When natural disasters such as the earthquake in Nepal strike, many people turn to Wikipedia to learn about the science behind them. Students in Dr. Melissa Driskell’s Geotectonics course at the University of North Alabama have contributed their knowledge on that topic to Wikipedia this term.
Student editors in that class have transformed this start-class article into a rich breakdown of how the Japan Median Tectonic Line affects various areas of Japan.
The article on fracture zones was one paragraph; it’s now four sections with five detailed examples, supported by eight sources.
The superswell article (on areas with high topography and shallow ocean regions), was a stub with one reference; it’s now five sections with six references.
Finally, an article on Birch’s law was a stub with little more than the theorem; it now includes sections on applications, shortcomings, experiments, and a table to determine the theorem’s impact on rocks found throughout the world.
Thank you to Dr. Driskell and her student editors for sharing that knowledge!
