FRS 002 — Sec. 019 — (2 unit) — CRN 92630 — T 5:10-6:45pm — 175A Phys/Geo
Shaking It: The Great San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and its 100 Year Impact on California, the U.S. and the World

Instructors: James McClain and Louise Kellogg, Department of Geology, College of Letters and Science

Description: Earthquakes have played an essential role in human history. This is certainly true in our own State, where earthquakes affect California’s history, its scenic beauty, and its economic growth. We will explore the how, where, and why of earthquakes around the world but with particular emphasis on large historical events in California and the western United States. We will compare earthquakes in fiction and reality, and how earthquakes in the west compare with those in other parts of the country and world. We will also examine how we can prepare for earthquakes, and mitigate their impact. This is a modification of a Freshman Seminar taught the last two Spring quarters. The evaluations by the students were quite strong, particularly with respect to the field trip that we included. In honor of the impending 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, this year we are going to focus on that earthquake, and future earthquake hazards in northern California. The goals of this seminar will be to provide new college students with an appreciation of the role earthquakes in shaping philosophy, economics, and history. Particular emphasis will be on the 1906 earthquake of California and its role in shaping concepts about earthquakes in California, the U.S., and the world. There will also be substantial discussion of earthquakes in the western U.S. Students will gain an appreciation for physical and geological processes active in the Earth. It is hoped that they will be more aware of the threat of earthquakes, and how to prepare for that threat. Also, it is expected that students will develop skills in the presentation of materials to their peers, and how information is displayed in oral presentations (power point generally) and posters.

Format: The seminar will require that the students participate in a discussion for 1 3/4 hours per week for 8 weeks (14 contact hours) and a 10-hour field trip to Pt. Reyes to examine faults and the effects of earthquakes. Students will not be required to purchase texts, but, they will be required to use the library (reserve room) and the web to find information for discussion, as well for their presentation. We will assign historical and fictional reading on reserve. Students will be expected to read materials on reserve so that they are prepared for the class discussions. They will also be required to undertake the research necessary to submit an oral and poster presentation. They must also participate in the field trip. When I lead field trips, I require that students take an active role in the discussion, and to ask questions. Students will be divided into groups of 2 or 3. They must choose a potential future earthquake that is likely to cause great damage to northern California, or to California in general. Examples could include the expected Hayward earthquake, the tsunami-causing earthquake of the Pacific Norwest, or another Winters-Vacaville earthquake. We will allow them to expand outward depending on the number of students in the class. They will give the geological background, the historical background and the likely effects, long-term as well as short term on the region and state. Students will make an oral presentation, as well as a written presentation consisting of a poster. The students will also participate in a field trip. Grading: Participation in class discussions (35%); Poster presentation (35%); Oral presentation (30%).

About the Instructors: Dr. Jim McClain is a seismologist and geophysicist in the Department of Geology. He uses geophysics to study processes acting in the Earth such as volcanoes, seafloor spreading, and continental collisions. Over the past 20 years, he and his students have studied earthquakes under the sea and in California. He teaches introductory physical geology, marine geology, oceanography, and graduate classes in seismology.

Professor Kellogg is a member of the faculty and chair of the Department of Geology. Her research interests include the interiors of the Earth and terrestrial planets, with an emphasis on the processes driving tectonic activity on the planets. Current projects include numerical models of mantle plumes and deformation of the crust associated with earthquakes.