GEOL111-09S1 (C) Semester One 2009

Planet Earth: An Introduction to Geology

18 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 23 February 2009
End Date: Sunday, 28 June 2009
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 8 March 2009
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 24 May 2009

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.

Course Content:This course deals with the composition and structure of Planet Earth and the geological processes which have shaped its surface.  

The lecture course includes an overview of plate tectonics, showing how many features of the Earth's surface are directly, or indirectly, a result of plate tectonics. The course covers minerals and rocks, volcanoes and other igneous processes, sedimentary processes, and resources such as coal, oil, water found in sedimentary sequences, and metamorphism.  

Practical work includes the study and recognition of common minerals and rocks in hand specimen and a one-day field trip to examine the volcanic geology of the Port Hills.

What the course entails:
Taught only in first semester, three lectures and one practical class per week plus one one-day field trip. A fee ($25) will be charged at enrolment for field trip transport. The Port Hills trip is an integral part of the course and is provisionally set  for either Saturday 21 or Sunday 22 March 2009.

What you need for this course:
Just enthusiasm and interest! This introductory course is suitable for students with no previous experience in geology or other science subjects.

What this course gets you into:
Recommended preparation for GEOL112 Understanding Earth History and all 200 level Geology courses.

Learning Outcomes

Students successfully completing this course will:
* Have 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.

A student will:
* Know the general classification of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks;
* Examine geological samples, identify them accurately and draw simple geological inferences;
* Understand the relationship between laboratory and field observations;
* Relate laboratory samples to actual field occurrences;
* Understand how geological observations are made in the field at a number of scales and how these can be integrated into a geological story.

Restrictions

Timetable Note

There is no practical class in the first week of teaching but lectures start on Tuesday 24 February 2009.

Course Coordinator / Lecturer

Jim Cole

Lecturers

Steve Weaver and Jamie Shulmeister

Lab Coordinator

Kate Pedley

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Short answer test 28 Apr 2009 15% Short question and answer written test in normal lecture time
Practical test 35% Practical test of mineral and rock identification and geological relationships (Week 12 in scheduled practical class) Monday test date to be advised.
Final examination 50% Final examination

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Marshak, Stephen; Earth : portrait of a planet ; 3rd ed; W.W. Norton, 2008.

Monroe, James S. , Wicander, Reed, Hazlett, Richard W; Physical geology : exploring the Earth ; 6th ed. ; Thomson Brooks/Cole, 2007.

Course links

Library portal

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $770.00

International fee $3,415.00

* 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 Geological Sciences .

All GEOL111 Occurrences

  • GEOL111-09S1 (C) Semester One 2009