Nishant Prakash

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Prof. Matt Wilson

Writing 2
6 December 2015
Understanding how our Earth works is a matter of life and death. Yet, people still live
near or at risk of being hit by another disaster. We have the means to learn and understand these
disasters on a deeper level, and possibly mitigate the destruction. But we need to become active
in the discussions that strive to understand the past in order to reduce the damage in the future.
The field of Earth Sciences aims to do just that. This is a discourse community with two sub
communities, that have the same goal, but come at different stages of activism and understanding
within Earth Science. Due to the complexity of the Earth Sciences, breaking into the community,
appears to be a difficult process. This perception tends to deter many to the field, but it is not that
difficult to participate as an initiate. Having been an initiate, I can testify that becoming a part of
the community through the UCSB class Geological Catastrophes was not difficult.
As an undergrad student, looking at an Earth Science class may seem intimidating. This
becomes apparent if you look at the main genre of the discourse community, the peer reviewed
article. In my participation of the Earth Sciences I have read, Sediment provenance and controls
on slip propagation: Lessons learned from the 2011 Tohoku and other great earthquakes of the
subducting northwest Pacific plate. Notice that the article is very specific isolated to a single
event. The goal in this is to understand deeper aspects of this one event to better understand
similar events. The central idea is the authors claim, We believe that the seamounts incoming on
the oceanic plate to the south and southeast of the Tohoku rupture zone interfere with longdistance propagation of slip in the pelagic clay, limiting earthquake magnitude, shallow slip, and
tsunami generation. (Moore 1). This claim does not mean much to an initiate. This is because
the language of the claim does not take into account the level of the initiates experience. These

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articles operate on the assumption that the readers are experienced enough in the field to not
require detailed guidance through the article. This convention that hinders the initiates ability to
understand, is what makes initiates shy away. But really these initiates need not fear the article.
The paper has a basic structure, with an abstract, then an introduction, method, data, analyses,
discussion and conclusion, in that order. By following this, an initiate can actually comprehend
the basics of the paper, as it follows a logical order. In order for the initiate to be able to
understand and utilize these conventions they require a method of breaking into the community.
After a foundation is set, the initiate will be able to be part of the genre discussion, without
needing to be a full expert.
The best way to break into a community is through a class. In my experience I broke in
through my Geological Catastrophes class, taught by Matthew Jackson. The main genre of the
class is the textbook, in this case it is Kellers Natural Hazards. The text for the class is a very
guided reading. It utilizes a bottom-up structure to guide the student. It begins with a section
begging the question, why? It immediately calls into question the purpose of the reading, to
establish a valid cause for the student to continue. This structure allows for the student to develop
a scientifically geared mind. At the same time that they are learning critical thinking, the student
still needs some hand holding in the process.
Textbooks are structured so that an initiate with minimal background knowledge can
follow the paper. Take the chapter on Earthquakes. The textbook will not just launch right into
earthquakes as if the reader immediately knows all the essentials of the topic. Instead they start
with basic plate tectonic theory, a more general concept. Once understanding of that is
established, the text moves into how this relates to earthquakes. Working with this, but separate
from the standard section of text are the frequent understanding checks. At the end of Chapter

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one, section four Fundamental Concepts for Understand Natural Processes as Hazards, there is
a reading check. This is essentially a small quiz to highlight what the reader needs to know.
These include Describe the five fundamental concepts, a very direct, one answer question, to
Explain what is meant by the magnitude-frequency concept, a check on understanding, that is
more interpretative, making the student recall and actively work to understand a core concept
(Keller 24). Each chapter is also concluded with a Concepts in Review, a few pages that are
dedicated to summing up each section of the chapter with only key information. A huge
convention of the textbook genre is the intentional repetition of what the authors believe to be
most important. Terms are bolded, italicized, and reviewed multiple times.
Another convention is the use of tables or visual organizers to easier express connected
topics, with descriptions to demonstrate ideas without being mired in language. Take the process
of explaining the evidence for the previous existence of Pangea. Using just words to explain
proof of continental drift is inefficient for a student. Keller uses two images, with details
indicating movement of separate landmasses over time. The image presented with a passage that
references the image. In this case the caption directs the reader to Notice that the arrows are all
pointing away from ocean sources. Also these areas are close to where the tropics are today,
where glaciation would have been unlikely in the past. These Paleozoic glacial deposits were
formed when Pangea was a supercontinent before fragmentation by continental drift. (Keller
45), without an image the author would have to waste time, and space attempting to the picture
to the reader and would take away from the main point, in this case, glacial evidence for
Pangeas existence. With the clear importance of the textbook, it would not be as effective
without the lecture aspect.

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Matthew Jackson runs a presentation based lecture. He uses a PowerPoint slideshow to
guide his teachings. In class he works to have the students buy into his rhetoric. He does not need
to harp on ethos, because his status as an expert in the community gives him credibility. He does
need to use logos to have the students accept his points. He does so by asking small questions to
lead the groups thinking. For example, when investigating the causes of asthenosphere melting at
subduction zones, he did not immediately ask why water can cause rock to melt easier. Who has
thought about that? When is that a common occurrence in a students world. He leans into the
this by asking, why do we salt icy roads. Many students this is done because it lowers melting
point. This helps the students apply the same logic to the more apparently complex situation,
wherein the sub ducted water lowers melting point of the asthenosphere. This guided learning is
omnipresent in his class room. In terms of pathos, the class itself is an exercise in emotional
rhetoric. Going back to the basis of the class is the idea that we learn about the past to predict the
future. Understanding how geological catastrophes function, can allow people to live safely in
the presence of such hazards. This is presented to the class when Jackson plays videos of
disasters happening, and displays statistics of the damage caused by such disasters. Overall
Jackson uses his credibility, guided logic, and emotional impact of the subject to have students
easily buy into the fields rhetoric.
Though daunting at first, the Earth Science community at UCSB is welcoming to early
initiates. The textbook is clear, and uses a guided reading to establish the base concepts that hold
true as the fundamentals of the Earth Science community. Along with it, the Matt Jackson is able
to lead his class with convincing rhetoric. His arguments hold strong credibility, clear logic, and
a strong emotional component, bringing the student into the community. After the class, I can be
confident that I can, participate in the community.

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Works Cited
Keller, Edward A., and Robert H. Blodgett. Natural Hazards: Earth's Processes as Hazards, Disasters,
and Catastrophes. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2006. Print.
Moore, J. C., T. A. Plank, F. M. Chester, P. J. Polissar, and H. M. Savage. "Sediment Provenance and
Controls on Slip Propagation: Lessons Learned from the 2011 Tohoku and Other Great
Earthquakes of the Subducting Northwest Pacific Plate." Geosphere (2015): n. pag. Web.