Everything from the origin of the Earth to the History of the life it sustains
Modern Earth Sciences is as dynamic and diverse as the planet (planets!) it studies. We study everything from the origin of the Earth to the History of the life it sustains. We are an integrative, interdisciplinary, modern science. We use and apply state-of-the-art maths, physics, chemistry and biology on a daily basis to uncover fundamental knowledge about Earth and other planets. We apply that knowledge to practical issues like climate change and groundwater pollution.
Right here at UCL we use ground and satellite observations to see how fast the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets are melting and climate past and present. We study the fundamental motions that generate violent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. We look for new natural resources and study groundwater pollution. We look deep into the interior to see how materials behave at pressures a million times greater than the surface and temperatures as hot as the sun.
Modules:
The 1st and 2nd years provide core skills and knowledge in the subject. The 3rd year provides opportunities for specialisation and diversification, with an emphasis on individual initiative and problem-based learning. The 4th year allows for an individual research project and advanced options, providing extra depth and breadth of knowledge. Optional modules marked with * can be taken either in Year 3 or Year 4. Modules marked ** are lower year modules for Earth Sciences students, which are offered to Natural Sciences students in later years to avoid problems with prerequisites. Fieldwork provides a unique opportunity to develop independent and team skills and problem-solving abilities.
- Geoscience + Genetics and Environment
Year 1 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2: none
Optional modules:
Term 1: none
Term 2:
- GEOL0004 Dynamic Earth
- GEOL0006 Surface Processes
- GEOL0008 Geochemistry
- GEOL0015 Maps, Images & Structures
Year 2 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:OR
Term2: none
Optional modules:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0001 Earth Materials
- **GEOL0003 History of Life
- GEOL0012 Global Geophysics
- GEOL0016 Structural Geology and Tectonics
Term 2:
Year 3 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:- GEOL0021 Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns (if not taking GEOL0027 in term 2)
Term 2:
- GEOL0027 Groundwater Science (if not taking GEOL0021 in term 1)
Optional modules:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0011 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- GEOL0024 Geological/Environmental Mapping
- *GEOL0022 Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- *GEOL0026 Earth and Planetary Materials
- *GEOL0043 Tectonic Geomorphology
Term 2:
- GEOL0023 Crustal Dynamics - Betics Field course
- GEOL0057 Geodynamics and Global Tectonics
- GEOL0068 Mineral Resources, Applied Geoscience and the Environment
- *GEOL0031 Environmental Geochemistry
- *GEOL0045 Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Change
- GEOL0061 Statistics for Geoscientists
- GEOL0069 Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations
Year 4 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1 and 2:
GEOL0072 Independent MSci Project
Term 1
- GEOL0067 The Science, Policy and Ethics of Climate Intervention (if not taking GEOL0036 in term 2)
Term 2:
- GEOL0036 Advanced Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary studies (if not taking GEOL0067 in term 1)
Optional modules:
Term 1 and 2:
GEOL0039 Earth and Planetary System Science
Term 1:
- GEOL0041 Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazards
- GEOL0044 Palaeoceanography
- GEOL0059 Origin of Life and Exobiology
- GEOL0062 Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Hazards
Term 2:
- Geoscience + Physical Chemistry
Year 1 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2:
Optional modules:
Year 2 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2: none
Optional modules:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0001 Earth Materials
- **GEOL0003 History of Life
- GEOL0009 Vertebrate Palaeontology
- GEOL0016 Structural Geology and Tectonics
- GEOL0076 Introduction to Environmental Geoscience
Term 2:
