GEOL111-17SU2 (C) Summer Nov 2017 start

Planet Earth: An Introduction to Geology

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 20 November 2017
End Date: Sunday, 17 December 2017
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 26 November 2017
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 10 December 2017

Description

A general introduction to the study of the dynamic Earth and its geology, including Earth structure and plate tectonics, volcanic activity, crystal processes and the nature of minerals and rocks.

This summer course is aimed at College of Science and College of Engineering students of any major, who have completed one year of study and are now intending to major in Geology in the College of Science. Students will also have passed either GEOL115 (or GEOL112) or GEOL113 in semester 2. It is designed to allow students to cover all of the major topics of the GEOL111 course in order to progress through to 200-level geology with all the required knowledge.  It will consist of an intensive two week course primarily taught in the field, with a morning lecture and an afternoon field exercise to introduce geology as a subject.

The lecture component will cover such topics as the Earth and its interior, an introduction to plate tectonics, igneous processes and volcanoes, sedimentary processes in marine, river and glacial environments, metamorphic processes and economic geology.  

The practical component will give hands on experience into minerals and rocks by way of studying rock outcrops in the field, how they relate to the topics discussed within the lectures and the significance of outcrop relationships in terms of geological history.

There will be a field component to Cass Field Station from 21-25 November.  There will be periods of revision and reading with tutorials during this time, leading up to the examination component which will occur at the end of the course.

Learning Outcomes

  • Goal of the Course:
    To provide a general introduction to the Earth, with an emphasis on processes and rocks found at and near the Earth’s surface.

    Learning Outcomes:
    Students successfully completing this course should:

  • Gain a general knowledge of the composition, structure and geological processes of planet Earth.
  • Understand the framework of plate tectonics
  • Appreciate the extent of geological time
  • Have a basic understanding of geological processes and their products.
  • Know the general classification of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks
  • Examine geological samples, identify them accurately and draw simple geological inferences

Restrictions

ENCI271

Timetable Note

Field Component:
2 to 3 weeks of fieldwork occurring on the Banks Peninsula and West Coast

Tutorial:
2 Tutorials in the third to fourth week of the course (exact times TBC)

Course Coordinator

Kate Pedley

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Internal Assessments 60% Internal Assessments
Final examination 40% Final examination

Textbooks / Resources

Required Texts

Marshak, Stephen,1955-; Earth : portrait of a planet ; 4th ed; W. W. Norton, 2012.

Recommended Reading

Bishop, A. C. et al; Cambridge guide to minerals, rocks and fossils ; Rev. and expanded ed; Cambridge University Press, 1999.

Kearey, P; The new Penguin dictionary of geology ; 2nd ed; Penguin, 2001.

Notes

Prerequisites:
One year of study at UC in the College of Science or College of Engineering and a B grade or higher in either GEOL115 or 113.  Students who have not passed either GEOL115 or GEOL113 should speak to the Head of Department of Geological Sciences.
This course is not intended for mid-year starting students who have only completed one semester of study.

Restrictions - GEOL111-S1, GEOL111-SU1, ENCI271

Class size - the class is restricted to 30 students in total in order to be successfully delivered in this format.

Additional Course Outline Information

Summary of the Course Content

The topics coved by this course are:
• Mineral composition of the Earth; Silicate minerals; Igneous rocks and processes; Introduction to volcanoes; Volcanoes and volcanic deposits; Intrusive igneous rocks
• Sedimentary processes and rocks – general classification and features; Weathering of rocks, sediments; Mass movement; Fluvial, glacial, aeolian, coastal and oceanic sedimentary processes and the resulting sedimentary rocks.
• Metamorphism, metamorphic rocks and economic geology; Evolution of the crust and methods of dating; Mineral resources and exploration.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $848.00

International fee $3,713.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All GEOL111 Occurrences

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