
(A). Introduction
1). About Steve Gao
 
3). More about Steve Gao
 
5). Areas of study by Dr. Gao and students
 
6). Advantages of taking classes over self-study
 
7). Syllabus
 
8). Course structure
 
8.5). Lots of galaxies and fragments from Hubble space telescope
 
9). The 9 planets of our solar system
 
10). A 3D view of our Planet Earth
 
11). Geological time
 
12). A cross-section view of our Planet Earth
 
13). Earth's surface along the Equator
 

(B). Plate Tectonics
 
1). Earthquake distribution  
2). A cross-section view of earthquakes beneath Japan
 
3). Southern California crustal movement from GPS
 
5). Ages of ocean floor
 
7). Cross-section of ages of ocean floor across North Atlantic Ocean
 
9). Distribution of currently or recently active volcanoes
 
11). Current position of South Africa and South America
 
13). The solved jigsaw puzzle
 
15). Position of the current continents at about 200 million years ago
 
17). Distribution of the fossils 
of a land reptile at about 300 million years ago
 
18). convection cell in a tank of water
 
19). Distribution of major tectonic plates
 
21). A photo of the mid-Atlantic ridge at Iceland
 
23). Models for convergent boundaries: S. America, Japan, and Tibet
 
24). continental collision
 
25). The mighty San Andreas fault in California
 
27). Southern California crustal movement from GPS
 
29). Three kinds of plate boundaries
 
30). Elevation profiles across the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
 
31). An example of thermal convection
 
33). Relationships between lithosphere, asthenosphere, crust, and mantle
 
35). Major continental rifts on Earth
 
37). Processes related to subduction
 
39). Tibet plateau: result of continental collision
 
41). Earthquakes in the San Andreas fault system
 
 
43). Hawaii Island Chain  

 
(C). Seismology
1). Subdisciplines of modern Seismology
 
 
3). Global Seismic Network Stations  
 
5). Global Seismicity: 1910-1999 Mag >=4.5  
7). Body and surface waves
 
9). Particle deformation of P and S waves
 
11). Focus and epicenter
 
13). A seismogram
 
 
17). Hawaii Island Chain  
 
18). Download a software package for earthquake/volcano display  
19). Shallow earthquakes occurred during 1970-2002
 
21). Deep earthquakes occurred during 1970-2002
 
23). Big (mag. >= 6.5) earthquakes occurred during 1970-2002: mostly in subduction zones
 
25). Earthquakes beneath Japan: a typical distribution of subduction zone earthquakes
 
 
27). Earthquakes in China: 1963-2001 Mag >= 3.0 
 
29). California Big Earthquakes  
 
31). Earthquake Hazard Map by USGS  
33). Generation of a tsunami by fault movements  

 (D). The followings are for a Special Talk on 
"Abnormal Damage Caused by the 1994 Northridge Earthquake" 
 1). Title and Facts  
 3). Northridge: damage photo 1  
 5). Northridge: damage photo 2  
 7). Northridge: damage photo 3  
 9). Northridge: damage photo 4  
 11). Damage Map  
 13). Proposed causes 
 15). Testing the seismographs 
 17). Installing the seismographs 
 19). More digging 
 21). More Field Work 1 
 23). More Field Work 2 
 25). More Field Work 3 
 27). Station Locations  
 29). Event Locations  
 31). 
Seismograms from 2 nearby stations  
 33). Seismograms from one earthquake  
 35). P and S wave amplitudes  
 37). The final model  
 39). For more information ...  
 41). Important issues...  

 (E). Earthquake prediction 
 
 1). An optimistic view 
 3). A skeptical view  
 
5). A view arguing for intrinsic impossibiligy  
 
7). Many weather 
stations and billions of $$$ have made weather prediction possible  
9). Too few seismic stations
 
 
11).   California Big Earthquakes  
13). Southern California crustal movement from GPS
 

 (F). 
The following is a Powerpoint presentation about earthquakes in NE Kansas 
 
 Earthquakes in NE Kansas (ppt format)  

 (G). The followings are for a Special Talk on "Earthquake Weather" 
 
 
1). Number of earthquakes per year  
 
3). S. California Seismicity  
 
5). S. California Seismicity: No Aftershocks  
7). Earthquakes occurred 10 days after the Landers Earthquake  
9). Earthquakes occurred 10 days before the Landers Earthquake  
11). Landers aftershocks  
13). Number of earthquakes per 30 days  
15). Possible causes for the annual cycle  
17). Variation in air pressure  
19). The model to explain the observations  
21). For more information ....  

