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THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
School of GeoSciences
2013 - 2014
EARTH DYNAMICS
EASC08001
SEPTEMBER 2013
Earth Dynamics: how the Earth works
Welcome to the School of GeoSciences, and particularly to the Courses and
Programmes in Earth Science. Earth Dynamics is not only the ‘starter’ course for
most of our degrees, but also a course designed to be of interest to students
who just want to find a few things out about the Earth and its many processes.
This booklet provides you with information about the course and some of the key
things that you will need to be aware of as you progress through it. However, it
is really vital that you use this booklet in concert with the general School of
GeoSciences “Handbook for Year 1 and Year 2 Courses” and with the Earth
Dynamics Learn location on the School website – you should find all the
information and advice you need through these avenues. If not, you can always
contact me, Linda Kirstein, or the course Secretary, Nikki Muir, about the Earth
Dynamics course.
We hope you enjoy the Earth Dynamics course, and wish you well in all of your
studies at Edinburgh.
Linda Kirstein, Course Organiser
Course Description
Volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain chains and the diversity of the Earth's rocks
tell us that the Earth has been a dynamic planet since its formation 4.6 billion
years ago.
This course has two main aims:

To impart an understanding of the processes which shape the Earth

To develop practical skills in recognising the evidence of these processes in
rocks, both in the field and in the laboratory.
The course focuses on the materials of which the Earth is made, how the major
constituents are distributed between core, mantle and crust and how this
changes with time through the agencies of plate tectonics, volcanism and
mountain building. From this viewpoint of underlying process, it will also consider
the availability of natural resources and the potential for predicting natural
hazards.
Course Organiser:
Dr. Linda Kirstein
e-mail: [email protected]
telephone: 650 4838.
Course Secretary:
Nikki Muir
e-mail: [email protected]
telephone: 650 4842.
Lecture Team:
Dr Geoff Bromiley
Dr Linda Kirstein
Prof. Ian Main
Prof. Godfrey Fitton
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Information:
Information about the course will be provided on the
Course Home site in Learn and on notice boards in the
Practical Laboratory.
Your Practical demonstrators and individual lecturers will
also provide you with information and alerts at various
times through the semester.
Lectures:
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10.00.
(Note: first lecture: Monday of week 1)
Lectures will be in the following locations:
Mondays – LT183, Old College
Wednesdays – LT183, Old College
Fridays – LT183, Old College
First lecture:
Monday 16th September, LT183, Old College
Laboratory:
Room 6307, James Clerk Maxwell Building (JCMB), King's
Buildings. Note this location!
Laboratory times are:
Monday 2-5 p.m.
or
Wednesday 2-5 p.m. or
Friday 2-5 p.m.
Tuesday 9-12 noon
Thursday 2-5 p.m.
or
or
Please sign up to a practical class in Learn during
Freshers Week.
A calculator, 30cm ruler, pencils, set of coloured pencils,
pencil sharpener and an eraser are required for all
practical classes.
Laboratory Team:
We have an excellent team of Lab demonstrators who
will assist and advise you in carrying out the tasks in
your labs. This team is led by a Laboratory Team Leader
(Breandan
MacGabhann
([email protected])), who ensures that all
the lab classes are run to the same programme and
remit.
Each lab class (i.e. each day group) is led by a principal
demonstrator, who is supported by a demonstrator.
You
will
be
informed
about
your
Laboratory
Demonstrator Team members during your first practical
class.
Laboratory Manager: Miss Gillian McCay, Room
([email protected])
206,
Grant
Instititute
Mid-Course Tutorial: In Week 6 you will attend a map-based tutorial that
complements the other aspects of Earth Dynamics. Your
tutorial will take place during 1 hour of your allotted
practical class in week 6 (the practical itself is an on-line
Learn exercise to be done in your own time). Each
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practical will be divided into groups of students, and each
group will be allocated an hour in which to attend the
laboratory suite to attend and conduct their tutorial.
IT Assignments:
Two formative assignments are provided in support of
the lecture and practical course.
IT Exercise 1: Week 1, Virtual Fieldtrip
IT Exercise 2: Week 6, Salisbury Crags exercise.
These are accessed via Learn. Information on Learn
access is provided by Edinburgh University Computing
Services at the time you matriculate. You will need to
register through MyEd, the gateway to your online
resources.
