Undergraduate Course: Environmental Techniques and Applications (EASC09045)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 10 |
| Home subject area | Earth Science |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This will introduce you to the application of some of the modern Laboratory analytical techniques used in Environmental Geoscience. The course provides hands-on training in key analytical methods, data interpretation, researching literature, and scientific reporting of results. The techniques will be demonstrated in laboratory sessions and you will gain experience by applying the techniques to a suite of sediment samples. The analyses will form the basis of an independent Laboratory Project Report. The report should include a full environmental interpretation of the results modelled after a scientific paper with an outline of the methods employed and assessment of data quality where applicable. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed
Oceanography (EASC08004)
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Class Delivery Information |
Practical classes are on Tuesdays and Thursdays (Weeks 1-4) between 09:00 and 12:00.
There is also a Computer Workshop on Tuesday and Thursday in Week 5 between 09:00 and 12:00. |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2015 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Lecture Hours 3,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 8,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 27,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 6,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
54 )
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| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Students taking this course will develop a thorough understanding and hands on experience of modern laboratory techniques.
2. Students will receive hands-on training in key analytical methods, data interpretation and the scientific reporting of results.
3. Students will be given the opportunity to use the techniques to analyse a suite of sediment samples.
4. The students will summarise their critical understanding of these techniques and the data generated in the form of an independent scientific report which include a full environmental interpretation of the results. |
Assessment Information
Written Exam: 0%, Course Work: 100 %, Practical Exam: 0%.
The course is assessed solely through an independent project report. The project report should not exceed 2,000 words +/- 10% (excluding the appendices, figure captions, & list of references). The report should be written independently by each student. The assessment will be mainly based on the scientific contents with some weight to the report presentation and lab notebook. Marks for scientific content are based on your knowledge and how you have used this knowledge to retrieve information from the data, how you have assembled the information into coherent arguments and forge conclusions.
In addition, the insights you express through noting the limitation of the data and the unknowns in the interpretations will be also used in the evaluation. We will also judge your ability to use appropriate plots and viewgraphs in sythesising data and illustrating your conclusions. Generic skills of report writing abilities, logical structuring (paragraphs & order) and flow of the text and the quality of plots and view graphs are all judged in presentation. |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Replaces EASC09012 |
| Syllabus |
Laboratory Analytical Techniques used in the past years include the following:
CN-elemental analysis and mass spectrometry;
Coulometry (Calcium carbonate);
Grain size analysis;
X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF);
X-ray diffraction Analysis (XRD); and
Salt titration. |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Detailed reading list will be provided through LEARN. These include book chapters and papers providing relevant information on the study area, the interpretation of geochemical data as well as examples of data interpretation. |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | ETA_Environmental Techniques & Applications |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Raja Ganeshram
Tel: (0131 6)50 7364
Email: R.Ganeshram@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Ken O'Neill
Tel: (0131 6)50 8510
Email: koneill3@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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