This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2010-2011 (archived)
Module GEOL3041: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
Department: Earth Sciences
GEOL3041: ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 3 | 20 | Available in 2010/2011 | None. | Durham |
Pre-requisites
- Water and Climate (GEOL2171) OR AS level Chemistry or higher qualification.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- None.
Aims
- To understand the behaviour of pollutants in the environment.
Content
- Introduction to Pollution.
- How common pollutants move through the environment.
- Water chemistry.
- Pollution science and remediation.
- Waste and water management.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- To explain the processes controlling pollutant movement in the environment.
- To apply principles to range of common pollutant problems.
- and develop thinking on methods for tackling and remediation of environmental problems.
Subject-specific Skills
- Will have acquired intellectual and practical skills to synthesise information/data from a variety of sources.
Key Skills
- Receive and respond to a variety of information sources.
- Solve numerical problems using computer or non-computer techniques.
- Use the internet critically as a means of communication and a source of information.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The module is delivered through a mix of flexible three-hour sessions comprising a mix of lecture and two-hour practical slots, plus site visits and project work supported by handouts, directed reading and web-based assignments.
- The practicals form an important component of the module allowing "hands on" learning and experience.
- Guidance on preparation, key and exam skills are provided.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | Weekly | 1 Hour | 20 | Yes |
| Tutorials | 1 | 1 Hour | 1 | Yes | |
| Practicals | 40 | Yes | |||
| Preparation and Reading | 139 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 60% | two-hour unseen written examination | 100% | ||
| Continual Assessment | 40% | practical report 1 | 33% | ||
| practical report 2 | 33% | ||||
| web based essay | 34% |
Formative Assessment
Example exam questions based on practical exercises.
Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods
and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative
assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress
procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be
required to leave the University.