 (H). Mineral Photos 
 
1). Cleavage of Mica  
 
3). Reddish brown streak of hematite
 
5). Silicate minerals 
Clockwise from upper left: feldspar, mica, pyroxene, quartz, olivine 
 
7). Non-silicate minerals  
Clockwise from upper left: 
halite, spinel, gypsum, hematite, calcite, pyrite, galena 
 
9). Halite  
 
11). Quartz  
 
13). Bowen's Reaction Series 

(I). Igneous Rocks and Volcanism
1). Constituents of a granite  
 
2). Three kinds of rocks  
 
3). The rock cycle  
 
5). Sedimentary Rocks, Manhattan  
 
7). Sedimentary Rocks, Bryce NP 
 
9). Magma Chamber  
 
11). Granite  
 
12). Basalt (shows fine-grained structure) 
 
13). Basalt  
 
14). Table: changes in major elements from felsic to mafic rocks 
 
15a). Table: Factors affecting melting temperature 
 
15b). Pyroclastic rocks (Obsidian, pumice, ash) 
 
 
17). Porphyry  
19). Basalt in the forming  (Hawaii)  
21). Rhyolite,  an extrusive rock 
23). Gabbro (Maine, USA),  an intrusive rock 
 
25). Granite  
 
27). Basalt  
 
29). Andersite 
 
30). An example of scientific observation & research - tree-leaf pattern
 
31). Magma Chamber
 
33). Mantle plume
 
35). Plutons, stocks, dikes, and sills
 
37). A dike in Grand Canyon
 
39). Three ways of magma intrusion
 
41). Basaltic lava (Hawaii)  
43). A model for a shield volcano
 
45). A model for a volcanic dome 
 
47). An example of a vocanic dome: Mt. Helens
 
49). An example of a Cider Cone volcano, Nicaragua
 
51). An example of a composite volcano, Fujiyama, Japan
 
53). Formation of a Caldera
 
55). An example of a Caldera: Crater Lake, Oregon
 (8 km in diameter) 
57). A photo of phreatic explosion: Western Pacific Ocean
 
59). Map of active volcanoes in the world
 
61). Video: Eruption of Kilauea, 1959-1960 
 
63). Video: Eruption of Kilauea, 1959-1960 (explosive phases)
 
65). Video: Mount Shasta: Composite volcano 
 

(J). Sedimentary Rocks
 
1). The rock cycle  
 
3). Example of Sedimentary Rocks, Manhattan, KS 
 
 
5). Sedimentary Rocks, location unknown  
7). Example of Sedimentary Rocks, Arizona
 
9). Example of Sedimentary Rocks, Arizona No. 2
 
11). Formation of Sedimentary rocks
 
13). Poorly sorted sand grains
 
15). Well sorted sand grains
 
17). Sedimentary Environments
 
19). A Reef
 
21). Chert 
 
23). Halite
 
25). Limestone
 
27). Conglomerate
 
29). Sandstone
 
31). Shale
 
 
33). Bedding in a shallow sea environment, Manhattan, KS 
 
35). Cross-bedding in a desert environment. Zion National Park, Utah
 
37). Old ripple marks in sandstone 
 
39). Mud cracks and other photos from Death Valley NP, CA by Steve Gao
 

(K). Weathering and Erosion
1). Invasion of tree roots into fractured rocks
 
3). Frost wedging, Antarctica 
 
5). Weathering due to uneven distribution of expansion and contraction
 

(L). Geological Time Scale
01). A matter of time-scale
 
02). A photo taken in 1871 at Green River, Utah
 
03). A photo taken in 1968 at Green River, Utah
 
05). Horizontality
 
07). Almost horizontal layers, Manhattan, KS
 
09). Not-so-Horizontal rock layers, Israel
 
11). Heavily eroded rock layers, but still horizontal. Badland NP, S. Dakota 
 
13). A model for the formation of an unconformity
 
15). A unconformity in Grand Canyon, Colorado
 
17). The geologic time scale
 
19). Geologic time line of Earth's history
 

(M). Oceans
1). Circular movement of water particles
 
3). Bending of wave crests due to water refraction
 
5). Two bulges of water due to the moon
 
7). Elevation profile along the Equator
 
9). Submarine cayons and fans
 
11). Submarine cayons and fans
 
13). Evolution of a coral reef from a subsiding  volcanic island
 
15). Coral reefs of the Indian Ocean
 

 
(N). Geological Structures (Folds and Fractures)
01). Flat rock layers, Manhattan, KS
 
03). Deformed sedimentary rock layers, Israel
 
05). Bent layers (folds)
 
