William Menke
Professor of Geological Sciences
My Policies on Grading and Other Student Matters

My Mentoring Statement


Course List

Basics of Inversion

I first taught this four lecture minicourse on Inverse Theory at U. Alaska Firbanks in 2009. Course Material includes lectures and MatLab scripts.

Solid Earth Dynamics

This is a course on introductory geophysics, stressing the use of symple quantitative models to understand the Earth's heat flow, gravity, seismology, geomagnetism, etc. I taught this course in 2023, filling in for Meredith Nettles (who was on sabbatical leave). lectures.

Computaionl Earth Science

This course teaches how to model dynamical earth systems using Python. Examples of such system include planetary orbits, global warming, cooling of the solid Earth, seismic rays, turbulence and convection. I taught this course in 2023, filling in for Kerry Key (who has left the university). Lectures and Python code.

Dynamics of the Earth System

This is a course on how to model the behavior of earth and environmental system, including atmospheric circulation, the cooling of the solid earth, the transport of pollution by wind, etc. I have not taught this course recently; its been more or less discontinued. (Class notes).

Energy Resources

(normally Is a course taught by Dr. Abbott; I have just filled in occasionally. It covers the basics of where the world gets its energy. (Energy Resource Web Pages).

Environmental Data Analysis

This undergraduate course teaches how to make useful scientific inferences from reams of raw data. (Class notes).

Environmental Hazards and Disasters

Hazards covered by this course include earthquakes, volcanos, floods, meteor impacts, etc. I have taught it jointly with Dr. Klaus Jacob of LDEO. Some course material here

Frontiers of Science

I am a secion instructor for this required undergaduate science survey course. Course Material

Geophysical Inverse Theory

This course on the application of inverse theory to geophysical problems uses the text and associated lecture series of my book Geophysical Data Analysis: Discrete Inverse Theory, MATLAB edition

Glacial Geomrphology

A descriptive course on glaciers, glacial landforms and their geology Course Material. I acknowledge the efforts of Dr Carly Peltier, who designed the original course. My version follows Carly's syllabus in broad, but with all new lecttures and "Group Projects" (labs).

Introduction to Seismology

This undergraduate course covers methods of observational seismology, including: learning to read seismograms to using them to study earthquakes and the faulting process, as well as the internal structure of the earth. Course material

Practical Seismology

Seminar on Practical Seismology Course Material

Solid Earth System

Part of the 3 semester Environmental Science coure curriculum called "The Earth System". Course Material

Quantitative Methods of Data Analysis

Data Analysis for Earth and Climate Sciences. Doug martinson and I teach this course on alternate years. My version of the course now uses the test and associated lecture series of my and Josh Menke's text, Environmental Data Analysis with MatLab. An older lecture set is (here). A new lecture set is (here).