Geology

Course summary

Students will learn to develop their knowledge and understanding by studying: •Rock types, geological structures, the geological time scale, the rock cycle and plate tectonics as the fundamental principles of Geology •Observational, practical, modelling and problem-solving skills, both in the laboratory and in the field including those required in understanding 3D data 1) Rock exposures contain evidence of how rocks were formed and subsequently deformed: Students will study minerals as the fundamental component of the three rocks groups; igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. Fossil content of sedimentary rocks will be explored, as will the deformational structures of folds and faults which result from stresses within the Earth’s crust. 2) Major concepts and techniques underpin our current understanding of the Earth and its history: This idea enables students to demonstrate an understanding of the ‘big ideas’ in Geology. These being the rock cycle, plate tectonics, the geological time scale, global climate and sea level change and the origin and development of life on Earth. 3) Comparisons of the Earth with other planetary bodies within the solar system provide evidence for the origin and evolution of both: This idea enables the candidates to appreciate the links between the natural processes on Earth and those on other planetary bodies within the Solar System. 4) Human interaction with the Earth can increase or reduce risk: This idea enables candidates to appreciate the cause and effect of human interactions with the natural environment.