Field excursions:
There are two compulsory excursions. You can choose to
go on either a Saturday or a Sunday:
Siccar Point / Pease Bay / Eyemouth:
Saturday 29th September and Sunday 30th September
Holyrood Park / Salisbury Crags / Arthur’s Seat:
Saturday 27th October and Sunday 28th October (half
day)
End-Course Q&A:
An end of course tutorial / feedback / Q&A session will be
held in Week 11 in the usual lecture theatre, from
10.00am.
Students will be encouraged to ask questions arising
from the examinable content of the lectures and practical
exercises.
Entrance Requirement: None. Earth Dynamics is an introductory course aimed
primarily at science students without prior qualifications
in the Earth Sciences.
Staff-Student Liaison: At the start of the academic year one student
representative for each of the Practical classes is elected
to serve on the GeoSciences Staff-Student Liaison
Committee.
A Note on the Learn site: Earth Dynamics is fully supported by a site in the
School of GeoSciences Learn area. You access this through MyEd, but can only
do so once you are logged into MyEd with your own user name and password
AND registered on the course itself.
The Earth Dynamics Learn page is organised into folders that you can browse
and access, for example to add your name to a list, to read lecture material, to
attempt an online exercise, to peruse the course booklet, or to download
information.
The site has a discussion board to which you can contribute questions (and
answers!) or make comments. The CO regularly uses this discussion board to
resolve minor problems. He also regularly posts ‘announcements’ on the Learn
site – so you should look at the site regularly for these.
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Earth Dynamics Course Structure
The course consists of a series of lectures and accompanying practical classes as
well as two day field trips.
IT assignments accompany the course. These will be marked within your
practical book and may contribute to the practical mark of the course.
Assessments and Examinations
The components of your assessment in this Course are as follows:
Practical workbook Assessments:
40%
Theory Examination (2 hours total duration)
60%
You must pass both components.
If you fail to pass both components at first attempt the following will
happen:
Fail coursework, pass exam: Alternative coursework will be assigned which
requires all exercises in the practical folder to be completed AND extra
petrographic description work. Deadline to submit work to TO Grant Institute
April 3rd, 2014. Exam mark stands no resit allowed.
Fail exam, pass course work: Resit exam in August exam diet; Coursework
mark carried forward.
Fail exam, fail coursework: Resit exam in August exam diet; Alternative
coursework to be completed including all exercises in the practical folder AND
extra petrographic description work. Deadline to submit work to TO Grant
Institute April 3rd, 2014.
Practical workbook assessments:
The practical workbooks will be examined twice during the semester. The
first practical mark will be based on work completed in selected sections the
first set of practicals (Block 1, up to the end of Week 5), the second on work
completed in selected sections of the second set of practicals (Block 2,
practicals in Weeks 7-10). Your Practical Books will be submitted at our
Assessment Submission Point (Grant Institute, Teaching Organisation Office)
for marking mid-way through the semester (end of Week 5 to beginning of
Week 6) and following your Week 10 practical. They will be marked within a
week of submission and be available for collection by you in time for your
next practical or for end-of-semester revision.
Incomplete practicals or practical workbooks, or absence from a practical
where workbooks are marked, will be penalised unless you have special
circumstances supported by doctor’s note or letter from your Student
Support Co-ordinator. Be sure to submit your two field-related IT
assignments within your workbook.
In addition to the practical workbook you are required to submit your field
notebook for marking after each field trip. These will be marked and
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feedback provided. These marks will contribute towards your overall
‘practical’ mark.
In addition you are required to complete a hand specimen description which
will be marked and counts towards your practical assessment.
You must pass the practical component as well as the exam component of
the course to obtain an overall pass.
Alternative coursework will be required if you fail to pass the practical
component overall. Where appropriate the mark derived from your
practicals will be carried through to any theory re-sit. You will be notified as
soon as possible if your marks in the practical component of the course are
unsatisfactory, i.e. likely to endanger your passing of the course.
Marks should be regarded as provisional until after the final examiner’s
meeting, which will be held in January 2014.
Theory Examination:
A two-hour theory exam based on short answers and multiple choice
questions will be held at the end of Semester 1. Further information will be
provided on this in due course.
The Semester 1 Theory examination will be worth 60% of your final mark.
The theory re-sit examination will be held in August 2013.
