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The planet's surface and the environment including past life and climate
In the Earth and Environment Stream you focus on the surface and the environment including past life and climate. We observe processes operating at the surface today preserved in the geological record and view the evolution of the life through fossil up to the present day.
Objectives
Our objectives in the Earth and Environment are to understand:
- How the Earth and life came to be.
- What is Earth made of? How do we know?
- How has Earth's environment changed?
- How did volcanoes make Earth's atmosphere?
- How is that reflected int the rocks and sediments at the surface?
- How has life changed?
- How is that reflected in the fossil record?
- Geological data, computation, equipment and analysis
- A comprehensive view of the Earth's system and its chemical and life evolution
Modules:
- Year 1
All Earth and Environment stream students must take:
The Earth (GEOL0007) History of Life (GEOL0003) and choose 15 credits from: From Petrology to Petrogenesis (GEOL0002) Dynamic Earth (GEOL0004) Surface Processes (GEOL0006) (includes a field trip) - Year 2
All Earth and Environment stream students must take:
Vertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution (GEOL0009) and choose 30 - 45 credits from: Earth Materials (GEOL0001) Geochemistry (GEOL0008) Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (GEOL0010) (includes a field trip during the Easter break) Maps, Images and Structures (GEOL0015) (includes a field trip during the Easter break) Isotope Geology (GEOL0017) Introduction to Astrobiology (XBK0023, Birkbeck College - evening course) - Year 3
“Major Stream chooses 30-45 credits, and Minor Stream chooses 0-5 credits
All Earth and Environment stream students majoring must take:Biodiversity and Macroevolutionary Patterns A (GEOL0021) Earth Resources and Sustainability (GEOL0025) Students majoring take 30 - 45 credits and students minoring take 0 - 15 credits of the following: Crustal Dynamics, Mountain Building and Basin Evolution (GEOL0023) (field course) Geological and Environmental Mapping (GEOL0024) Groundwater Science (GEOL0027) Advanced Geochemistry (GEOL0031) Statistics for Geoscientists (GEOL0061) - Year 4
All Earth and Environment stream students must take:
Independent MSci Project (GEOL0072) - Msci Research Project Earth Resources and Sustainability (GEOL0025) Students majoring can take 30 - 60 credits and students minoring can take 0 - 30 credits of the following: Earth and Planetary Materials (GEOL0026) Sustainable Management of the Environment (GEOL0035) Palaeoceanography (GEOL0044)
This programme may be modified. Notice of any changes will be posted on the Natural Sciences website.