Day students: 1 half-day compulsory field excursion 2 September; 1 full-day compulsory field excursion 28 October; other compulsory excursions in scheduled practical classes.
Evening students: 1 half-day compulsory field excursion 1 April; 1 full-day compulsory field excursion 27 May
We examine the dynamic links between the internal and surface features of the earth, and their effect on the environment. This includes observations of the materials of the solid earth and the cyclic changes affecting them. We study the processes of renewal and degradation, from erosion to deposition of sediments, from volcanic processes to their environmental impacts and from earth-forming processes to the impact of humans on the geologic environment. The unifying themes of the unit are the plate tectonic concept that encompasses relationships between folded rocks, mountains, oceans, continents and ore-forming processes, and the dependence of the environment on geological cycles. This unit provides the necessary earth science background for geology, geophysics, geomorphology, soils and environmental science. It also gives students of economics, physics, chemistry, biology and marine science insights into earth materials and their interrelationship with the environment.