Attendance at practical and field sessions
Attendance at these elements of the course is compulsory.
It is the
responsibility of each student to ensure that he/she signs the register in each
Practical class attended. These registers will be periodically checked. Any
student detected signing the attendance list on behalf of another student will be
subject to disciplinary procedures.
Avoidance of plagiarism
Advice to students on the issue of plagiarism appears in the University Taught
Assessment Regulations which can be found on the Web. Please be on your
guard against copying, whether unconscious or deliberate, and against requests
for the use or borrowing of your work by other students. In group-work, the
preparation of the actual written (or electronic) submission for assessment
should be independent. The University has published extensive guidelines on
what constitutes plagiarism as part of its University Academic Services website:
http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Regulations/TaughtAssessmen
tRegulations.pdf
within this you can go to the relevant sections, and also find links to the following
key documents:
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/academicservices/students/undergrad
uate/discipline/academicmisconduct
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/academicservices/students/undergrad
uate/discipline/plagiarism
5
The Undergraduate Assessment Regulations for the current year explain the
range of actions that may be taken by Course Organisers, Boards of Examiners
and subsequent Disciplinary Procedures.
Appeals procedure
A formal appeals procedure against decisions made by Examiners is described in
the University Taught Assessment Regulations.
Students should note that
appeals against examination results on the basis of illness will only be considered
if the relevant medical certificate is received before the meeting of the Board of
Examiners. Any student may discuss the content and conduct of any aspect of
the Earth Dynamics course with the Course Organiser. In addition, comments
and suggestions may be brought to the attention of the Class Representatives on
the Staff-Student Liaison Committee.
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schoolsdepartments/academicservices/staff/appeals
The assessment regulations are able to be accessed and viewed online at:
http://www.docs.sasg.ed.ac.uk/AcademicServices/Regulations/TaughtAssessmen
tRegulations.pdf
Accessibility
We welcome disabled students (including those with specific learning difficulties
such as dyslexia) and are working to make all our courses accessible. If you
wish to talk to a member of academic staff about the course requirements and
your particular needs please contact (insert name of Coordinator of Adjustments
or another nominated person with contact information).
You can also contact the Disability Office, 6 - 8 South College Street, Telephone
650 6828 and an Advisor will be happy to meet with you. The Advisor can
discuss possible adjustments and specific examination arrangements with you,
assist you with an application for Disabled Students' Allowance, give you
information about available technology and personal assistance such as note
takers,
proof
readers
or
dyslexia
tutors, and prepare a Learning Profile for your School which outlines
recommended adjustments. You will be expected to provide the Disability Office
with evidence of disability - either a letter from your GP or specialist, or evidence
of specific learning difficulty. For dyslexia or dyspraxia this evidence must be a
recent Chartered Educational Psychologist's assessment. If you do not have this,
the Disability Office can put you in touch with an independent Educational
Psychologist.
Learning outcomes
Students will develop a broad understanding of key, defining geological concepts
and theories:

the internal divisions of the earth and its dynamic evolution via plate
tectonic processes,

the formation of igneous and metamorphic rocks,

the mechanisms by which rocks deform and break at depth in the Earth,
and

the dynamic geological settings in which these processes operate.
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This will be achieved through routine, geological techniques: practical thin
section and hand specimen analysis, fieldwork and ICT exercises.

ICT exercises will involve interpretation of deep earth processes from
geophysical data sets and virtual fieldwork exercises.

Practical classes will be the basis for investigating professional level
problems and issues to formulate evidence-based solutions using the
techniques listed above.

During these practical sessions students are expected to manage their time
effectively and work both independently and with others.
7
Earth Dynamics: Course details
Week 1 Sept. 16th
Introduction to our Dynamic Earth
We begin by examining our place in the Universe and within the Solar System,
looking at the geology of our neighbouring planets and the evidence in
meteorites for the origins of Earth. We then briefly outline the Earth machine, its
components and power sources – noting the main materials that make up our
Earth so we can conduct an ‘assay’ of its composition.
L1: Earth in space and its Solar System context. Meteorites, volcanoes and the
materials and composition of the Earth.
L2: Earth through time: an introduction to the evolution of the Earth, geological
time and the evidence for a 4550 million year old planet.
