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An outline of the development and diversity of life on Earth, the forces controlling Earth history and the geological structure and development of New Zealand and the southwest Pacific. The course also considers the application of geological knowledge to society.
The Earth has had a continuously active history since its formation more than 4 thousand million years ago. The course will start by outlining the basic ‘rules’ of geological history that govern the relationship of different rock units in the Earth’s crust. The nature and origin of structures produced by deformation within the Earth’s crust will be explained. New Zealand’s dynamic setting astride an active plate boundary will be used to explain the relationship of structure, deformation and earthquake activity in New Zealand’s geological history. The Earth’s fossil record in sedimentary rocks documents changes in faunas and floras over time. The usefulness of fossils for dating and correlating rocks will be covered, together with the development of the Geological Time Scale. The major invertebrate and vertebrate fossil groups will be introduced and their significance in terms of the evolutionary history of life on Earth will be discussed. The relationships among tectonic, atmospheric, oceanic and biological processes will be explored along with the development of the early Earth. Practical work includes an interpretation of simple geological maps and structures; types of fossilization and examples of common invertebrate fossil groups.
The goal of the course is to introduce students to geological structures and geological time, and the interaction between tectonic, biologic and atmospheric processes in Earth history.Students successfully completing this course should have a basic understanding of:interactions between geological, biological and climatic processesthe evolution of life on Earththe major invertebrate and vertebrate fossil groupssimple geological structures and how they may be producedthe tectonic development of New Zealand.Students will be able to:read a topographic map and identify landscape features on the maps produced by different geological processesinterpret simple geological structures shown on geological maps and write a simple geological history of a mapped areaidentify common fossil invertebrates and appreciate their value in age-dating, correlation, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction.
RP: GEOL111
ENCI271
GEOL111
For further information see Geological Sciences Head of Department
Each student will have a practical test including fossil identification, mapping techniques and interpretation of a geological map during scheduled laboratory groups.
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Field TripsThere is a mandatory one day field trip to North Canterbury provisionally scheduled over the weekends of 18/19 September and 25/26 September 2010. Trip lists should be finalised by the end of the fourth week of the 3rd Term. Once students have been assigned a field trip date, they should see the laboratory tutor as soon as possible if the field trip date clashes with any pre-existing commitment. As the field trip will involve several shallow traverses of the Waipara River a change of footwear and dry socks are necessary. Health and Safety forms (issued in the practical class) should be completed and submitted before the field trip. Students are reminded that non-attendance on scheduled field trips without either prior permission from the lecturing staff or a medical certificate to explain their absence means they may be ineligible to obtain examination credit for the course
Domestic fee $650.00
International fee $3,000.00
* 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 .