Professor, Geology
876 Natural Science Complex
North Campus Office: NSC 717
Email: mfs@geology.buffalo.edu
Voice: 645-6800 ext. 3984
Fax: 716-645-3999
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Geological Disaster Prevention
GLY428/528* meets in NSC 850 1:00-1:50 M-W-F

Instructor: Dr. Michael F. Sheridan (contact information above)

Office hours:   Mo, We, and Fri between 10:00 and 10:50 in room NSC 717
Types of hazards discussed: volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, severe storms, tsunamis, river floods, and hazardous waste storage.

Topics include: physics of natural hazardous phenomena, conceptual models, typical hazards associated with geological phenomena, probability considerations.

Case studies: Past years involved volcanic risk (Popocatepetl, Colima; Pinatubo, Rabaul, La Soufriere, Nevado del Ruiz), earthquakes (Izmit, Kobe, Mexico City), mudflows (Mount Rainier, Casita, Huascaran, Thistle, Zunil, Reventador), ocean waves (Alaska, Japan Sea) hurricanes (Cammile, Mitch, bangladesh, Andrew), river floods (Mississippi, Yangtse), and, high-level radioactive waste (Yucca Mountain). Each year has different cases, as they develop.

Class exercises: Break-out discussions of Hurricane Katrina, graduate student PowerPoint presentations of hazard cases, graduate student posters of hazard cases, group assessments of Hurricane Katrina, class debate of Yucca Mountain high-level radioactive waste (HLRW) hazard, and a field mapping exercise for flood potential of Ellicott Creek.

Textbook: Hyndman and Hyndman, Natural Hazards and Disasters, Thompson Brooks/Cole, 490 pages. (Available at the College Store)


There are no prerequisites because this is an interdisciplinary course. All necessary background skills will be developed during the term. However the class does require knowledge of computers for searching the web and minor spreadsheet analysis.  Knowledge of PowerPoint presentation preparation and poster creation is required of graduate students.

Final grade:
Undergraduate students -  Evaluation of gradute PowerPoint presentations (20%), Evaluation of graduate posters (20%), Exam on  Hurricane Katrina (30%), Field mapping exercise (20%), Evaluation of Yucca Mountain debate (10%).

+Graduate students - PowerPoint presentation (20%),  poster (20%), mapping exercise (15%), Exam on Hurricane Katrina (15%), Yucca Mountain debate (10%), and Hurricane Katrina oral/written report (20%).