IT Exercise: Web based Virtual Fieldtrip – accessed via Learn
P1
Assay of the Earth – Earth materials and Composition
Introduction to Our Dynamic Earth: Key words and concepts
L1
L2
Earth, solar nebula, accretionary disc, meteoerite, chondrite,
planetismal, differentiation, core, mantle, Fe-alloy, Mg-silicate,
magma ocean, big impactor, continental crust, oceanic crust.
Radioactive decay, Uranium, Lead, zircon, bombardment, Jack Hills
zircon, hydrosphere, Isua, cyanobacteria, oxygenation, red beds,
hallmark events, Snowball Earth, Cambrian bioexplosion, extinctions
geological timescale, Hadean, Archaean, Proterozoic, Phanerozoic.
The Mobile Earth: Plate Tectonics
This course of lectures introduces plate tectonic theory and its applications to
understanding the Earth. Plate tectonic theory has successfully explained the
origin of ocean basins and continental margins, mid-ocean ridges and mountain
belts, and the locations of volcanoes and earthquakes. The key conceptual
aspects of plate tectonics - the nature of plates, plate boundaries and plate
interactions – will be explained, and the plate driving forces and role of
convection in the earth’s mantle discussed. Some aspects of the surface
expression and consequences of plate tectonics will be described, including
mountain building and sedimentation on rifted margins of continents.
L3
Colliding Worlds: Earth Structure. Introduction to the lithosphere asthenosphere system and forces. Observations supporting formerly
joined-up continents. Palaeomagnetism and the scientific proof of
‘continental drift’. Plate motion through time. Oceanic and continental
plates.
8
Week 2 Sept. 23rd
L4
Plate boundaries, sea floor spreading and the age of ocean floor. Types of
plate boundaries. Sea floor spreading: rates, magnetic anomalies and age
of oceanic crust. Earthquakes and plate boundaries; volcanoes and plate
boundaries.
L5
Oceans: Mid Ocean Ridges and subduction zones, seamounts and hotspots,
plate motions. Evidence from seismology for Wadati-Benioff Zones.
L6
Sediments: Formation of sediments, transport processes, depositional
environments and plate tectonic controls.
P2
The nature of the lithosphere and asthenosphere
Fieldtrip 1: Siccar Point, Pease Bay and Eyemouth
Sat 28th and Sun 29th September.
Meet at Appleton Tower, ready to depart at 0900 am
Week 3 Sept. 30th
L7
Shaping the landscape 1: Mountain building, Archimedes Principle,
mountain roots. Ductile and brittle deformation. Generating and sustaining
topography.
L8
Shaping the landscape
Sedimentation.
L9
Rocks and the economy – oil and gas reservoirs; water; placer deposits
P3
Aspects of the motions of Lithospheric Plates
2:
continental
rifting,
passive
margins.
The Mobile Earth: Key words and concepts
L3
L4
L5
L6
L7
L8
L9
lithosphere, asthenosphere, continental drift, correlation,
palaeomagnetism, apparent polar wander paths, supercontinents.
constructive boundary, destructive boundary, transform boundary, sea
floor spreading, spreading rates, earthquakes, volcanoes
oceanic lithosphere, mid ocean ridge, trench, abyssal plain,
seamounts, hotspots, hydrothermal vent, Wadati-Benioff zone,
subduction
sediment generation, erosion, transport, deposition
continental lithosphere, mountain belt, collision, plate deformation,
folding, faulting, Archimedes Principle, buoyancy, topography, erosion
rift basin, passive margin, stretching factors, plumes, subsidence,
sedimentation.
oil and gas reservoirs; water; placer deposits
9
Week 4 Oct. 7th
The Layered Earth: Shape and Structure of our Planet
In these lectures we examine how physics and physics-based techniques are
commonly used in Earth Sciences to understand the Earths structure, its
composition and general processes. The aim is to provide students with an
understanding of how we image the Earth using geophysics, and how our society
is dependent on this knowledge and understanding and how important the
properties of different wave forms including light give us this incredible insight.
The lectures cover aspects such as seismology, earthquakes and Earth structure,
gravity and near surface structures, geomagnetism and the Earth's dynamo as
well as optical mineralogy.
