| Unit name | Earth Deformation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC20051 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Professor. Juliet Biggs |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Successful completion of a Year 1 Earth Sciences programme. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
Stress, strain and fluid flow in the Earth's crust causes deformation on a range of scales from grain-size micro-structures to entire mountain belts. Over geological time, this deformation has influenced the evolution of life, changes in climate and the formation of mineral resources, and on shorter timescales it is responsible for natural disasters. In this unit, you will:
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
Building on principles learned during the first year of an Earth Sciences degree programme, this unit examines deformation of the Earth in a more quantitative manner, exploring the underpinning geomechanics, the deformation processes operating in plate boundary regions and the resulting geological structures. This unit will develop key skills in collecting and analysing geological data in 3-dimensions and relating it to geo-mechanical principles and tectonic processes. The unit provides training in critical skills for subsequent units in the second and third years of the degree programme.
An overview of content
The topics covered are:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
This unit provides a quantitative, 3-dimensional understanding of stress and strain fields within the Earth and the geological structures that they produce. Students will gain confidence in collecting and analysing quantitative structural data and visualising dynamic processes. An understanding of tectonics, structural geology, geomechanics and geological mapping is required for accreditation of your degree, making your degree more valuable to employers.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion you will be able to:
This unit consists of problem-based lab exercises and a 1-week non-residential field course during which data are recorded in the field during the day and consolidated during evening sessions. The first day of the field course is spent in groups after which the class is split into pairs to undertake semi-independent mapping.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Formative assessment is built into every aspect of this practice-based course. In the lab-based sessions, you will be provided with interactive exercises on a range of problems and datasets in active tectonics, structural geology and geomechanics. By working through these problems in a laboratory environment, you will be provided instant feedback from the lecturer, demonstrators and your peers. In the field, you will receive formative feedback on your field notebooks and field slips at checkpoints and during evening sessions. There will be one formative assignment on which you will receive written feedback.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
Summative assessment will be through one 4-page practical submission (50%) and a mapping report (50%).
Penalties for exceeding the specific word and/or page limit will be applied.
When assessment does not go to plan
The University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC20051).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
