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 9-15 April OR 28 May to 3 June '18. Students will be allocated onto one of these trips in Semester 1. Antipated cost of the trip is 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 | Approximately £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 (20% total); students will hand in the material they produced at the end of the practical.
¿ Three multiple choice quizzes. Two to be held randomly in any of the sixteen lectures given in this course in weeks one to nine. These quizzes will only be accessible during the lecture period that the quiz is given in, unless special circumstances are submitted. The third will be completed during the student own time between weeks one and eight. Each quiz is worth 3.333% and together 10% of the total course mark.
¿ 10% for Lake District notebook
¿ 20% for map and cross section completed during the Lake District field trip.
Students are required to attend and participate in all aspects of the programme of study, including teaching sessions, assessments and examinations. Therefore, may we please take this opportunity to remind you that all course work assignments fall under the same rules as examinations. If you miss an assessed piece of coursework for any reason, you will need to submit special circumstances via your PT and/or Student Support Coordinator. Therefore please do check the timetable carefully. Assessed practical will not be rearranged on a bespoke basis for individual students, unless special circumstances are submitted and approved. The University expect all student to be autonomous learners and active participants in their own education.
To pass the course, students need to obtain at least 40% FOR BOTH COURSEWORK AND EXAM. If they do not achieve this at the first attempt, the following will apply:
If they have failed the exam component but passed the coursework component, they will resit the exam in August.
If they have failed the coursework component but passed the exam component, their exam mark will be carried forward and they will reattempt to pass the coursework next year (they will sign up for the course as ¿coursework only¿).
If they have failed both components, they will resit the exam in August and will reattempt to pass the coursework next year.
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| 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: Kate.Saunders@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Nicola Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: Nikki.Muir@ed.ac.uk |
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