The Layered Earth: Key words and concepts
L10
L11
L12
L13
L14
L15
geophysics, Earth structure and imaging, seismicity, seismic
velocities and discontinuities, core, mantle, crust.
earthquakes, seismic moment, first motions, triangulation, vectors
seismic refraction, seismic reflection and sub-surface geology.
light, waves, composition
gravity, mass, compensation, the geoid.
Earth’s magnetic field, the Geocentric Axial Dipole Hypothesis,
palaeomagnetism and plate tectonics
L10
Introduction to geophysics, Seismology and the structure of the earth: This
lecture provides an insight into the importance of geophysics, and
investigation of the structure of the deep earth through seismology.
L11
Earthquakes and seismotectonics: In this lecture we look at the different
types of waves which travel through the Earth, and examine how
seismology can be used to locate, measure and understand earthquakes.
L12 Refraction and reflection seismology: Here we look at how active seismology
can be used to assess near surface solid earth structures. We look at the
differences between refraction and reflection seismology and how each
technique allows us to comprehend the subsurface.
P4
Be a Seismologist
Week 5 Oct. 14th
L13
Optics and waves: wave speed, wavelength, frequency, optical properties
at microscale.
L14
Gravity: We discuss how gravity can be measured, how certain corrections
needs to be applied to measurements to yield useful results, and what the
results mean to understanding the subsurface.
10
L15
Magnetism: In this lecture the Earths magnetic field will be introduced,
and geophysical techniques which use magnetic properties of the solid
Earth to understand geological processes (plate tectonics, sea-floor
spreading etc).
P5 Introduction to a microscope- optical mineralogy
The Hot Earth: Igneous Processes and Products
(Professor Godfrey Fitton)
This series of lectures will give a broad overview of magma, magmatic rocks and
volcanism. It will start by addressing the fundamental question of where and why
magma forms and then go on to describe the various manifestations and
environmental consequences of magmatism. To fully understand magmatic rocks
it is necessary to know something of the crystalline compounds (minerals) of
which they are composed. Lectures 17 and 18 will therefore cover the basics of
silicate mineralogy and crystallography. Magma and magmatic rocks are
involved, directly or indirectly, in the formation of many of our economic mineral
(ore) deposits. These are covered in the last of the lectures in this series.
Week 6 Oct. 21st
L16
Magmas and igneous rocks; why volcanoes form; igneous intrusions
L17
Volcanoes and volcanic hazards
L18
Introduction to rock-forming minerals
IT exercise2:
Introduction to Holyrood Park – Learn exercise to be
completed before field trip.
Tutorial session – Maps practical exercise
Fieldtrip 2: Holyrood Park / Salisbury Crags / Arthur’s Seat
Sat 26th October and Sun 27th October.
Meet at 0900 sharp at the grassy parkland area near the roundabout just
inside from the St Leonards / Pollock Halls entrance to Holyrood Park. Field
trip ends at approximately 1230 pm.
Week 7 Oct 28th
L19
Basic crystallography
L20
Composition and texture of igneous rocks; mineralogy and classification
L21
Magma evolution and fractional crystallisation
P7
Salisbury Crags exercise; Salisbury Crags dolerite under the
microscope; Top-ten silicate minerals
11
Week 8 Nov. 4th
L22
Supervolcanoes, hot-spots and large igneous provinces
L23
Non-silicate minerals; economic mineral deposits
The Hot Earth: Key words and concepts
L16
L17
L18
L19
L20
L21
L22
L23
geotherm, solidus, volcanic neck, sill, dyke, cone sheet, ring dyke,
laccolith, lopolith, batholith
Shield volcano, composite volcano, cinder cone, lava dome, viscosity,
pahohoe, aa, pyroclastic flow, ignimbrite, Plinian eruption
orthosilicates (olivine; garnet), single-chain silicates (pyroxenes),
double-chain silicates (amphiboles), sheet silicates (talc, clays,
micas), framework silicates (feldspars, quartz)
cubic and hexagonal packing, unit cell, cleavage, seven crystal
systems, symmetry axes, planes and centre, Miller index
relationship between cooling rate and crystal size, basalt, andesite,
rhyolite, obsidian, gabbro, diorite, granite, pegmatite
fractional crystallisation, liquid line of descent, layered intrusions,
cumulates
supervolcanoes, mantle plumes, mass extinctions
non-silicate minerals, orthomagmatic ore deposits, hydrothermal ore
deposits, black smokers
Wrinkled Earth: Deformation, Metamorphism and Mountains
(Dr. Geoffrey Bromiley)
Plate tectonic and magmatic processes lead to fundamental changes in the rocks
that constitute the Earth’s continental and oceanic crust and lithosphere. These
changes include changes in shape and configuration – deformation – and
changes in mineralogy and rock texture – metamorphism.
