Last modified: 28 Jun 2018 10:27
Field-based observation is an essential skill for understanding the origin of rocks, and is a vital reality-check for understanding how Geological Science is practised and developed. This course gives students experience with techniques for investigating rocks in their natural habitat, studying the crucial relationships between different units, and developing good habits for observing and recording data in the field. Students learn how to perceive geology in 3D, and to develop working hypotheses from incomplete evidence. This is achieved through a five-day residential field trip which is preceded by wide-ranging practical classes and explanatory lectures.
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | Second Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | None. | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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As well as demonstrating generally why fieldwork is important, and showing what can be learnt in the field that cannot be determined in the laboratory, the course will put special emphasis on these skills:
Keeping an accurate and scientifically useful field notebook;
Recording sedimentary successions (“logging”);
Recording structural and spatial data;
Presenting geological data on maps;
Recognise the character of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks at scales larger than hand specimen;
These skills will initially be explained and demonstrated before the field trip through lectures and practical classes, including giving you familiarity with sedimentary structures, trace fossils, and rock description. The five-day residential field trip to a geologically diverse area completes the training by providing the chance to put these skills to use in the real world. The preparatory classes are assessed along with the notebook completed in the field and the evening assignments carried out during the trip.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
1st Attempt: In-course assessment (100%).
Resit: Apply to course coordinator.
The majority of teaching is a small groups at outcrop. Feedback is therefore continuous and on-going throughout the course.
A series of problem-based exercises will be set over the field course and these are marked and returned to students generally within 48 hours.
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