Active Stream

Geology

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

Total Projects

Estimated Time

40+ Hours

Difficulty

Intermediate to Advanced

Curriculum

Project 1

Project 1: The Seismic Detective

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

Project 2

Project 2: The Reservoir Hunter

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

2.1 Rock Properties

2.1.1 Porosity 2.1.2 Permeability 2.1.3 Saturation 2.1.4 Capillary Pressure 2.1.5 Compressibility

2.2 Fluid Dynamics

2.2.1 Darcy\2.2.2 Viscosity 2.2.3 Reynolds Number 2.2.4 Radial Flow 2.2.5 Skin Factor

2.3 Enhanced Oil Recovery

2.3.1 Waterflooding 2.3.2 Displacement Efficiency 2.3.3 Mobility Ratio 2.3.4 CO2 Injection 2.3.5 Thermal Recovery

2.4 Reservoir Simulation

2.4.1 Discretization 2.4.2 Material Balance 2.4.3 Time Stepping 2.4.4 Well Models 2.4.5 History Matching

2.5 Capstone: Reserve Estimation

2.5.1 The Volumetric Method 2.5.2 Calculate OOIP 2.5.3 Recovery Factor 2.5.4 Economic Value 2.5.5 Monte Carlo Simulation

Project 3

Project 3: The Volcano Monitor

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

3.1 Magma Physics

3.1.1 Viscosity 3.1.2 Gas Expansion 3.1.3 Buoyancy 3.1.4 Flow Rate 3.1.5 Cooling Time

3.2 Volcanic Hazards

3.2.1 Ash Fall 3.2.2 Pyroclastic Flows 3.2.3 Lahars 3.2.4 Lava Flows 3.2.5 Gas Emissions

3.3 Monitoring Techniques

3.3.1 InSAR 3.3.2 GPS Monitoring 3.3.3 Thermal Imaging 3.3.4 Infrasound 3.3.5 Gravity Changes

3.4 Planetary Volcanism

3.4.1 Olympus Mons (Mars)3.4.2 Io (Jupiter)3.4.3 Venusian Domes 3.4.4 Cryovolcanism (Enceladus)3.4.5 Lunar Maria

3.5 Capstone: Eruption Forecast

3.5.1 Monitoring Data 3.5.2 RSAM Analysis 3.5.3 Mogi Model 3.5.4 Failure Forecast 3.5.5 Alert Level

Project 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 Drift 4.1.2 Euler Poles 4.1.3 Divergent Boundary 4.1.4 Convergent Boundary 4.1.5 Transform Boundary

4.2 Contaminant Transport

4.2.1 Advection 4.2.2 Dispersion 4.2.3 Retardation 4.2.4 Decay 4.2.5 Plume Modeling

4.3 Well Hydraulics

4.3.1 Theis Equation 4.3.2 Cooper-Jacob 4.3.3 Cone of Depression 4.3.4 Well Interference 4.3.5 Aquifer Testing

4.4 Groundwater Modeling

4.4.1 Finite Difference 4.4.2 Boundary Conditions 4.4.3 Recharge 4.4.4 Calibration 4.4.5 Sustainable Yield

4.5 Capstone: Continental Collision

4.5.1 Isostasy 4.5.2 Crustal Thickening 4.5.3 Erosion 4.5.4 Thermal Subsidence 4.5.5 The Wilson Cycle

Project 5

Project 5: The Groundwater Guardian

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

5.1 Hydrogeology Basics

5.1.1 Aquifers 5.1.2 Hydraulic Head 5.1.3 Darcy Law 2D 5.1.4 Contaminant Transport 5.1.5 Retardation

5.2 Optical Mineralogy

5.2.1 Refractive Index 5.2.2 Snell\5.2.3 Birefringence 5.2.4 Interference Colors 5.2.5 Pleochroism

5.3 Geochemistry

5.3.1 Stoichiometry 5.3.2 Solid Solution 5.3.3 Partition Coefficients 5.3.4 Phase Diagrams 5.3.5 Isotope Geochemistry

5.4 Economic Geology

5.4.1 Ore Grades 5.4.2 Cut-off Grade 5.4.3 Resource Estimation 5.4.4 Net Smelter Return 5.4.5 Mine Life

5.5 Capstone: Plume Tracker

5.5.1 The Leak 5.5.2 Advection 5.5.3 Dispersion 5.5.4 Concentration Map 5.5.5 Remediation

Project 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 Systems 6.1.2 Physical Properties 6.1.3 Optical Properties 6.1.4 Decision Logic 6.1.5 Feature Vectors

