Geology

ACTIVE STREAM

Explore the Earth. Plate tectonics, mineralogy, and seismic analysis.

Projects

1

Project 1: The Seismic Detective

Become a seismologist. Learn to locate earthquakes and calculate their magnitude using real physics.

1.1 Seismic Waves

1.1.1 P-Waves vs. S-Waves1.1.2 Travel Time Curves1.1.3 Triangulation Logic1.1.4 Magnitude1.1.5 Energy Release

1.2 Earth's Interior

1.2.1 Seismic Tomography1.2.2 Shadow Zones1.2.3 The Moho1.2.4 Core-Mantle Boundary1.2.5 The Inner Core

1.3 Seismic Hazard Analysis

1.3.1 Gutenberg-Richter Law1.3.2 Peak Ground Acceleration1.3.3 Seismic Risk Map1.3.4 Return Periods1.3.5 Building Codes

1.4 Advanced Seismology

1.4.1 Moment Tensors1.4.2 Focal Mechanisms1.4.3 Stress Drop1.4.4 Rupture Velocity1.4.5 Capstone: Global Network

1.5 Capstone: Earthquake Locator

1.5.1 The Setup1.5.2 Convert Time to Distance1.5.3 Grid Search1.5.4 Refining the Search1.5.5 Final Report
2

Project 2: The Reservoir Hunter

Find the oil (or water). Analyze rock properties and calculate reserves.

2.1 Rock Properties

2.1.1 Porosity2.1.2 Permeability2.1.3 Saturation2.1.4 Capillary Pressure2.1.5 Compressibility

2.2 Fluid Dynamics

2.2.1 Darcy\2.2.2 Viscosity2.2.3 Reynolds Number2.2.4 Radial Flow2.2.5 Skin Factor

2.3 Enhanced Oil Recovery

2.3.1 Waterflooding2.3.2 Displacement Efficiency2.3.3 Mobility Ratio2.3.4 CO2 Injection2.3.5 Thermal Recovery

2.4 Reservoir Simulation

2.4.1 Discretization2.4.2 Material Balance2.4.3 Time Stepping2.4.4 Well Models2.4.5 History Matching

2.5 Capstone: Reserve Estimation

2.5.1 The Volumetric Method2.5.2 Calculate OOIP2.5.3 Recovery Factor2.5.4 Economic Value2.5.5 Monte Carlo Simulation
3

Project 3: The Volcano Monitor

Predict the eruption. Analyze ground deformation, seismic swarms, and gas emissions.

3.1 Magma Physics

3.1.1 Viscosity3.1.2 Gas Expansion3.1.3 Buoyancy3.1.4 Flow Rate3.1.5 Cooling Time

3.2 Volcanic Hazards

3.2.1 Ash Fall3.2.2 Pyroclastic Flows3.2.3 Lahars3.2.4 Lava Flows3.2.5 Gas Emissions

3.3 Monitoring Techniques

3.3.1 InSAR3.3.2 GPS Monitoring3.3.3 Thermal Imaging3.3.4 Infrasound3.3.5 Gravity Changes

3.4 Planetary Volcanism

3.4.1 Olympus Mons (Mars)3.4.2 Io (Jupiter)3.4.3 Venusian Domes3.4.4 Cryovolcanism (Enceladus)3.4.5 Lunar Maria

3.5 Capstone: Eruption Forecast

3.5.1 Monitoring Data3.5.2 RSAM Analysis3.5.3 Mogi Model3.5.4 Failure Forecast3.5.5 Alert Level
4

Project 4: The Plate Tectonics Simulator

Move the continents. Model plate boundaries, isostasy, and mountain building.

4.1 Plate Kinematics

4.1.1 Continental Drift4.1.2 Euler Poles4.1.3 Divergent Boundary4.1.4 Convergent Boundary4.1.5 Transform Boundary

4.2 Contaminant Transport

4.2.1 Advection4.2.2 Dispersion4.2.3 Retardation4.2.4 Decay4.2.5 Plume Modeling

4.3 Well Hydraulics

4.3.1 Theis Equation4.3.2 Cooper-Jacob4.3.3 Cone of Depression4.3.4 Well Interference4.3.5 Aquifer Testing

4.4 Groundwater Modeling

4.4.1 Finite Difference4.4.2 Boundary Conditions4.4.3 Recharge4.4.4 Calibration4.4.5 Sustainable Yield

4.5 Capstone: Continental Collision

4.5.1 Isostasy4.5.2 Crustal Thickening4.5.3 Erosion4.5.4 Thermal Subsidence4.5.5 The Wilson Cycle
5

Project 5: The Groundwater Guardian

Protect the water supply. Model aquifers, flow nets, and contaminant plumes.

5.1 Hydrogeology Basics

5.1.1 Aquifers5.1.2 Hydraulic Head5.1.3 Darcy Law 2D5.1.4 Contaminant Transport5.1.5 Retardation

5.2 Optical Mineralogy

5.2.1 Refractive Index5.2.2 Snell\5.2.3 Birefringence5.2.4 Interference Colors5.2.5 Pleochroism

5.3 Geochemistry

5.3.1 Stoichiometry5.3.2 Solid Solution5.3.3 Partition Coefficients5.3.4 Phase Diagrams5.3.5 Isotope Geochemistry

5.4 Economic Geology

5.4.1 Ore Grades5.4.2 Cut-off Grade5.4.3 Resource Estimation5.4.4 Net Smelter Return5.4.5 Mine Life

5.5 Capstone: Plume Tracker

5.5.1 The Leak5.5.2 Advection5.5.3 Dispersion5.5.4 Concentration Map5.5.5 Remediation
6

Project 6: The Mineral ID AI

Teach a computer to be a geologist. Use Machine Learning to identify minerals.