This series of lectures and practical classes introduces you to the slow but
inexorable changes that occur when rocks are subjected to the stresses and
changes in depth and temperature that occur during the subduction of oceans,
the growth of magmatic arc systems, and the collision of continents to form
mountain belts. These wrinkles on the Earth provide the evidence of its history
and evolution, unravelled by reading the rocks, their minerals, and the folds and
faults that form within them.
L24 Deformation of rocks: Stress, strain and deformation markers. Brittle and
ductile behaviour and their manifestations – faults, shear zones and folds.
Folding and thrusting in mountain belts young and old.
P8
Growing crystals under the microscope; igneous rocks in hand
specimen and under the microscope; fractional crystallisation
exercise
12
Week 9 Nov. 11th
L25 Metamorphism: The process of metamorphism. Change in mineralogy and
texture to yield new rocks from old. Recrystallisation, reaction, equilibrium.
The main metamorphic rock types in brief, arranged by texture and
structure.
L26 Metamorphic rocks and minerals: The key metamorphic minerals in rocks
of shale-like composition.
Factors of metamorphism: Pressure (P), temperature (T), fluids and strain.
Timescale as a key parameter.
L27 Contact Metamorphism - aureoles, thermal gradients and mineral zones in
pelites. Isograds and index minerals. The Ballachulish example. Regional
Metamorphism – its scale and importance. Barrows zones, mineral isograds
and index minerals; relations to P-T diagrams and mineral stabilities.
P9 Deformation in the Earth
Week 10 Nov. 18th
L28 Mountain Building and metamorphism: Tectonics and metamorphic P-T
paths. The Himalayas. High- and ultrahigh pressure metamorphism.
Frontiers in understanding collision processes and mountains, from the
deep Earth perspective.
P10 Metamorphic rocks and minerals; Contact and Regional Cases
13
The Wrinkled Earth: Key words and concepts
L24
L25
L26
L27
L28
stress, strain, deformation, brittle, elastic, ductile, viscous, strain rate,
pure shear, simple shear, strain ellipse, extension, compression.
normal fault, reverse fault, marker unit, offset, strike, dip, thrust,
mylonite. folding, axial plane, fold axis, hinge, limb, interlimb angle,
anticline, syncline, axial planar cleavage, boudinage, refolded folds.
rock cycle, metamorphism, protolith, product, shale, pelite, schist,
gneiss, migmatite, granulite, recrystallisation, reaction, equilibrium,
calcite, quartz, foliation, garnet, mica. Slate, phyllite, hornfels,
marble, granofels,
Muscovite, chlorite, biotite, garnet, staurolite, kyanite, sillimanite,
andalusite. Pressure, temperature, fluid, strain, geotherm, isotherm,
perturbation, timescale, thermal time constant.
contact metamorphism intrusion, aureole, hornfels, thermal gradient,
mineral zone, mineral isograd, index mineral, cordierite, mineral
assemblage. Regional metamorphism, Barrows zones. P-T conditions,
low-P, medium-P, high-P.
Crustal doubling, decompression, P-T path, ultrahigh-pressure,
exhumation, crustal extrusion. Himalayan orogeny.
Week 11 Nov. 18th
Revision classes with course lecturers
14
Earth Dynamics: Additional Course details
Tutorials (1 session):
Tutorials in week 6 are focused on introducing key disciplines required for
successful understanding of rock relationships in the field. The tutorial will aid
your interpretation of simple geological maps and map relationships. This is
important not only for gaining a deeper understanding the Salisbury Crags
field trip but also will be of value for further courses in Earth Science (for
example ‘Introduction to the Geological Record’ in semester 2).
Information Technology (2 formative assessments):
There are no lectures associated with this section of the course. You will be
given self-contained assignments during your Practical classes to do in your
own time. No previous computing experience is required.
Fieldwork:
There will be two weekend excursions for which you will be able to choose to
attend on either Saturday or Sunday.
You will be asked to sign-up for the day of your choice a few weeks before
each excursion. No charge is made.
