Physics of the Earth's Interior

The course unit aims to deepen the knowledge of the physical mechanisms that regulate the dynamics of the deformation processes involving the crust-mantle system at small and large spatial and temporal scales. Particular attention is devoted to the comprehension of the constitutive equations and to the acquisition of the ability to physically model the deformation for a variety of geodynamic processes through the integration of the balance equations (conservation of mass, momentum and energy) and the constitutive equations.

Knowledge of the rheological properties of the Earth's interior; knowledge of the physical laws that govern the processes that take place at different scales in our Planet; knowledge of the principles of diffusion and dislocation theories and understanding of the main deformation mechanisms in the crust and in the mantle; ability to solve a complex problem using appropriate mathematical tools.