6.1 Mineral Data

6.1.1 Crystal Systems6.1.2 Physical Properties6.1.3 Optical Properties6.1.4 Decision Logic6.1.5 Feature Vectors

6.2 Ice Cores

6.2.1 Isotope Thermometry6.2.2 Gas Trapping6.2.3 Dust Records6.2.4 Dating Ice6.2.5 Volcanic Markers

6.3 Milankovitch Cycles

6.3.1 Eccentricity6.3.2 Obliquity6.3.3 Precession6.3.4 Insolation6.3.5 Glacial Cycles

6.4 Carbon Cycle

6.4.1 Reservoirs6.4.2 Fluxes6.4.3 Residence Time6.4.4 Ocean Acidification6.4.5 Feedback Loops

6.5 Capstone: Mineral Classifier

6.5.1 K-Nearest Neighbors6.5.2 Finding Neighbors6.5.3 Normalization6.5.4 Accuracy Testing6.5.5 The Mineral Bot
7

Project 7: The Mars Rover Geologist

Explore the Red Planet. Analyze craters, spectra, and plan rover paths.

7.1 Planetary Geology

7.1.1 Crater Counting7.1.2 Spectroscopy7.1.3 Stratigraphy7.1.4 Rover Pathing7.1.5 Solar Power

7.2 Atmospheric Entry

7.2.1 Entry Interface7.2.2 Heat Shield7.2.3 Parachute Deployment7.2.4 Sky Crane7.2.5 Touchdown

7.3 Rover Power

7.3.1 Solar Insolation7.3.2 Dust Accumulation7.3.3 RTG Decay7.3.4 Battery Management7.3.5 Power Budget

7.4 Sample Return

7.4.1 Sample Caching7.4.2 Fetch Rover7.4.3 Mars Ascent Vehicle7.4.4 Orbit Rendezvous7.4.5 Earth Return

7.5 Capstone: Landing Site

7.5.1 Site Selection7.5.2 Landing Ellipse7.5.3 Traverse Plan7.5.4 Sample Collection7.5.5 Phone Home
8

Project 8: The Paleoclimate Time Machine

Travel back in time. Decode ice cores and reconstruct Earth's climate history.

8.1 Climate Proxies

8.1.1 Oxygen Isotopes8.1.2 Milankovitch Cycles8.1.3 The Carbon Cycle8.1.4 Sea Level Change8.1.5 Albedo Feedback

8.2 Taphonomy

8.2.1 Preservation Potential8.2.2 Scavenging8.2.3 Diagenesis8.2.4 Fossilization Modes8.2.5 Lagerstätten

8.3 Biostratigraphy

8.3.1 Index Fossils8.3.2 Range Zones8.3.3 Correlation8.3.4 Faunal Succession8.3.5 Graphic Correlation

8.4 Paleoecology

8.4.1 Food Webs8.4.2 Predator-Prey Ratios8.4.3 Functional Morphology8.4.4 Trace Fossils8.4.5 Mass Extinctions

8.5 Capstone: The Last Ice Age

8.5.1 The LGM8.5.2 Deglaciation8.5.3 The Younger Dryas8.5.4 The Anthropocene8.5.5 Future Projection
9

Project 9: The Geothermal Power Plant

Harness the Earth's heat. Design a geothermal power plant and optimize energy production.

9.1 Geothermics

9.1.1 Geothermal Gradient9.1.2 Heat Conduction9.1.3 Stored Heat9.1.4 Carnot Efficiency9.1.5 Flow Rate

9.2 Geothermal Exploration

9.2.1 Resistivity Surveys9.2.2 Gravity Anomalies9.2.3 Geochemical Thermometers9.2.4 Heat Flow Mapping9.2.5 Drilling Targets

9.3 Reservoir Engineering

9.3.1 Injectivity Index9.3.2 Enthalpy9.3.3 Steam Quality9.3.4 Scaling9.3.5 Tracer Tests

9.4 Direct Use

9.4.1 District Heating9.4.2 Greenhouses9.4.3 Aquaculture9.4.4 Industrial Drying9.4.5 Heat Pumps

9.5 Capstone: Plant Optimization

9.5.1 Site Survey9.5.2 Drilling Cost9.5.3 Power Potential9.5.4 ROI Analysis9.5.5 Lifetime Decay
10

Project 10: The Asteroid Impact Modeler

Simulate a planetary catastrophe. Model impact energy, crater formation, and environmental effects.

10.1 Impact Physics

10.1.1 Kinetic Energy10.1.2 Crater Scaling10.1.3 Ejecta Curtains10.1.4 Airblast10.1.5 Thermal Radiation

10.2 Tsunami Generation

10.2.1 Wave Height10.2.2 Propagation Speed10.2.3 Shoaling10.2.4 Run-up10.2.5 Impact Location

10.3 Seismic Effects

10.3.1 Magnitude Calculation10.3.2 Antipodal Focusing10.3.3 Landslides10.3.4 Liquefaction10.3.5 Global Quakes

10.4 Long-term Climate

10.4.1 Acid Rain10.4.2 Ozone Depletion10.4.3 Greenhouse Effect10.4.4 Ocean Acidification10.4.5 Evolutionary Reset

10.5 Capstone: Chicxulub

10.5.1 The Dinosaur Killer10.5.2 Global Effects10.5.3 Recovery Time10.5.4 Extinction10.5.5 The Aftermath

Total Projects

10

Estimated Time

40+ hrs

Difficulty Range

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

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