SEMINAR ON MANTLE CONVECTION
What and Why?
These are exciting times for studies of the structure, composition, and
evolution of Earth's deep interior. Seismic imaging, geodynamical
modeling, and nobel gas analyses have provided spectacular new insight in
the nature and scale of mantle convection. But despite the increased
understanding and consensus within research groups there are significant
outstanding issues, whose resolution requires cross disciplinary study.
For instance, geophysicists begin to concur on some form of whole mantle
flow, whereas many geochemists favor a layered structure, with the lower
and upper mantles separated from each other over long periods of geological
time.
The main objective of this cross disciplinary course is to understand the
historical development and the current status of ideas and models, to
present and question the constraints from the different research fields,
and to investigate if and how the different views on mantle flow can be
reconciled with the currently available data.
How?
The vicinity of world leaders in the relevant fields at Harvard University,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, and M.I.T. presents unique
opportunities for courses on such complex subjects. Each week faculty
members of Harvard, WHOI, or MIT will lecture on the basic physics and
chemistry pertinent to the topic of that particular week. These lectures
will be followed by literature discussions under leadership of (groups of)
students. In this way we aim to cover the basic science as well as digest
a substantial fraction of the pertinent literature; the group structure
stimulates student interaction and helps reducing communication problems
that often complicate cross-disciplinary discussion.
The course is organized by Stan Hart (WHOI); Bill McDonough, Rick O'Connell
(Harvard); Brad Hager, and Rob van der Hilst (MIT), but
several others will also present lectures.
When?
Tuesdays 3-6PM.
The first meeting is on February 10th (organizational matters + introduction)
Where? Until mid-semester break: at MIT-EAPS (Rm 54-1411); after break: at
Harvard, Hoffman Lab.
(Class Notes) 
(Reading Assignments)
Course outline:
10-02-1998:
Introduction (Rick O'Connell and Bill McDonough).
(notes, reading)
17-02-1998:
Melting and Differentation (Tim Grove)
(notes, reading)
24-02-1998:
Basics of Convection (Rick O'Connell and Brad Hager)
(notes, reading)
03-03-1998:
Isotope systems and Geochemistry (Stan Hart)
(notes, reading)
10-03-1998:
NO CLASS: Geochemical Earth Reference Model (GERM) Meeting. (N.B. See reading assignment of 03/03/1998!)
17-03-1998:
More on mantle dynamics (Brad Hager, Rick O'Connell, Louise Kellogg)
(notes, reading)
24-03-1998:
NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK
31-03-1998:
Seismology Part I: Subduction Zones (Rob van der Hilst)
(notes, reading)
07-04-1998:
Constraints from noble gas data on mantle mixing (Louise Kellogg and Stein Jacobsen)
(reading)
14-04-1998:
Seismology Part II: Constraints on Mantle Structure From Global Tomography (Rob van der Hilst)
(reading)
21-04-1998:
NO CLASS: European Geophysical Society Meeting (Nice, France). (N.B. There will be an assignment!)
28-04-1998:
Open discussion of issues; specifics T.B.A.
05-05-1998:
Mantle stratification (or lack thereof) (Tom Jordan)
(reading)
12-05-1998:
Student presentation of research proposals (final assignment)