- GEOL0010 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
- GEOL0013 Principles of Climate
- GEOL0017 Isotope Geology
- GEOL0018 Numerical Methods for Earth Sciences
- GEOL0073 GIS and Remote Sensing
- GEOL0077 Introduction to Mineral Resources
Year 3 Bsc/MSci
All modules are optional:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0011 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- GEOL0020 Field Geophysics
- GEOL0021 Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
- GEOL0024 Geological/Environmental Mapping
- GEOL0029 Seismology 1
- *GEOL0022 Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- *GEOL0026 Earth and Planetary Materials
- *GEOL0043 Tectonic Geomorphology
- *GEOL0031 Environmental Geochemistry
- *GEOL0045 Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Change
- *GEOL0061 Statistics for Geoscientists
- *GEOL0069 Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations
Term 2:
- GEOL0023 Crustal Dynamics - Betics Field course
- GEOL0027 Groundwater Science
- GEOL0030 Seismology 2
- GEOL0057 Geodynamics and Global Tectonics
- GEOL0068 Mineral Resources, Applied Geoscience and the Environment
Year 4 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1 and 2:Optional modules:
Term 1 and 2:
Term 1:
- GEOL0041 Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazards
- GEOL0044 Palaeoceanography
- GEOL0059 Origin of Life and Exobiology
- GEOL0062 Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Hazards
- GEOL0067 The Science, Policy and Ethics of Climate Intervention
Term 2:
- Geoscience + Astrophysics
Year 1 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2:
Optional modules:
Term 1: none
Term 2:
Year 2 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2: none
Optional modules:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0001 Earth Materials
- **GEOL0003 History of Life
- GEOL0016 Structural Geology and Tectonics
- GEOL0076 Introduction to Environmental Geoscience
Term 2:
Year 3 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1: noneTerm 2:
Optional modules:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0011 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- GEOL0020 Field Geophysics
- GEOL0021 Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
- GEOL0024 Geological/Environmental Mapping
- GEOL0029 Seismology 1
- *GEOL0022 Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- *GEOL0026 Earth and Planetary Materials
- *GEOL0043 Tectonic Geomorphology
Term 2:
- GEOL0023 Crustal Dynamics - Betics Field course
- GEOL0027 Groundwater Science
- GEOL0030 Seismology 2
- GEOL0068 Mineral Resources, Applied Geoscience and the Environment
- *GEOL0031 Environmental Geochemistry
- *GEOL0045 Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Change
- *GEOL0061 Statistics for Geoscientists
- *GEOL0069 Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations
Year 4 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1 and 2:Optional modules:
Term 1 and 2:
Term 1:
- GEOL0041 Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazards
- GEOL0059 Origin of Life and Exobiology
- GEOL0062 Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Hazards
- GEOL0067 The Science, Policy and Ethics of Climate Intervention
Term 2:
- GEOL0042 Earthquake Seismology and Earthquake Hazard
- GEOL0066 Meteorological and Hydrological Hazards
- Geoscience + Physics
Year 1 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2:
Optional modules:
Term 1: none
Term 2
Year 2 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2 - none
Optional modules:
Term 1:
- **GEOL0001 Earth Materials
- **GEOL0003 History of Life
- GEOL0011 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- GEOL0016 Structural Geology and Tectonics
- GEOL0076 Introduction to Environmental Geoscience
Term 2:
Year 3 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1: noneTerm 2:
Optional modules:
Term 1
- GEOL0020 Field Geophysics
- GEOL0021 Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
- GEOL0024 Geological/Environmental Mapping
- GEOL0029 Seismology 1
- *GEOL0022 Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- *GEOL0026 Earth and Planetary Materials
- *GEOL0043 Tectonic Geomorphology
Term 2
- GEOL0023 Crustal Dynamics - Betics Field course
- GEOL0027 Groundwater Science
- GEOL0030 Seismology 2
- GEOL0068 Mineral Resources, Applied Geoscience and the Environment
