Syllabus
* Constitution of the Earth
Spherically symmetric model of the Earth. Composition and physical properties of the crust, the mantle and the core. Nature of interfaces in the Earth's interior. Phase transition and their impact of the processes in the mantle.
* Plate tectonics
History. Wegener's theory, continental drift. Sea floor spreading. Plate tectonics. Classification of plate boundaries. Physical characteristics of plate boundaries: seismic activity, heat flux, gravity etc. Determination and description of plate motions. Toroidal vs. spheroidal energy. Intraplate deformations. Hotspots. Forces acting at the lithosphere. Plate tectonics in the past. Tectonic pattern of other terrestrial bodies.
* Dynamics of the mantle and the lithosphere
Crust and lithosphere: definitions. Oceanic and continental lithosphere. Cooling of the oceanic lithosphere. Asthenosphere. Heat transfer in the mantle. Convection, conduction, heat sources. Subduction of the lithosphere. Mantle plumes.
* Seismology
Earthquake, seismicity. Seismic waves. Equation of motion. Rays, travel-time curves. Earthquake location. Magnitudo. Seismic tomography and three-dimensional structure of the Earth mantle. Relation between thermal and seismic velocity anomalies.
* Magnetic field of the Earth
Basic characteristics. Maxwell equations. Magnetovariational and magnetotelluric methods. Models of electrical conductivity in the Earth mantle. Core: composition and physical properties. Generation of the magnetic field in the core. Inner core.
* Gravity field
Spectral representation of the gravity potential. Density anomalies in the Earth and the gravitational potential. Inferences of viscosity and density from the geoid. Estimate of the density anomalies based on seismic tomography.
* Tools
Spherical harmonic analysis. Correlation analysis. Data interpretation. Forward and inverse problem. Models and simulations.
* Miscellaneous
Radioctive dating. Postglacial uplift. Free oscillations of the Earth. Earth tides. Tidal friction. Earth-Moon system. Geochemical constraints on mantle convection.
Annotation
Overview of basic theoretical principles in seismology, geodynamics and geomagnetism. Physical models of the
Earth. Plate tectonics. Dynamical processes in the core and the mantle. Evolution of the Earth.