This is an archived handbook for a previous year. The current undergraduate and postgraduate handbooks can be viewed using the links above.
Undergraduate Handbook 2025-2026 (archived)
Module GEOL1081: Further Mathematics for Geoscientists
Department: Earth Sciences
GEOL1081: Further Mathematics for Geoscientists
| Type | Level | Credits | Availability | Module Cap | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tied | 1 | 20 | Available in 2025/2026 | Durham |
Tied To
- CFG0: Natural Sciences
- F600: Geology
- F630: Environmental Geosciences
- F643: Geoscience
- F644: Earth Sciences
- F645: Climate Science
- F665: Geophysics
- F800: Geography
- FGC0: Natural Sciences
Pre-requisites
- Mathematics A level at grade B or above, or a comparable qualification in Mathematics.
Corequisites
- None.
Excluded Combinations
- NOT available to students who are taking any Level 1 module in Mathematics.
Aims
- To ensure that Level 1 students on degree programmes in Earth Sciences, and especially Geophysics, have an adequate background in mathematics and can apply their mathematical knowledge to the solution of problems in geosciences.
Content
- Differential and integral calculus;
- Linear differential equations of first and second order;
- Elementary partial differential equations;
- Vector products;
- Line, surface and volume integrals;
- Spherical polar coordinates;
- Taylor's series and Maclaurin's series;
- Fourier series;
- Matrices.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge
- Students should acquire ability in the basic mathematical techniques required for to tackle applications of mathematics taught on degree programmes in Earth Sciences at Levels 2 and 3.
Subject-specific Skills
- These applications involve differention and integration, solution of differential equations, manipulation of vectors, transformation between Cartesian and spherical polar coordinates, solution of simultaneous equations, and spectral analysis.
Key Skills
- Solve numerical problems using computer or non-computer techniques.
Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module
- The module is delivered through lectures .
- Summative assessment is 100% based on a 2-hour written examination.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | 1 per week | 3 hour | 60 | Yes |
| Preparation and Reading | 140 | ||||
| Total | 200 | ||||
Summative Assessment
| Component | Component Weighting | Element | Length/Duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examination | 100% | On Campus Written Examination | 2 hours | 100% |
Formative Assessment
Class tests.
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.