Undergraduate Course: Field Course in Integrated Marine and Terrestrial Geosciences (EASC09064)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 9 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | ****** This course is ONLY open to 3rd-year Environmental Geoscience students ******
This course is based on a 10 day trip conducted over 2 weeks (5 days/week) to a location in Scotland which is to be announced at the start of the course.
The course begins with several introductory lectures and students' completing background reading and a literature review. Marine field studies include freshwater ecology and geomorphology, surface water processes and water quality analysis. Terrestrial studies include the impact of surrounding land-use and geological processes on soil and water quality; river and groundwater sampling trips will be undertaken to investigate. Together these will provide insights on the natural and anthropogenic factors controlling surface water and groundwater composition, and impacts of land use on water quality.
Field course locations may change for a variety of reasons, including security risks, increased costs or inability to access field locations. Any changes to the main destinations of the field course will be announced as soon as possible. |
| Course description |
Background information and instructions for coursework and field trips are presented, along with extensive reading lists, during three introductory lectures at the start of semester 2 (dates TBA). There is also a tutorial to provide training in software that will later be used in the field. Students then conduct independent reading and prepare a literature review on a topic related to the location, to be submitted prior to the field trip on week 5 to permit sufficient time for preparation and for marking and feedback prior to the field trip. The field trip takes place during a two-week period, near the end of and/or shortly after semester 2.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 21 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 3,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 8,
Fieldwork Hours 70,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 3,
Summative Assessment Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
111 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Coursework: 100%«br /»
Assessment is based on:«br /»
- A literature review (20%, length: 1000 words) completed prior to the field trip on a topic related to the location. A list of topics to choose from will be circulated at the start of the semester and due on week 5.«br /»
- Hydrographic and ecological survey field report (40%, length: 1500 words) due at the end of the trip«br /»
- Terrestrial and water geochemistry field report (40%, length: 1500 words) due at the end of the trip«br /»
Details of the assessments will be given at the start of the semester. «br /»
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| Feedback |
Feedback will be provide throughout the course prior to the submission of the 2 field reports. The literature review assessment in week 5 ensures that students will receive detailed feedback prior to embarking on the field work. Further feedback will be provided to students based on formative (non-graded) presentations prepared and delivered during the field course, as well throughout the 10 day trip while working directly with the teaching staff. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Analyse and evaluate the integrated processes linking terrestrial, marine, and groundwater environments.
- Evaluate the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors on environmental systems, and interpret their impacts on ecosystem structure, function, and water quality.
- Communicate scientific information effectively through clear, evidence-based oral presentations tailored to scientific audiences.
- Apply field and laboratory methodologies to collect and analyse high-quality environmental and biological datasets using appropriate statistical methods, and interpret the results to draw scientifically supported conclusions.
- Assess water quality using standard environmental monitoring techniques and evaluate the reliability and quality of environmental data using appropriate quality assurance and statistical approaches.
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Reading List
| Seed reading lists will be provided at introductory lectures. A core part of the course is an independent literature search in preparation for assessed reviews and fieldtrip reports. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Marine,terrestrial,field course,water quality,environmental processes |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Ian Molnar
Tel:
Email: Ian.Molnar@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Rebecca Steele
Tel:
Email: Rebecca.Steele@ed.ac.uk |
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