Introduction to Seismology
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this graduate level course on seismology and the use of seismic waves to study Earth's interior. Lecture notes and problem sets cover elastic wave propagation in layered media, the physics behind seismic sources, and the techniques seismologists use to interpret recorded ground motion. Topics include body waves, surface waves, wave reflection and refraction at layer boundaries, and how travel times and waveforms reveal the structure of the crust, mantle, and core. The course assumes prior exposure to physics and mathematics at an advanced undergraduate level. As with other MIT OCW offerings, materials are free to access under a Creative Commons license, with no certificate offered. It suits students or self-learners wanting a rigorous, quantitative grounding in how seismic data is gathered and turned into models of Earth's interior.