Physical Volcanology Class:
I am currently in Ecuador and the first full week of ‘real’ classes will begin next Monday,
Aug. 24. This class will cover a number of topics related to the generation of magma at
depth, fluid dynamics of this magma during its storage and ascent to the surface, transfer
of volatiles from magma to the atmosphere, eruption dynamics and interaction with the
atmosphere, geomorphology of volcanic systems, and the hazards and public policy
associated with these events. In general we will move from deep in the Earth toward the
atmosphere during the course of the class; however we will deviate from this progression
somewhat to provide sufficient background for the Mount Saint Helens field course. In
general we will be meeting MWF before the St. Helens field trip, and then MW
thereafter.
The class website is located at:
http://shadow.eas.gatech.edu/~dufek/PhysVolc2009/Physical_Volcanology.html
I’ll post readings, class news, syllabus, notes and homework here. You can also access
this website by logging in to your T-square page for this class. There is no assigned text
book for this class and we will be using various sources; this website will be a clearing
house for various class information and readings.
An important component of this years’ class will be the use of Mount St. Helens as a field
example of eruptive behavior, and I am very excited to be going to the field this year. The
explosive eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980 was a striking example of the
energy of moderate sized explosive events, and the deposit and landscape surrounding the
volcano preserve many of the physical processes occurring during the eruption. This will
not only provide you a chance to see first hand a recently active volcanic system, but we
will also be collecting some data and integrating it with class projects.
Two images of Mt. Saint Helens. On the left an image from May 17, 1980 (USGS), and on
the right an image from field work last year.
There are a few logistical details to work out concerning our trip, and if you can fill out
the attached survey it will help us plan better. We will be able to take care of our
transportation in Washington state and food, but you will need to order your own plane
tickets (Current tickets are ~$240 - $280 to Seattle). We won’t be having any textbooks
for this class, and so really the only expense for this class should be the plane ticket. I
will continue to try to find some money to help defray this cost, but given the current
economy I can’t promise anything. If this presents a special burden on you, please come
see me and we will find a way to make it work.
The sooner you take care of the flights, the better. We will be in the field from
Wednesday, Sept. 23 – Sunday, Sept. 27. The goal will be to depart SeaTac airport at
2:00 PM on Wednesday and arrive back at SeaTac at 12:00 on Sunday. So importantly,
try to make itineraries that get you in before 2:00 PM on Wednesday, and if you can
make it in 1-2 hours earlier, all the better, in case of delays. Both Delta and AirTran offer
direct service that will work with these times, and a number of other air carriers offer
one-stops that would work. For a comparable price, I would suggest taking a direct flight,
and the more people that are on the same flight, the easier it will be to make arrangements
in the case of a delay. After you’ve made your flight arrangements, be sure to email me
your itinerary so I can enter it into a master spreadsheet.
No need to show up for class the rest of this week, just remember to come next week! In
the meantime your homework is to take care of the flight, and read the first two chapters
of the Verhoogen online book (available either through google books or through the class
website under ‘Assignments’.) This reading is intended to give you some basics on the
sources and sinks of energy in the interior of the Earth. This will also give something of a
historic perspective on energetics of the Earth – we have an improved understanding of
some of the concepts discussed in the chapters that I will cover in the first week of
classes. As you read it, don’t worry if you encounter unfamiliar terminology – I would
encourage you to look up unfamiliar terms, but also make a note of the terms/concepts
you have questions about as we will discuss them in class. For an even better
understanding of the progression of thought on heat transfer in the Earth, I also encourage
you to read the classic text ‘On the secular cooling of the Earth’ by William Thompson
(aka Lord Kelvin) which I’ve also posted a copy online. Many important aspects were
introduced in this work (although some notable oversights led to some incorrect results).
See if you can spot them!
See you next week!
Joe Dufek
[email protected]