Introduction to Earth Science EARTH5018

  • Academic Session: 2023-24
  • School: School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
  • Credits: 10
  • Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 1
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes

Short Description

This course introduces students to the Earth. It explains what it is composed of, how it works and how we study it to learn more about its development. We then take this understanding and explain how we can quantify these principals so that we can model and make predictions about the Earth.

Timetable

5 weeks. 2 hours of lecture per week and 2 hours or practical per week

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

Earth1001, Earth1002

Co-requisites

N/A

Assessment

1. Topical review essay using published literature.

2. Exam based on lecture and practical content

Main Assessment In: December

Course Aims

This course aims to give students from non-earth science backgrounds a grounding in the subject. It provides a quantitative framework for understanding what the earth is made of, the processes that alter and control its development and how we have come to know this. This provides the basis for subsequent teaching on the MSc in Computational Geoscience. 

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

1. Describe Earths fundamental processes.

2. Understand Plate tectonics.

3. Understand rock forming processes. 

4. Quantitatively describe geological processes.

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.