| Unit name | Evolution and Resources of the Continental Crust |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC30010 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18) |
| Unit director | Professor. Tim Elliott |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
Successful completion of the second year of a Single or Joint Honours Geology programme |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
This unit examines the processes involved in the generation and evolution of the continental crust, and how these have changed with time. Much of the continental crust has been destroyed, in that crustal material has been returned to the mantle, or reworked through mountain building, partial melting, sedimentation and erosion. Geochemical and isotope techniques are used to assess when the continental crust was generated, the amounts of crustal reworking, and how these have varied over the last 4 billion years of earth history.