07). Displaced rock layers by faults
 
09). Dipping limestone, England. Kids walking along the strike
 
11). Strike and dip
 
13). A simple geological map and a cross section
 
15). 3 kinds of forces
 
17). Rock experiments under shallow crust and deep crust condictions
 
19). Parts of folds
 
21). Dome model
 
23). Photo of the Sinclair dome, Wyoming
 
25). Basin Model
 
27). Valley and Ridge Province of the Appalachian Mountains (Photo)
 
29). Valley and Ridge Province of the Appalachian Mountains
 
31). Vertical joints across horizontal shale layers, New York
 
33). A typical fault -- San Andreas
 
35). Normal fault, which is a kind of  dip-slip faults
 
37). Reverse fault, which is a kind of dip-slip faults
 
39). Strike-slip fault
 
41). Oblique-slip fault
 

 (O). Mass wasting 
1). Wet sand has a large angle of repose
 
3). Mass wasting as a result of removal of vegetation by fire, Yellowstone NP
 
5). Landslide triggered by the 1964 Alaska earthquake
 
6). Trees with pistol butt
 
7). Bent rock layers caused by creep
 
8). Bent rock layers caused by creep, No. 2
 
9). Tilted poles due to creep, California
 
11). A debris flow, Rocky Mountain NP
 
13). A mudflow, Tadzhikistan
 
15). An earthflow, Alaska
 
17). Results of solifluction, Canada
 
19). A slump, Wyoming
 

 (P). Water 
turk 
1). Water distribution
 
3). Water cycle
 
4). Topographic map of the Manhattan, KS area
 
5). Alluvial fan, Death Valley NP
 
7). Mississippi delta
 
9). Stream valleys and drainage basins
 
11). The drainage basin of the Colorado river
 
13). A satellite photo of the Great Lakes
 
15). A satellite photo of Lake Michigan
 
17). Saturated and unsaturated zones
 
19). Sinkholes from groundwater pumping, Antelope valley, CA
 
21). Everglades (a movie)
 
23). Stream Dynamics (animation)
 
25). Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico (Chinese Theater)
 
27). A large sinkhole formed by the collapse of a cavern, Winter Park, Florida
 
29). 
Circulation of water over a magma body for the production of geysers or hot sprints
 

 (Q). Desert 
1). Distribution of deserts on earth
 
3). Formation of desert pavements
 
5). Desert pavements, Arizona
 
7). Desert pavements, Deathvalley National Park, CA
 
9). A ventifact
 
11). A ventifact, Deathvalley National Park, CA
 
13). Yardangs, Iran (100 km long)
 
15). Sand dunes, central Peru
 
17). Sand dunes, Arabian penisula
 
19). Formation of sand dunes
 
21). Sand dunes (an animation)
 

(R). Glaciers
1). Glacial Accumulation  (an animation)
 
3). Glacial Ablation (an animation)
 
5). Glacial equilibrium (an animation)
 
7). Glacial polish, Alaska
 
9). A U-shaped valley, Montana
 
11). Iceberg calving, Alaska
 
13). Glacial deposits, Sierra Nevada, California
 
15). Glaciation of the northern hemisphere. 
Blue: formerly covered by glacier ice
 
17). Elephant-sized giant ground sloth existed during the last Ice Age
 

19). Unsolved problem: formation of the Earth's magnetic field
 
20). Unsolved problem: cause of long-term temperature change of the earth
 
21). Unsolved problem: cause(s) of long-term variation of seismicity
 
23). Unsolved problem: formation of the Rocky Mountains
 
25). Unsolved problem: IS the Big Blue River along a fault?
 

(S). Landforms; Earth Resources
1). Landforms in the contiguous US
 
3). A mountain range in southern Argentina
 
5). A mesa in Arizona
 
6). Web-based interactive landform simulation model
 
7). Percentages of energy types used in the US 
 
9). Estimated world reserves of crude oil
 
11). Solar pannels, Nepal
 
13). The Geysers, the world's largest supply of natural steam
 
 

(T). Earth's systems
1). Formation of the greenhousr effect on the Earth
 
 
2). Manhattan is a good place to live 
3). A result of the belief above ...
 
6). Number of families of marine animals as a function of time
 
8). Chicxulub impact crater in Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
 

 
(U). Highlight figures
1). Formation of the Universe and the solar system 1
 
3). Formation of the Universe and the solar system 2
 
5). Plate Tectonics
 
7). Earthquakes
 
9). Rocks and minerals
 
11). Weathering and erosion
 
13). Volcanoes
 
15). Geological Structures
 
17). The Oceans
 
19). Water cycle
 
21). Mass wasting
 
23). Streams and lakes
 
25). Deserts
 
27). Required classes for Geology majors
 

 Prof. Steve Gao's HomePage
Prof. Steve Gao's HomePage