
| Class 8 | Estimates of seismic velocity in the Earth |
Theory of seismic tomography |
| Class 9 | Hypocenter and representation of sources （１） |
Hypocenter determination and moment tensor |
| Class 10 | Representation of sources （2） |
Understanding of source mechanics |
| Class 11 | Representation of sources （3） |
Understanding of source mechanics |
| Class 12 | Seismicity in Japan |
Seismicity beneath Japan and its relation to tectonic condition |
| Class 13 | Disaster prevention |
Disaster prevention |
| Class 14 | Summary of the lecture |
Summary of the lecture |
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 required.
Reference books, course materials, etc.
None required.
Evaluation methods and criteria
Students' course scores based on reports and exams.
Related courses
- EPS.B201 ： Mathematics for Physics A (EPS course)
- EPS.B330 ： Fluid Mechanics (EPS course)
- EPS.B202 ： Thermodynamics (EPS course)
- EPS.B203 ： Mechanics (EPS course)
- EPS.L202 ： Laboratory in Earth and Planetary Sciences (petrology)
- EPS.B210 ： Mathematics for Physics B (EPS course)
Prerequisites
No prerequisites.