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GEOL1101: Understanding Earth Sciences

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Type	Open
Level	1
Credits	20
Availability	Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap
Location	Durham
Department	Earth Sciences

Prerequisites

None.

Corequisites

None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

None.

Aims

Introduce the following fundamental subject areas within Earth Sciences: petrology, sedimentology, structural geology and palaeontology.
Introduce a systems approach to thinking about Earth features.
Show how Earth Sciences understanding for individuals, and a community, is derived from research processes.

Content

A first term focusing on treating the Earth as a system, whole Earth composition and scientific reasoning.
A second term focusing on Earth history and life.
An introduction to scientific writing skills.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

Petrology: understand the principles of melt generation/magmatism and of metamorphic reactions and assemblages. Relationships to chemical cycling and crustal growth.
Sedimentology: processes of erosion, sediment transport and deposition. Main sedimentary rock associations. Principles of sedimentology (logging, facies analysis, sequence stratigraphy etc). Relationships to climate, tectonics and evolution.
Structural geology and tectonics: main structural features of the continents and oceans and techniques for their analysis. Relationships to plate tectonic cycles and global and regional climate.
Palaeontology: understanding fossils and evolution. Relationships to tectonic and climatic drivers.

Subject-specific Skills:

Understanding of research methodologies in Earth Sciences, and an appreciation of the specific research foci in Durham Earth Sciences.

Key Skills:

Analysis of quantitative and qualitative data sets.
Inter-relation of different branches of science.
Writing skills.
Identifying and avoiding plagiarism.
Use and misuse of generative AI.
Finding, accessing and citing scientific literature.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

Lectures. Practical classes to expand on concepts introduced in lectures.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Activity	Number	Frequency	Duration	Total	Monitored
Lectures	20	1 per week	1 hour	20	Yes
Practicals	20	1 per week	2 hours	40	Yes
Preparation and Reading				140
Total				200

Summative Assessment

Component: Examination		Component Weighting: 50%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Two-hour unseen written examination		100

Component: Practical Assessment		Component Weighting: 50%
Element	Length / Duration	Element Weighting	Resit Opportunity
Two-hour unseen practical test		100

Formative Assessment

Discussion and feedback at every class meeting. Exercises similar to practical examination questions.

More information

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