625-102 Understanding Planet Earth

None, but earth sciences 625-101 is recommended.

This subject examines the fundamental elements that make up Planet Earth. Topics include identification of rock-forming and strategic ore-forming minerals; understanding how igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks form and evolve and their plate tectonic context; the fundamental structure of the earth including the origin of mountain ranges; folding and faulting; the relationships between rock series in space and time; and dating of rocks in absolute and relative terms. The palæontology part of this unit covers the nature of fossils, their use, evolution and extinctions, including a review of the key groups of fossil invertebrates on Planet Earth. Fieldwork trips to local Victorian sites are an opportunity to gain a foundation in geological techniques, observation and analysis and to collect fossils.

On completion of this subject, students should understand and be able to identify the basic components that make up Planet Earth; comprehend the diversity of the rock-forming minerals, the processes by which rocks form and evolve; the use of structural geology in interpreting the relationships between rock units in time and space; and the contribution of palæontology to the study of evolution. Students will appreciate the contribution of mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, sedimentology and palæontology to the interpretation of the history of Planet Earth.

A 3-hour written examination; a 2-hour practical examination at the end of the semester. Short tests may also be held during the practical sessions. A reading topic will be assessed in the examination.

• Hamblin and Christiansen, Earth's Dynamic Systems. 9th edn, Prentice Hall.