Undergraduate Course: Structural Geology and Tectonics (EASC09062)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | Structural Geology and Tectonics (SGT) explores the principles and processes governing rock deformation across scales, from microstructures to regional tectonics. Through a combination of lectures, practical sessions, and student-led exercises, students will develop foundational skills in recording, representing, and analysing structural data. The course is organized into three sections, covering fundamental structural geology concepts, the mechanisms of rock deformation, and the application of these principles to different tectonic settings. Practical exercises emphasize the use of traditional methods, and introduces modern tools, to analyse data from diverse tectonic environments. By the end of the course, students will be able to synthesize multi-scale geological observations and apply their understanding to tectonic problems, preparing them for advanced studies and research in Earth Sciences. |
| Course description |
Structural Geology and Tectonics (SGT) is delivered over ten weeks and arranged around three sections that form an introduction to structural geology, rock deformation, and major tectonic settings. SGT highlights how structural geology and tectonics link to other Earth sciences disciplines and the societal interfaces with the deforming planet. The course is designed to transition from a traditional teacher-led format of lectures and practicals, providing students with the fundamental principles of structural geology, towards student-led learning through exercises that allow them to apply their knowledge and integrate multi-scale observations to understand the geology of regions. Practicals will focus on key skills used in the analysis of tectonic data from deformed rocks and regions, and plate tectonics with an emphasis on working with maps and cross sections, as well as rock specimen, outcrop data, and geophysical data. Emphasis will be placed on combining information from different sources and scales.
The three sections of the course are:
Section1 (Weeks 1-2) - Fundamentals of Structural Geology: This section of the course will introduce students to the fundamental concepts of structural geology. First, students will understand how structural data is recorded, represented, and analysed. Then, students will be introduced to the mathematics that quantify deformation, and the forces responsible for that deformation.
L1: Structural geology, maps, and stereonets
L2: Stress
L3: Finite strain and strain analysis
L4: Incremental strain
P1: Representation of data in structural geology
P2: Stress, strain, and strain analysis
Section 2 (Weeks 3-6) - Deformation in Rocks: This section of the course will address how and why rocks deform, and how that
deformation is expressed from the micro- to regional-scale. This section is structured by the mechanisms by which deformation occurs.
L5: Rheology
L6: Brittle failure and fracture
L7: Faults
L8: Folds and boudins
L9: Foliations and lineations
L10: Deformation at the microscale
L11: Shear zones 1
L12: Shear zones 2
P3: Strength and stress in the lithosphere
P4: Mohr¿s circles
P5: Stereographic analysis of folds
P6: Microstructures
Section 3 (Weeks 7-10) - Structural Geology in Context: Each week of this section is dedicated to a particular tectonic setting. The settings are introduced by pairing case studies on deformational events from the geological record with studies from actively deforming regions on the planet. In that way, students will combine different kinds of information and data, and practice thinking about how the past informs the present and vice versa. The case studies are chosen so that in sum, they represent all important deformation processes and styles, excellent (teaching) material is available to allow for a true multi-scale and integrated assessment using a wide range of data. L13: Convergent tectonic settings 1
L14: Convergent tectonic settings 2
L15: Divergent tectonic settings 1
L16: Divergent tectonic settings 2
L17: Conservative tectonic settings 1
L18: Conservative tectonic settings 2
L19: Planetary tectonics 1
L20: Planetary tectonics 2
P7: Bringing it all together: Analysing geological maps
P8: Coursework preparation 1
P9: Coursework preparation 2
P10: Coursework Submission
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | At the discretion of the CO. |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 20,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 30,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
146 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
50 %,
Coursework
50 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework (50%):
Assessed through an independently produced, professional oral presentation, where students explore research questions on any topic within the course.
Students will be provided with guidance during tutorial sessions as they choose their topic. Marking will reward students who produce original analysis and/or representation of structural and geospatial datasets, and who are able to relate the geological record of deformation to the fundamental forces and deformation processes that occur during tectonism.
Exam (On Campus) (50%):
Assessed through a 2-hour examination.
Part A (40 mins) will assess practical skills. Part B (1 hr 20 mins) will provide a choice of 4 theory questions: the students must answer 2 of the 4 questions.
GenAI Policy for assessments:
Assessment: Oral Presentation: No AI
To pass the course students will be required to;
Achieve an overall course mark of 40% or higher
|
| Feedback |
Students will be given feedback in weekly practicals and tutorials, including formative assessment. Additionally, students will be set short, multiple choice quizzes each week that they will receive immediate feedback from. These quizzes will be used to guide the content of tutorial sessions. Later, as students prepare their independent presentations, they will receive progress feedback from the course team during tutorials. |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Structural Geology and Tectonics (EASC09062) | 120 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Independently recognize and quantitatively describe deformed rocks and tectonic structures.
- Explain the links between stress, the response of geological materials, and the geological record of rock deformation at all scales.
- Record, represent, and analyse structural and geospatial datasets using a range of techniques for data visualisation and interpretation.
- Critically evaluate, synthesize, and present the tectonic history of an area through the integrated use of maps and cross-sections, outcrop data, hand-specimen, thin-sections, and geophysical data.
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Reading List
Course textbooks will include a range of research papers and selected text book chapters. Key textbook reading will be selected from:
Structural Geology by Haakon Fossen (2016)
Structural Geology Algorithms by Richard Allmendinger et al. (2011)
Global Tectonics by Phillip Kearey et al. (2009)
All software used within the course is freely and openly available. Many of these software packages will already be familiar to the students from earlier data analysis courses. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
The course builds on skills and knowledge acquired in Rock-forming Processes and other courses across the Earth Science, Geophysics, and ESPG degree programmes: Geology and Landscapes, Earth Materials, Introduction to Geophysics, and Field Skills for Earth Sciences (and Physical Geography).
It consolidates and expands on the following aspects:
By integrating spatial and temporal information, SGT trains 3D/4D visualisation and thinking.
The complex coupling of processes across length scales leads to a multi-scale understanding of global tectonics.
By working with real-life data from past and active tectonic settings, students will train in model building from limited datasets and abstraction.
The complex data analysed develops pattern-recognition skills.
Our limited and incomplete means to document and describe the record of rock deformation will develop students skills in dealing with uncertainties.
Consolidate and advance quantitative data analysis skills.
Through its delivery, SGT will furthermore consolidate a range of transferable skills, including independent research, critical thinking, synthesizing information from different sources and presentation skills. |
| Keywords | structural geology,tectonics,rock deformation |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Auriol Rae
Tel:
Email: auriol.rae@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr Johan De Klerk
Tel: (0131 6)50 7010
Email: johan.deklerk@ed.ac.uk |
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