Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2026-2027
Module GEOL1161: Environment and Sustainability
Department: Earth Sciences
GEOL1161: Environment and Sustainability
| Type | Open | Level | 1 | Credits | 20 | Availability | Available in 2026/2027 | Module Cap | Location | Durham |
|---|
Prerequisites
- None
Corequisites
- None
Excluded Combination of Modules
- None
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 Earth’s resources and energy.
- To introduce global issues and concepts around environmental sustainability in the context of climate change.
Content
- Introduction to hydrology.
- Introduction to oceanography.
- Resources for a net zero world and the energy transition.
- Introduction to our natural and anthropogenic environments in the context of a changing climate.
- United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Learning Outcomes
Subject-specific Knowledge:
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding of the Earth’s water cycle and our natural and anthropogenic environments.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in ecological, biological and geochemical processes and their role in shaping the Earth and environment, in the context of sustainability and climate change.
- To explain the generation and responsible development of natural resources and the energy transition.
- Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in the role of the geologist and environmental scientist 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 and environmental 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 and environmental data.
Key Skills:
- Critical analysis
- Research capability
- Scholarship and literacy
- Practical competency
- Independent learning
- Numeracy
- IT skills
- Innovation and creativity
- Time management
- Continuing personal development
- Commercial and 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 online material and other resources held on Blackboard
- 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 comprising of a task-based analytical exercise and an end of year examination.
- Formative assessment is provided in practicals and revision sessions, including a preparation for the end of year examination.
Teaching Methods and Learning Hours
| Activity | Number | Frequency | Duration | Total/Hours | Attendance Monitored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 | 1 per week | 1 hour | 20 | Yes ■ |
| Practicals | 20 | 1 per week | 2 hours | 40 | Yes ■ |
| Preparation and Reading | 140 | ||||
| Total | 200 |
Summative Assessment
| Component: Continual Assessment | Component Weighting: 30% | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| Exercise | 100% | ||
| Component: Examination | Component Weighting: 70% | ||
| Element | Length / duration | Element Weighting | Resit Opportunity |
| On Campus Written Examination | 2 hours | 100% | |
Formative Assessment:
Formative assessments delivered through practical sessions, to include a formative preparation for the unseen examination.
■ 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.