First-Year Seminars 110VH - Volcanoes and Volcanic Hazards

We have a love/hate relationship with volcanoes.;We go out of our way to visit volcanoes; to;witness eruptions and to bag a high peak. But,;often volcanoes turn deadly killing hundreds of;people and making life difficult for many more.;Volcanic eruptions pose both significant local;threats and often global concerns (e.g. climate;change). Volcanoes occur on every continent, yet;they tend to occur in tectonically predictable;settings. Less predictable, however, is the;timing and magnitude of specific volcanic;eruptions. In this course we will investigate why;volcanoes occur where they do, the type of lava;that is associated with different volcanoes and;the hazards associated with volcanic eruptions.;We will study past and present volcanoes and;volcanic eruptions as case studies. Students will;be actively involved in class presentations and;discussions and will research and write a number;of papers throughout the semester.

First-year students only, by placement.