THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2020/2021

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : School of Geosciences : Earth Science

Undergraduate Course: Earth Science Fundamentals for Geophysicists (EASC08022)

Course Outline
SchoolSchool of Geosciences CollegeCollege of Science and Engineering
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) AvailabilityAvailable to all students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryTHIS COURSE IS AVAILABLE FOR SECOND YEAR DIRECT ENTRY GEOPHYSICS STUDENTS ONLY

This course takes the most essential material from the Earth Dynamics and Introduction to Geophysics courses, compulsory courses for those on the 4 year undergraduate geophysics degrees, sufficient to allow students to take Global Tectonics and the Rock Cycle, Physics of the Earth, and Structural Analysis of Rocks and Regions, subsequently, and hence courses for which they are pre-requisites.
Course description Syllabus
Lectures:
Earth formation, composition and age: 1 lecture
Seismology (including earthquakes) and Earth¿s internal structure: 4 lectures
Plate tectonics: 2 lectures
Gravity: 2 lectures
Geomagnetism: 1 lecture
Igneous and metamorphic rocks and processes: 3 lectures
Deformation (faulting and folding, stress and strain): 1 lecture
Geological resources: 1 lecture

Tutorial:
Maps practical exercise (week 6)

IT exercises:
Web based Virtual Fieldtrip ¿ accessed via Learn; to be completed before 1st field trip
Introduction to Holyrood Park ¿ Learn exercise to be completed before 2nd field trip

Field trips:
Saturday OR Sunday end of Week 2. FIELD TRIP 1: PEASE BAY & SICCAR POINT.
Meet at Appleton Tower, ready to depart at 09:30, return ca. 17:00. ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY.
FIELD TRIP 2: Saturday OR Sunday end of Week 5. FIELD TRIP 2: Holyrood Park / Salisbury Crags / Arthur¿s Seat
Meet at 09:00 sharp at the grassy parkland area near the roundabout just inside from the St Leonards /
Pollock Halls entrance to Holyrood Park. Field trip ends at approximately 12:30. ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY

Practicals:
Assay of the Earth - Earth materials and Composition (week 1)
Aspects of the motion of lithospheric plates (week 3)
¿Be a seismologist¿ (week 4)
Pentland Fault gravity interpretation (week 6)
Salisbury Crags exercise; Salisbury Crags dolerite under the microscope; Top-ten silicate minerals. (week 7)


Further course information can be found at the following links:
https://path.is.ed.ac.uk/courses/EASC080022_SV1_SEM1
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Students MUST NOT also be taking Earth Dynamics (EASC08001) AND Introduction to Geophysics (EASC08008)
Other requirements None
Additional Costs None
Information for Visiting Students
Pre-requisitesMathematics and Physics at a level suitable for University entrance to study Physics.
High Demand Course? Yes
Course Delivery Information
Not being delivered
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. demonstrate a broad understanding of key, defining geological concepts and theories: the internal divisions of the Earth and its dynamic evolution via plate tectonic processes; the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks; the mechanisms by which rocks deform and break at depth in the Earth; and the dynamic geological settings in which these processes operate
  2. demonstrate an overview of the physical processes operating within the Earth, and understand the principles of some of the geophysical techniques by which this information is derived
  3. demonstrate an understanding of the basics of geological and geophysical fieldwork, keeping a field notebook, and laboratory and computer practical work
  4. demonstrate skills in writing a scientific report, including references to previous work.
  5. manage their time effectively and work both independently and with others during practical sessions.
Reading List
Marshak, S (2008) Earth: Portrait of a Planet.
(International Student Edition) (Norton Publishing Co.).
ISBN 0-393-93036-X
Smith, GA & Pun, A (2006): How Does Earth Work?
(Pearson Prentice-Hall), ISBN 0-13-034129-0 and ISBN
0-13-186-747-4.
Grotzinger, J, Jordan, TH, Press, F & Siever, R
(2007): Understanding Earth (5th edition) (WH
Freeman). ISBN 0-7167-6682-5.
Lowrie, W (2007) Fundamentals of Geophysics
(Cambridge University Press)
Stacey, FM & Davies, PM (2008) Physics of the Earth
(CUP, 4th edition)
Christiansen, EH & Hamblin, WK Dynamic Earth - An introduction to Physical Geology
(Jones & Bartlett Learning)
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Fieldwork; IT skills; practical work
Additional Class Delivery Information 2 x 1 hr lectures per week, and 1 weekly practical for 6 weeks (five with the Earth Dynamics practical class).
KeywordsEarth structure,Earth composition,rocks,plate tectonics,geophysical techniques,geological maps
Contacts
Course organiserProf Kathy Whaler
Tel: (0131 6)50 4904
Email: Kathy.Whaler@ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Katerina Sykioti
Tel: (0131 6)50 5430
Email: Katerina.Sykioti@ed.ac.uk
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