Undergraduate Course: Introduction to the Geological Record (EASC08017)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course is ONLY available to students taking:
GEOLOGY BSc AND MEarthSci
GEOLOGY AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY BSc & MEarthSci
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOSCIENCE BSc
GEOPHYSICS & GEOLOGY BSc
PRIMARY EDUCATION WITH EARTH SCIENCES MA (Hons)
Compulsory fieldtrip to the Lake District on EITHER 4-10 April OR 23 - 29 May '16. Students will be allocated onto one of these trips in Semester 1. Antipated costs of the trip are around £150.
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| Course description |
The course will teach 3D mapping and cross-section skills, as well as 4D-thinking abilities - areas highlighted by both a recent external Teaching Quality Assurance (TQA) and Industry as being a vital skill. These will be taught via integration of maps with rock identification in a way not previously achieved. The course will also introduce the application of online digital databases (BGS and USGS maps; Digital Elevation Models; radar interferometry; remote sensing; imagery) in solving global geological problems. The course will logically follow the core course Earth Dynamics (Semester 1), and prepare students for mapping fieldwork at the beginning of year 2.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Earth Dynamics (EASC08001)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | £150 for residential fieldtrip. |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2017/18, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 90 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 16,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 20,
Fieldwork Hours 50,
Summative Assessment Hours 3,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
107 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
40 %,
Coursework
60 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Exam: students will annotate a geological map and produce a cross-section and a geological history in three hours (50 % map + cross-section, 50 % geological history).
Course work: two practicals will be assessed, representing 10 % of the final mark each; students will hand in the material they produced at the end of the practical. The material produced during the Lake District trip will represent 40 % of the final mark.
To pass the course, students need to obtain at least 40% FOR BOTH COURSEWORK AND EXAM. |
| Feedback |
Students will have the opportunity to receive feedback in the following instances:
Personal 1-to-1 feedback during the practicals, as students progress on the exercises (once a week); feedback will be provided by demonstrators and teaching staff.
Feedback on exam map practice during Innovative Learning Week: students will complete a cross-section on previous year¿s exam map under the guidance of teaching staff and demonstrators. The cross-section will then be marked and feedback provided.
Personal 1-to-1 feedback during the Lake District field trip as students progress on producing the material that will ultimately be assessed (notebook, map, cross-sections); feedback will be provided by demonstrators and teaching staff.
Examples of feedback can be found here: http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/geosciences/teaching-organisation/staff/feedback-and-marking
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| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Introduction to the Geological Record | 3:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | Introduction to the Geological Record | 3:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Knowledge of applied techniques that are necessary to understand and interpret the Earth's surface as expressed in maps and other 2/3D data.
- Knowledge of the fundamentals of the analysis and critical interpretation of geological maps. Ability to evaluate geological maps and the history they record.
- Ability to apply field mapping skills in diverse geological settings.
- Knowledge of the modern remote sensing techniques that can be used to complement the geological information recorded at the surface of the Earth.
- Basic understanding of how the combination of geological surface data and remotely sensed data can be used to reconstruct the subsurface and assess hazard (earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides).
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Reading List
All the books suggested in the "Earth Dynamics" booklet would be useful here. Please find below a few additional books which specifically cover the material presented in IGR. Each of these books costs around £20 but they will be available at the library.
Bennison, G.M. An Introduction to Geological Structures and Maps. Hodder Education. ISBN: 978-1444112122. Packed with useful basic information and exercises.
Coe, A.L. Geological Field Techniques. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN: 978-1444330625.
Nicely illustrated book containing all you need to know to undertake fieldwork:
- step-by-step guides to essential practical skills such as using a compass-clinometer, making a geological map and drawing a field sketch;
- tricks of the trade, checklists, flow charts and short worked examples;
- over 200 illustrations of a wide range of field notes, maps and geological features;
- appendices with the commonly used rock description and classification diagrams.
The "Geological Society of London Handbook Series":
- McClay, K.R. The Mapping of Geological Structures. ISBN: 978-0471932437.
- Thorpe, R. and Brown, G. The Field Description of Igneous Rocks. ISBN: 978-0471932758.
- Fry, N. The Field Description of Metamorphic Rocks. ISBN: 978-0471932215.
To complement the series with Sedimentary Rocks:
Stow, D.A.V. Sedimentary Rocks in the Field: A Colour Guide. ISBN: 978-1874545699.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
2 x 1 hour lecture and 1 x 2 hour practical per week |
| Keywords | IGR |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Kate Saunders
Tel: (0131 6)50 2544
Email: Cinzia.Discolo@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Nicola Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: |
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