Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2024-2025
Module GEOL1111: Environmental Earth Science
Department: Earth Sciences
GEOL1111: Environmental Earth Science
| Type | Open | Level | 1 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2024/2025 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- None.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combination of Modules
- GEOL1021 Earth Materials.
Aims
- To understand the Earth’s water cycle in terms of both quantity and quality.
- To understand the composition and materials of the Earth.
- To understand the mode of formation, distribution and extraction of the Earths resources and energy.
Content
- Environmental chemistry.
- Introduction to Earth Materials
- Resources (water, fossil fuels).
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- To explain the generation, migration and extraction of hydrocarbon reserves.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in geological principles, terms, definitions and classifications.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in ecological, biological and geochemical processes and their role in shaping the Earth.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in Earths natural resources and the techniques used to locate and exploit them.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding of the Earths water cycle.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in the role of the geologist in society with regard to economic development and environmental sustainability.
Subject-specific Skills:
- Will have acquired intellectual and practical skills in order to apply geological principles and methodologies to the solution of familiar and unfamiliar problems.
- Will have acquired intellectual and practical skills to synthesise information/data from a variety of sources.
- Will have acquired intellectual and practical skills to analyse, evaluate/interpret geological data.
Key Skills:
- Critical analysis
- Research capability
- Scholarship
- Practical competency
- Independent learning
- Numeracy
- IT skills
- Information skills
- Literacy
- Innovation and creativity
- Time management
- Continuing personal development
- Commercial awareness
- Environmental awareness
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 one-hour lectures and two-hour practicals, supported by handouts and web-based background reading and other materials held on ULTRA.
- The practicals form an important component of the module allowing hands-on learning and experience of tackling and solving graphical-based problems that help re-enforce key concepts introduced during lectures.
- Summative assessment comprises poster presentation based on web-research, practical write up, and resource projects.
- Formative assessment is provided in practical SAQ's and revision sessions
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 20 | ■ |
| Practicals | 20 | 1 per week | 2 hours | 40 | ■ |
| Preparation and reading | 140 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 60% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| two hour unseen written examination | 100% | ||
| Component: Coursework | Component Weighting: 40% | ||
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Continual Assessment 1 | 50% | ||
| Continual Assessment 2 | 50% | ||
Formative Assessment:
Formative assessments delivered through practicals.
■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University