Fall 2025 - Volcanoes and Society GEOG370 (listed also as GEOS370) (normally taught odd years)
Instructor - Professor Jeff Johnson
Website - http://tinyurl.com/geos370
Capacity - 20
Credit - 3 units
Time - 3:00 to 4:15 Tu/Thurs
Location - Riverfront Hall Room 206
Required Text - (ESW) Eruptions that Shook the World (Clive Oppenheimer; 2011) available at Amazon (hardcopy or electronic)
Description from Course Catalog: Impact of volcanic eruptions on human societies in the past and ways that potentially dangerous volcanoes are being studied and monitored today. Aimed at teachers and others interested in the topic; no background in geology is required. May be taken for GEOG or GEOS credit, but not both.
Course Overview: This class is an intersection between geology and geography, cartography, social science, and numeracy. Math will be basic, but will include unit and scientific notation competency. Primary topics will include volcano hazard maps and volcano case studies including eruptive chronologies and impacts on society. By mid-semester students will have picked a volcano they wish to study in detail and produce maps (including 3D models) during the second half of the semester. A final project will be a 15-minute presentation during the last week of class, just after Thanksgiving Break. There will be no final exam, but there will be a midterm (end of September) and a series of homework assignments that begin in class.
Grading/Assessment:
(20%) participation attendance - attend 90% of classes to get full credit
(15%) in-class, open-book/notes mid-term on volcanology, geography, and maps (tentatively scheduled for early October)
(15%) final (oral) project presentation (volcano hazard/impact case study). More information will be updated at FINAL_PROJECT page.
(50%) assignments (start in class and finish on your own)
map exercise (10%)
3D volcano print exercise (10%)
synopsis of three fictional films #1 (10%)
synopsis of three documentary films #2 (10%)
volcano earthquakes exercise (10%)
Extra Help and "Teaching Assistant"
I'm available for extra help in person and virtually. My office is ERB3157. Extra help for material related to volcanology is sometimes available at the GEO Learning Hub calendar link: