Course Catalogue

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Geology is the study of our planet, Earth. Earthquakes, volcanoes, climate, rivers, glaciers and life have all shaped the Earth during its 4.5 billion year history. We will examine these processes with examples from around the globe and you will get to explore the intricate and beautiful world of rocks, minerals and fossils. Scotland has some of the most diverse and accessible geology in the World, and you will see many examples in our classes. By the end of the course you should have achieved the basic skills to start exploring geology yourself.

Block 1

2 hours per week for 10 weeks

Wednesdays, 19.30-21.30 

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Reassessments are normally available for all courses, except those which contribute to the Honours classification. For non-Honours courses, students are offered reassessment in all or any of the components of assessment if the satisfactory (threshold) grade for the overall course is not achieved at the first attempt. This is normally grade D3 for undergraduate students and grade C3 for postgraduate students. Exceptionally it may not be possible to offer reassessment of some coursework items, in which case the mark achieved at the first attempt will be counted towards the final course grade. Any such exceptions for this course are described below. 

The aims of this course are to:

■ Promote the significance of geology in science, society and culture

■ Introduce the principles of geological investigation 

■ Develop skills in investigation of minerals, rocks, geological maps and fossils

■ Survey the internal structure of the Earth

■ Introduce the Theory of Plate Tectonics and the causes of earthquakes, volcanism and continental drift 

■ Introduce the processes responsible for the formation of rocks and rock structures 

■ Introduce the major types of fossils and evidence for the history of life

■ Promote appreciation of geological time and methods for reconstructing geological histories

■ Briefly survey the geology and geological history of Scotland

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Explain the significance of geology in science, society and culture.

■ Apply the principles of geological investigation in simple scenarios.

■ Describe and name specimens of common minerals, rocks and fossils.

■ Describe the structure and composition of the Earth's deep interior.

■ Explain the Theory of Plate Tectonics, its causes and consequences.

■ Describe the processes responsible for the formation of common rocks and structures.

■ Determine the sub-surface geological structure from simple geological maps.

■ Classify specimens of fossils, interpret their mode of life and explain how they were preserved.

■ Name the major divisions of the geological time-scale.

■ State a general outline of the geology of Scotland.

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