GLY 433/533: Pyroclastic Rocks

Instructor:
 
 Dr. Michael Sheridan
 717 NSC
Office hours MWF,10:00-11:00       
 mfs@geology.buffalo.edu
 http://www.eng.buffalo.edu/~mfs/

Recommended Textbook:

Encyclopedia of Volcanoes, 2000, Haraldur Sigurdsson, editor, Academic Press, San Diego, 1417 pp. (EV) This book can be purchased through amazon.com for $75. It is a very important reference source and every person with a career in volcanology should have access to it.

Texts on Reserve in the Science and Engineering Library:

Cas, R.A.F. and J.V. Wright, 1987, Volcanic Successions: Modern and Ancient. Allen & Unwin Press, London, 528 pp. (VS)

Fisher, R.V. and Schmincke, H.-U., 1984, Pyroclastic Rocks. Springer-Verlag, New York, 472 pp. (PR)

Other Reading:

Reading assignments of articles in professional journals will be made occasionally throughout the semester. Generally you will have one week to read an article before it is presented in class by a graduate student. Come prepared to ask pertinent or critical questions of the presenter to help clarify your understanding of the article.

Course Activities:

This course consists of two lectures (Monday and Wednesday) and a discussion/lab session (Friday) each week. If an outside reading has been assigned, graduate students will prepare an outline of the assigned readings which will be posted on my web site prior to their oral presentations in the class. If I bring study materials to the class, everyone will examine the samples and prepare a short written report which will be due one week later. I anticipate that we will work with actual samples in the SEM laboratory on the South Campus at least once during the semester.

Course Requirements

There will be one hour-long, in-class exams during the semester and one final exam during finals week. Daily and/or weekly projects will be assigned and are due at the beginning of the stated class period. Because this is a cross listed course, undergraduates (enrolled in GLY 431) and graduate students (enrolled in GLY 531) will have slightly different assignments.

 Undergraduates:    Graduates  
 Exam I
 40%
 Exam I
 25%
 Exam II
 40%
 Exam II
 25%
 Homework
 20%
Homework *
 25%
     Final paper
 25%

*The Homework grade includes in-class activities, discussions, laboratory work and take-home assignments.

Grading:
                                   Grade Scale
 >90%
 A
 80-89%
 B
 70-79%
 C
 60-69%
 D
 <60%
 F
Class Schedule:
Week
Topic
Reading
Instructor
 28 Aug.  Volcanic Plumes EV527-544, VSC6
Marcus Bursik
 4 Sept.  Under Sea Volcanism EV361-382;493-420, VSC9, PRC7&10
 Tracy Gregg
 11 Sept.  Magmas, Magma Chambers &  Conduits EV191-207;219-248, VSC2, PRC2
 MFS
 18 Sept.  Explosive Eruptions, Volatiles & Vesiculation EV421-430, VSC3, PRC3&4
 MFS
 25 Sept.  Tephra
 Grads: Paper topic due
VSC3, PRC5&6
 MFS
  2 Oct.  Strombolian and Vulcanian Eruptions EV447-476, VSC6:129-140
 MFS
 10 Oct.
 EXAM I (M)
 Hydrovolcanism (W)
EV431-446;495-512, VSC6:156-162, PRC9
  MFS
 16 Oct. Scoria Cones, Tuff Cones, and Tuff Rings EV683-696
  MFS
 23 Oct. Plinian Fall deposits EV477-494;513-526; 555-570, VSC5:93-104
 MFS
 30 Oct.  Pyroclastic Flows
 Grads: Paper abstract and outline due
EV581-500, VSC5:110-114,PRC8
 MFS
 6 Nov. Welded Tuffs & Calderas EV643-662, VSc7
 MFS
 13 Nov. Debris avalanches & Lahars EV601-626, PRC11
 MFS
 20 Nov. Pyroclastic Surges EV571-580, VSC5:114-126
 MFS
 27 Nov. Volcanoes & Geodynamics EV89-114, VSC15, PRC14
  MFS
  4 Dec.  Volcanic Hazards
 Grads: Paper due
 EV915-556; 1215-1228
 MFS

Graduate Students Only (GLY 533)

Final Paper

The final paper will be due the last day of class (Friday, December 8). The general topic will be developed during the first month of class. This paper will represent original scientific research. It should exhibit new insights, questioning of existing ideas, and critical thinking. The paper will be written in the same format as found in the Journal of Geophysical Research and will have at least 5 pages of text, 12 point font, double-spaced; figures and references are not included in that length limit. Please come to me with any questions you might have regarding your semester project.

In-Class Activities

During the semester, you will occasionally be asked to make a brief (5-10 minute) oral presentation to the class on a published paper that I will provide to you. The presentations will typically be given on Fridays. You will be graded on organization and clarity, as well as thoroughness of content transmission. You should provide the class with your abstract and outline in advance of your presentation by preparing a web page that will be posted on my web site. Each graduate student will give at least two presentations of this type during the semester.