Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis
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| End-of-course assessment | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
Volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis is one of a series of short, flexible 10-point courses introducing fascinating topics in science. If you’ve ever been intrigued or affected by volcanic eruptions, earthquakes or tsunamis and want to find out more about why they happen and what they do, then this is the course for you. It also enables you to try out an area of study before you commit yourself to a longer course, or top up your knowledge and skills between longer courses. It has a choice of start dates, and you decide how long to take over your studies: eight to ten weeks, or up to five months.
Course content
The course covers:
- the basic plate tectonic structure of the Earth and its relationship to the global distribution and types of earthquakes and volcanoes
- the factors contributing to the origin and styles of eruption of magma from volcanoes
- the hazards posed to humans and the environment as a whole by volcanic eruptions, and the extent to which risk can realistically be mitigated
- the nature of ground motion during earthquakes, the hazards posed thereby, and ways to reduce vulnerability to earthquake damage
- the nature of tsunamis and the volcanic, seismic and other events that can trigger them
- the nature and outcome of some notable historic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis, and methods to predict and monitor these phenomena.
The course is based around two books – a specially written OU study book and Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis. There is also a DVD containing video material, and a course website that links to several hours of guided activities using volcanic, seismic and tsunami websites. These are used both to show you reports and descriptions of recent and current events, and to give you confidence in navigating a website and finding relevant information.
Entry
This course is for people who are new to the subject areas, and although a little knowledge of general science would be useful, you’ll need little more than an interest in volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis and the motivation to discover more about them. Mathematically you need only to be able to add, subtract, multiply and divide simple numbers. To cope with the printed material, you should be able to understand in outline the sort of articles printed in ‘quality’ newspapers, and you should be able to write your thoughts down comprehensibly.
You can check that you have the appropriate background by trying out the interactive quiz Are you ready for science study?
If you would like more information about the range of science short courses available you can visit the science short courses website. This site includes a frequently asked questions section and throughout the year details of special regional events are posted here.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
This is an optional course in our:
It can also count as 10 points towards an Open University bachelors degree. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Some of the printed course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the course material can be provided on request. Other alternative formats of the course materials may be available in the future. If you have severely impaired sight you may find the course challenging, as it relies heavily on coloured images. You will need to make considerable use of a personal computer. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting your needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Two books (OU study book and Teach Yourself Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Tsunamis), study guide, course DVD, maths skills ebook, website.
You will need
A basic scientific calculator.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Study support
You can telephone or email a study adviser, who will be able to help you with academic questions to do with the course and the assessment. There will also be an online discussion forum that you can use to get in touch with study advisers and other students.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your end-of-course assessment (ECA).
For each course presentation there is a choice of two alternative dates by which you have to submit the single piece of written work for assessment: February course start completes end of April or end of July; May start completes end of July or end of October; September start completes end of October or end of January; November start completes end of January or end of April.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The course starts in February, May, September and November of each year.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
About this page
An undergraduate course in Science.
Study explained
- Course
- - a module of study that can count towards a qualification.
- Credit points
- - show how much study is required to complete a course or qualification. One credit point represents roughly 10 hours of study.
- Level
- - indicates how difficult a course is. Undergraduate study starts at Level 1.
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about studying with the OU.
Student Reviews
A wonderful course and very interesting. With both books for reference, I enjoyed this course and was happy with my ...
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I studied S104 prior to S186 which meant I really enjoyed it. All of the short courses seem to skip ...
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