Geology

Course summary

Geology is the study of the Earth, using scientific principles and methods derived from each of the ‘core’ sciences and geography. The course provides a knowledge and understanding of the processes that formed and shaped our planet; how the climate and life evolved and diversified; how continents move creating earthquakes and volcanic activity, and how geology influences our everyday lives. The content comprises of: - Elements, minerals, and rocks; including the study of meteorites, the chemical and structural makeup of minerals, and the diagnostic properties of rocks, including what they tell us about the Earth and its history. - Earth's structure; including the layered nature of our planet and the processes acting within it. - Global tectonics; how plate tectonic theory was developed and the nature of plate boundaries, including the analysis of earthquakes. - Surface processes and sedimentary rocks; including the studies of past environments and processes of diagenesis in the subsurface. - Internal processes, igneous and metamorphic rocks; unraveling the processes of magma formation and volcanic activity together with rock metamorphism. - Earth evolution; through studies of fossils (including dinosaurs) and radiometric dating, related to climate change, sea level changes, and mass extinctions. - Earth materials and resources; as an overview of the source and location of economic geological resources including water, oil and gas, and metallic minerals, together with engineering geology. - Geohazards; investigating potential hazards from the natural world, including earthquakes and geotechnics.