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Semester 1

Formation and Evolution of Continents (EASC10080)

Subject

Earth Science

College

SCE

Credits

10

Normal Year Taken

4

Delivery Session Year

2023/2024

Pre-requisites

Passing of courses equivalent in content and level to those listed in the UoE prerequisites for this course.

Course Summary

The Formation and Evolution of Continents (FEC) course is multidisciplinary and integrative. The course integrates the magmatic, structural, metamorphic, sedimentary and geophysical features and concepts reflecting the operation of major physiochemical and tectonic processes in the Earth that have controlled its evolution since more than 4 billion years ago. FEC fosters a deep-Earth (solid Earth processes)/deep-time orientated view of the Earth and its differentiation, with a focus on the formation of the Earths crust, culminating in the development and growth of continents.

Course Description

The Course in 2022 will be delivered live. A blended learning environment will be employed as back-up. Six themes will be developed, spaced over 10 weeks of semester 1. Lecture presentations will be supported by live recordings, student exercises and reading focused on specific aspects of each theme, and brief live sessions that will link the lectures and exerises and go on to synthesise those for each theme. Students should engage with the thematic online presentations, the exercises and the live sessions for 4-5 hours each week.Lectures will be structured to introduce and address key questions in each theme. Each lecture will culminate in one (or more) key questions that students will then be able to address through online exercises and/or reading of designated literature. Each theme will conclude with a short (live) session that utilises the previously presented material and the students learning to arrive at an understanding of the current state of knowledge of the theme, including the outstanding questions that remain.Each lecture is supported by powerpoint notes and each theme by keynote references that are selected to complement and extend the lecture content, provide further insights into concepts and models, and enhance student knowledge and appreciation of underlying data. These are deposited as pdfs on the LEARN site for the course, along with all lecture materials and background information. The FEC course is designed to be state-of-the-art in terms of content. Hence, students are expected to engage in 60 hours of independent reading and supplementary study, guided by the keynote papers provided and focussed on the central qestions related to each theme and discussed in live Collaborate or Media Hopper sessions.

Assessment Information

Written Exam 70%, Coursework 30%, Practical Exam 0%

Additional Assessment Information

Assessment detailsWritten Exam: 70%, Course Work: 30 %, Practical Exam: 0%.Coursework (30%): consists of 10% calculation exercise and 20% short answer question. Written Exam (70%): essay Details of the specific assessments will be provided during the course itself, but the essentials are given belowCoursework Assessment Component (30%)The coursework assessment will take place in Week 6 of semester. It comprises two distinct parts: a calculation-based exercise, and a short answer style question. The assessment will be based on material presented, developed and discussed in the first two themes within the FEC course: the nature and composition of the continent crust, and the significance of arc processes in forming crust. Answers to the Calculation Exercise are to be submitted online via a submission box in the course LEARN site by 12noon on the Wednesday of Week 6 (Wednesday 26th October). Answers to the coursework assessment (500 words maximum) are to be submitted online via a submission box in the course LEARN site by 12noon on the Thursday of Week 6 (Thursday 27th October).Written Examination (essay) Component (70%)This will take the form of an essay-style examination sat in the December Examination diet. Students will answer one from a choice of three questions. The questions will be based on material developed and discussed within themes 3, 4, 5 and 6.

view the timetable and further details for this course