| CODE | GSC1000 | ||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Earth Science | ||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 2 | ||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Geosciences | ||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit aims to give a fundamental introduction to various physical aspects of the Solid Earth, aiming to foster an appreciation of scale in both space and time, and of the complexities of, and interactions between the various elements making up our planet. Students will first be introduced to a brief history of the formation and evolution of our planet, its age, and the methods used to date rocks, events and milestones in Earth’s history. A few lectures are dedicated to the description and classification of rocks and minerals making up the Earth. The physical and chemical compositions of the Earth and corresponding methods of investigation are treated in some detail, and finally the dynamics and related phenomena of global plate tectonics. Study-unit Aims: The study-unit aims to: - Instil in the students a deep appreciation of the processes that have combined, and still operate, to make our Earth a habitable and extremely dynamic planet. - Impart the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the earth. - Demonstrate the intricate and complex dependencies between the physical, chemical and biological processes that shape our earth. - Give a broad overview of the structure, dynamics and methods used to obtain information about the Solid Earth. - demonstrate the application of fundamental physical principles to the study of the Solid Earth. - Give students a basic understanding of surface processes on the planet, and their relationship with the interior dynamics of the earth. - Demonstrate the beauty and usefulness of modern technology and computational power in the study of the earth in ever-increasing detail. - Instil an understanding of natural hazards and their relationship with society. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe clearly the processes that have formed today’s Earth, and have a grasp of the timescales involved in cosmic and planetary processes. - Demonstrate a basic understanding of radiometric techniques, and how they are applied in the establishment of a geological timescale. - Distinguish between the various mineral groups and know which are the most important minerals in the various regions of the Earth. They will also understand the different rock types and their formation, and how these are transformed in the rock cycle. - Distinguish between various regions making up the Earth, their physical and chemical composition and the processes that they support. - Relate the observation of seismic waves to the major features of the earth’s interior, and interpret simple features of seismograms. - Understand the plate tectonic processes, and associated evidence, going on in various regions of the Earth’s surface. - Understand the basic mechanisms of earthquakes and related hazards. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Carry out guided and independent research into a number of Earth-related topics, and present results in the form of a scientific report. - Discuss a variety of properties, processes and dynamic features that are characteristic of the Earth. - Analyse and solve a number of simple problems relating to physical processes in the Earth. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: J Davidson, W Reed and K Davis (2002) Exploring Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, Prentice-Hall. F Press and R Siever, Understanding Earth (2004) W H Freeman and Company. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | This study-unit is not available for students taking B.Sc. Geoscience and Physics. | ||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture | ||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Sebastiano D'Amico |
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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. |
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