Earth's Interior (a.k.a Introduction to Geophysics)
This class offfers an introduction to the main concepts of geophysics. Using day-to-day examples, students from various backgrounds learn about simple, physics-based tools that are used in Earth Science.
No specific pre-requisites other than algebra and basic calculus are required. Mind refereshers are included in the class and problem sets to cover any necessary tools.
Here are sample material from the last time I TA'ed a similar course at Northwestern:
The smartphone array experiment. We recorded a seismic section using a phone array (for more detail, see here).
Course Syllabus (PDF)
Class Handout (PDF)
Problem Sets:
Problem Set #0: Introduction
Problem Set #1: Gravity
Problem Set #2: Seismology
Problem Set #3: Seismology & Thermodynamics
Problem Set #4: Radioactivity
Problem Set #5: Conservation of Momentum
Problem Set #6: Heat
Problem Set #7: Plate Tectonics
Labs:
Lab #0: Problem Solving Techniques & EXCEL, Accuracy & Precision, and Unit Conversion
Lab #1: Measuring the Acceleration Due to Gravity
Lab #2: Seismic Waves
Lab #3: Minerals and Earth Layers
Lab #4: An Investigation of Meteorites
Lab #5: Tectonics and Sea Floor Spreading / Handout A / Handout B
Lab #6: Heat
Sample Tests:
Test #1 (midterm)
Test #2 (final)
Files:
The g record for the elevator problem: CSV
The seismic record for the December 8, 2016 California earthquake: XY
An example of recorded data from the smart phone array experiment (lab 2): XY
Videos:
The smart phone array experiment:
Seismicity of the World/Plate Tectonics:
Convection Cell: Effect of Viscosity