| CODE | EMP1022 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Introduction to Geological Systems | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This study-unit will provide an understanding of the forces controlling the geology of our planet. It will examine the chemical and physical processes involved in mineral formation, the formation of different rock types (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic), plate tectonics, and volcanic activity. Through lectures, fieldwork and laboratory sessions, students will be introduced to rock identification and analysis, and field techniques like sampling and basic stratigraphic mapping. The practicals are designed to give students hands-on experience in examining a variety of common Earth materials (minerals, rocks and fossils) and in collecting data on various geological aspects (e.g. grain size, textures, geometrical disposition of rocks, morphology, etc.). Fieldwork will provide students with experience in geological mapping techniques. Study-unit Aims: This study-unit aims: - To provide students with a fundamental understanding of the large-scale geological processes occurring on Earth; - To provide students with an appreciation of how geological characteristics and processes influence the formation of landforms; - To familiarize students with fundamental concepts of plate tectonics and with the link between related processes and the formation of different rock types; - To demonstrate the linkages between geological processes and geological formations, and to illustrate that there are systematic characteristics which influence the distribution of seismic and volcanic zones; - To render students familiar with minerals as the 'building blocks' of rocks; - To enable students to distinguish between the characteristics of different common minerals. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Explain the theory of plate tectonics and continental drift; - Identify and describe different types of plate boundaries; - Distinguish between igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rock types and describe the processes that give rise to each rock type; - Identify key physical and chemical parameters that are used to distinguish between different mineral types; - Describe the geological sequences occurring in the Maltese Islands. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Identify characteristics of minerals and rock types; - Relate the location of geological phenomena (features and events) to underlying geological structures and processes; - Identify common minerals; - Identify rock types occurring in the Maltese Islands; - Construct a basic stratigraphic map. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: - Christiansen, E. H., and Hamblin, W. K. (2015). Dynamic earth: An introduction to physical geology. Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett Learning. ISBN: 978-1449659844. - Pedley, M., 2002. Limestone Isles in a Crystal Sea: The Geology of the Maltese Islands. PEG. ISBN: 9789990903188. |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Attendance to scheduled sessions (lectures, field work, seminar, laboratory sessions and any other teaching session in whatever mode) is obligatory and only students having a satisfactory attendance will be assessed in the study-unit. Students, who do not attend at least 85% of the teaching time allocated to the study-unit, will not be allowed to sit for any of the assessment components mentioned below. | ||||||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture, Fieldwork and Lab Sessions | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Sebastiano D'Amico (Co-ord.) Christopher Gauci |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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