MEA 493.003 Volcanology is offered Fall 2024. It is 3 credit hours, scheduled MW 3-4.15pm. It has no prerequisites (really!).
The first part of the semester will focus on key volcanology concepts through lectures, while after Fall Break we’ll discuss the relationship of volcanoes with the environment and their impact on human settlements through a series of case studies presented both with the help of guest speakers and through recent documentaries. New for this year, we will be using 3D printed models and VR to explore a variety of volcanic outcrops and eruptions and run an interactive eruption scenario simulation exercise based on a FEMA course.
Assignments span from classic problem sets that require applying key parameters to the reconstruction of real eruptions to applying the class content to critically assess a variety of media depicting volcanoes, from renaissance paintings to news articles to disaster movies.