6.2 Ice Cores

6.2.1 Isotope Thermometry 6.2.2 Gas Trapping 6.2.3 Dust Records 6.2.4 Dating Ice 6.2.5 Volcanic Markers

6.3 Milankovitch Cycles

6.3.1 Eccentricity 6.3.2 Obliquity 6.3.3 Precession 6.3.4 Insolation 6.3.5 Glacial Cycles

6.4 Carbon Cycle

6.4.1 Reservoirs 6.4.2 Fluxes 6.4.3 Residence Time 6.4.4 Ocean Acidification 6.4.5 Feedback Loops

6.5 Capstone: Mineral Classifier

6.5.1 K-Nearest Neighbors 6.5.2 Finding Neighbors 6.5.3 Normalization 6.5.4 Accuracy Testing 6.5.5 The Mineral Bot

Project 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 Counting 7.1.2 Spectroscopy 7.1.3 Stratigraphy 7.1.4 Rover Pathing 7.1.5 Solar Power

7.2 Atmospheric Entry

7.2.1 Entry Interface 7.2.2 Heat Shield 7.2.3 Parachute Deployment 7.2.4 Sky Crane 7.2.5 Touchdown

7.3 Rover Power

7.3.1 Solar Insolation 7.3.2 Dust Accumulation 7.3.3 RTG Decay 7.3.4 Battery Management 7.3.5 Power Budget

7.4 Sample Return

7.4.1 Sample Caching 7.4.2 Fetch Rover 7.4.3 Mars Ascent Vehicle 7.4.4 Orbit Rendezvous 7.4.5 Earth Return

7.5 Capstone: Landing Site

7.5.1 Site Selection 7.5.2 Landing Ellipse 7.5.3 Traverse Plan 7.5.4 Sample Collection 7.5.5 Phone Home

Project 8

Project 8: The Paleoclimate Time Machine

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

Project 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 Gradient 9.1.2 Heat Conduction 9.1.3 Stored Heat 9.1.4 Carnot Efficiency 9.1.5 Flow Rate

9.2 Geothermal Exploration

9.2.1 Resistivity Surveys 9.2.2 Gravity Anomalies 9.2.3 Geochemical Thermometers 9.2.4 Heat Flow Mapping 9.2.5 Drilling Targets

9.3 Reservoir Engineering

9.3.1 Injectivity Index 9.3.2 Enthalpy 9.3.3 Steam Quality 9.3.4 Scaling 9.3.5 Tracer Tests

9.4 Direct Use

9.4.1 District Heating 9.4.2 Greenhouses 9.4.3 Aquaculture 9.4.4 Industrial Drying 9.4.5 Heat Pumps

9.5 Capstone: Plant Optimization

9.5.1 Site Survey 9.5.2 Drilling Cost 9.5.3 Power Potential 9.5.4 ROI Analysis 9.5.5 Lifetime Decay

Project 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 Energy 10.1.2 Crater Scaling 10.1.3 Ejecta Curtains 10.1.4 Airblast 10.1.5 Thermal Radiation

10.2 Tsunami Generation

10.2.1 Wave Height 10.2.2 Propagation Speed 10.2.3 Shoaling 10.2.4 Run-up 10.2.5 Impact Location

10.3 Seismic Effects

10.3.1 Magnitude Calculation 10.3.2 Antipodal Focusing 10.3.3 Landslides 10.3.4 Liquefaction 10.3.5 Global Quakes

10.4 Long-term Climate

10.4.1 Acid Rain 10.4.2 Ozone Depletion 10.4.3 Greenhouse Effect 10.4.4 Ocean Acidification 10.4.5 Evolutionary Reset

10.5 Capstone: Chicxulub

10.5.1 The Dinosaur Killer 10.5.2 Global Effects 10.5.3 Recovery Time 10.5.4 Extinction 10.5.5 The Aftermath