Study-Unit Description

Study-Unit Description


CODE EMP1021

 
TITLE Fundamentals of Earth Physics

 
UM LEVEL 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course

 
MQF LEVEL 5

 
ECTS CREDITS 4

 
DEPARTMENT Environmental Management and Planning

 
DESCRIPTION This study-unit will focus on the geophysical principles necessary for Earth Systems science. Planet Earth will first be considered in the context of the wider solar system, and its characteristics will be compared to those of both inner and outer planets. The unit will provide an understanding of planetary motion, the Earth's gravitational and magnetic fields, seismology, Earth’s internal structure, thermal properties, notions of geological time and the age of the Earth, applying Newton's laws of motion, circular motion and Kepler's laws.

Study-unit Aims:

The aim of this study-unit is to:

- Consolidate the students' previous exposure to basic physics through providing provide the students with a fundamental understanding of how the physical Earth works;
- Expose the students to problem solving related to the physical properties of the Earth.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Knowledge & Understanding:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Describe quantitatively the motion of the earth as a planet in the solar system, applying Newton's laws of motion, circulation motion and Kepler's laws;
- Describe and explain the earth’s gravity field and its various levels of approximation and anomalies;
- Give an account of the earth’s internal structure and the mathematical/geophysical tools that are used to study it, including basic principles of wave propagation;
- Give an account of the earth’s magnetic field and its origins;
- Discuss the earth’s age and its thermal properties and the relationship between them.

2. Skills:

By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to:

- Identify the physical laws that apply to a number of situations involving various regions of the Earth;
- Solve simple physical problems related to different regions and physical processes of the Earth;
- Discuss a variety of properties, processes and dynamic features that are characteristic of the Earth;
- Discuss the impacts on, and interaction of such processes with the environment and society, from the point of view of the laws and constraints of physics.

Main Text/s and any supplementary readings:

Main Texts:

- Lowrie, W. 2013. Fundamentals of Geophysics. Second Edition. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zürich. ISBN-13 978-0-521-67596-3. Available: http://www.geokniga.org/bookfiles/geokniga-lowrie-w-fundamentals-geophysics-book-draft-cup-2007384s.pdf

Supplementary Readings :

- Fowler, CMR. 2004. The Solid Earth: An Introduction to Global Geophysics. Cambridge Press. ISBN: 978-0521893077.
- Davidson, J.P. Reed, W. E. & Davis, P. M. 2001. Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology. Prentice-Hall. 2nd Edition. ISBN: 978-013-0183-729.

 
STUDY-UNIT TYPE Lecture

 
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment Component/s Assessment Due Sept. Asst Session Weighting
Assignment SEM2 Yes 30%
Classwork SEM2 Yes 30%
Examination (1 Hour) SEM2 Yes 40%

 
LECTURER/S Matthew R Agius

 

 
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints.
Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice.
It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years.

https://www.um.edu.mt/course/studyunit