Attendance is compulsory and marks for any assignments completed during
each excursion will count towards the degree examination total.
Warm and waterproof outdoor clothing and strong footwear are required.
For the first fieldtrip, coaches will depart from the front of the Appleton Tower
at 9.00 sharp.
For the second fieldtrip, rendezvous with the field leaders at the base of
Salisbury Crags, close to the roundabout at the Pollock Halls entrance to the
Park, again at 9.00 sharp.
The Fieldtrips are:
Siccar Point, Pease Bay and Eyemouth (0900 am- 1700 pm),
Saturday 28th September and Sunday 29th September
Salisbury Crags (0900 am- 1230 pm)
Saturday 26th October and Sunday 27th October (half day)
15
Earth Dynamics Text Books
Recommended for Purchase
The Earth Dynamics course is not designed to conform to the structure or
content of any one book. However, the following three books – each of which can
be supported by additional CD-ROM and web-based tools – are highly
appropriate to the main themes of this and indeed further courses at year 1 and
2 levels in Earth Science. It is recommended that you purchase either one or
the other of these really excellent books. They will certainly impress your
undoubtedly discerning and cultured friends!
Hamblin, WK & Christiansen, EH: Earth's Dynamic Systems. (Longman).
This is a quality book that is useful for students with some background in
Geology. It has a colourful text and a good CD-ROM and Web site support. It is
clear, well-illustrated with high quality figures and colour photographs.
Marshak, S (2008) Earth: Portrait of a Planet. (International Student Edition)
(Norton Publishing Co.). ISBN 0-393-93036-X
An authoritative, readable and highly recommended text. The newly revised
third edition is superbly illustrated and has a really good, useful, structure.
Other Useful Book
Grotzinger, J, Jordan, TH, Press, F & Siever, R (2007): Understanding Earth
(5th edition) (WH Freeman). ISBN 0-7167-6682-5.
Excellent illustrations, with similar coverage to Smith & Pun. Is less
adventurous with systems integration, but balances this with slightly better
sections on metamorphism and deformation.
Cox, A & Hart, RB (1986) Plate tectonics: How it works (Blackwell Scientific
Publishing)
Useful resource for technical details of plate motions and the resolution of
focal mechanisms.
There is a lot of jargon in geology so you may find one of the following specialist
dictionaries useful. Most professionals keep one handy.
Kearey, P: The New Penguin Dictionary of Geology. (Penguin).
Lapidus, DF & Winstanley, I: Collins Dictionary of Geology (Collins)
The following book is highly recommended for anyone wishing to obtain
maximum benefit from an education in a University environment, especially
anyone running into difficulty.
Cottrel, Stella: The Study Skills Handbook (Macmillan).
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Earth Dynamics Semester Planner: Key Dates and Events
Week
Date
Event / Commitment
1
16 September
First Lecture, LT183, Old College
1
16-20 Sept.
Sign up for first field trip, 1(a) or 1(b)
1
Access Learn and complete Virtual Fieldtrip IT
assignment
2/3
28 September
Field trip 1 (a) to Siccar Point
2/3
29 September
Field trip 1 (b) to Siccar Point
3/4/5
Access Learn and attempt “Absolute and
Relative Dating” online exercise. Do this prior
to attendance at your Tutorial in week 6
5/6
End of Wk 5 Submit Practical Workbook (Grant Institute TO
to early Wk 6
office) for marking.
Mon / Tues / Wed practical classes submit by 4
pm on Friday of Wk 5;
Thurs and Friday classes by Monday of Wk 6.
5
15 October
Sign up for Holyrood Park trip 2(a) or 2(b)
6
Access Learn and complete Holyrood Park IT
assignment.
6
Attend your allocated Tutorial in your usual
practical class time slot
6/7
26 October
Field trip 2(a) to Holyrood Park
6/7
27 October
Field trip 2(b) to Holyrood Park
10/11
End of Wk 10 Submit Practical Workbook (Grant Institute TO
/ early Wk 11 office) for marking
Mon / Tues / Wed practical classes submit by
4pm on Friday of Wk 10;
Thurs and Friday classes by 4 pm on Monday
of Wk 11.
Submit hand specimen extra work at same
time.
12/13
December
Revision for Course Exam.
Check Exam time and venue on University
website and notices.
17