- *GEOL0031 Environmental Geochemistry
- *GEOL0045 Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Change
- *GEOL0061 Statistics for Geoscientists
- *GEOL0069 Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations
Year 4 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1 and 2
Optional modules:
Term 1: see year 3
Term 2:
- Geoscience + Mathematics and Statistics
Year 1 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2:
Optional modules:
Term 1: none
Term 2:
Year 2 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1:Term 2: none
Optional modules:
Term 1
- **GEOL0001 Earth Materials
- **GEOL0003 History of Life
- GEOL0011 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- GEOL0016 Structural Geology and Tectonics
- GEOL0076 Introduction to Environmental Geoscience
Term 2
Year 3 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory module:
Term 2Optional modules:
Term 1
- GEOL0020 Field Geophysics
- GEOL0021 Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns
- GEOL0024 Geological/Environmental Mapping
- GEOL0029 Seismology 1
- *GEOL0022 Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- *GEOL0026 Earth and Planetary Materials
- *GEOL0043 Tectonic Geomorphology
- *GEOL0031 Environmental Geochemistry
- *GEOL0045 Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Change
- *GEOL0061 Statistics for Geoscientists
- *GEOL0069 Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations
Term 2
- GEOL0023 Crustal Dynamics - Betics Field course
- GEOL0027 Groundwater Science
- GEOL0030 Seismology 2
- GEOL0068 Mineral Resources, Applied Geoscience and the Environment
Year 4 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1 and 2Optional modules:
Term 1
- GEOL0041 Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazards
- GEOL0044 Palaeoceanography
- GEOL0059 Origin of Life and Exobiology
- GEOL0062 Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Hazards
- GEOL0067 The Science, Policy and Ethics of Climate Intervention
Term 2
- Geoscience + History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science
Year 1 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1Term 2 - none
Optional modules:
Term 1: none
Term 2
- **GEOL0001 Earth Materials
- **GEOL0003 History of Life
- GEOL0004 Dynamic Earth
- GEOL0006 Surface Processes
- GEOL0008 Geochemistry
- GEOL0015 Maps, images and structures
Year 2 Bsc/MSci
All modules are optional:
Term 1
- GEOL0009 Vertebrate Palaeontology
- GEOL0012 Global Geophysics
- GEOL0016 Structural Geology and Tectonics
- GEOL0076 Introduction to Environmental Geoscience
Term 2
- GEOL0010 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
- GEOL0013 Principles of Climate
- GEOL0017 Isotope Geology
- GEOL0018 Numerical Methods for Earth Sciences
- GEOL0073 GIS and Remote Sensing
- GEOL0077 Introduction to Mineral Resources
Year 3 Bsc/MSci
All modules are optional:
Term 1
- **GEOL0011 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology
- *GEOL0022 Ocean Physics and Climate Change
- *GEOL0026 Earth and Planetary Materials
- *GEOL0043 Tectonic Geomorphology
Term 2
- GEOL0023 Crustal Dynamics - Betics Field course
- GEOL0027 Groundwater Science
- GEOL0057 Geodynamics and Global Tectonics
- GEOL0068 Mineral Resources, Applied Geoscience and the Environment
- *GEOL0031 Environmental Geochemistry
- *GEOL0045 Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Change
- *GEOL0061 Statistics for Geoscientists
- *GEOL0069 Artificial Intelligence for Earth Observations
Year 4 Bsc/MSci
Core or compulsory modules
Term 1 and 2
Optional modules:
Term 1 and 2
Term 1
- GEOL0041 Physical Volcanology and Volcanic Hazards
- GEOL0044 Palaeoceanography
- GEOL0059 Origin of Life and Exobiology
- GEOL0062 Geological, Geotechnical and Hydrogeological Hazards
- GEOL0067 The Science, Policy and Ethics of Climate Intervention
Term 2
- GEOL0036 Advanced Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary studies
- GEOL0042 Earthquake Seismology and Earthquake Hazard
- GEOL0066 Meteorological and Hydrological Hazards
We look past Earth to the solar system and beyond. In addition to an academic understanding of Earth structure, history and mechanisms, geoscientists work to provide solutions for problems in water supply, energy supply and conservation, construction and pollution control.
Stream Leader: Professor Nicholas Brantut