Key facts
UNE unit code: GEOL120
*You are viewing the 2025 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Trimester 2 - On Campus
- Trimester 2 - Online
- Armidale Campus
- Yes
- Yes
- No
- 6
Unit information
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As climate change and our reliance on fossil fuels reach a critical juncture globally, knowledge of issues in solid earth and environmental geology can add value to many scientific careers.
Extending your foundation from GEOL110, this unit offers a deeper dive into the building blocks of the planet, the materials that make up Earth’s crust and the processes driving their formation.
Hands-on experience with minerals, igneous and volcanic rocks enables you to learn about tectonic processes occurring within Earth’s crust, and the principles of sedimentology, palaeontology and stratigraphy facilitate understanding of processes that have shaped the surface of the Earth in deep time.
You will use real world applications of geophysical methods and environmental geology to explore Australia’s geological evolution, structural and metamorphic geology, and the occurrence and origin of natural resources.
Practical exercises provide key learning experiences, to reinforce the unit’s core concepts.
Offerings
For further information about UNE's teaching periods, please go to Principal Dates.
Teaching period | Mode/location |
---|---|
Trimester 2 | On Campus, Armidale Campus |
Trimester 2 | Online |
*Offering is subject to availability
Intensive schools
Start | Finish | Duration | Attendance | Offerings | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TBA | TBA | 4 days | Mandatory Intensive School | All offerings | Dates to be advised. |
Enrolment rules
Notes
The School of Environmental and Rural Science considers all practical/laboratory/tutorial activities as essential to student learning. Attendance and participation in all practical/laboratory/tutorial classes (sessions) is mandatory - exemptions will not be granted without supporting evidence.
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
![profile photo of Ria Mukherjee](https://www.une.edu.au/__data/assets/image/0005/509972/varieties/69x77.png)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- demonstrate a broad technical and theoretical knowledge of fundamental concepts in geology including stratigraphy, palaeontology, tectonics, geologic structures, metamorphism, natural hazards and mineral and energy resources;
- identify the most common rocks and minerals and understand processes leading to their formation/occurrence;
- understand and interpret geologic and topographic maps; and
- communicate geoscientific information to others using written and verbal formats.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Field Trip | Yes | 15% | All offerings | Excursion Reports No. Words: 1000 |
Major Assignment | Yes | 20% | All offerings | No. Words: 1000 |
Online Quizzes | Yes | 15% | All offerings | No. Words: Equivalent to 500 |
Practical | Yes | All offerings | The School of Environmental and Rural Science considers all practical/laboratory/tutorial activities as essential to student learning. Attendance and participation in all practical/laboratory/tutorial classes (sessions) is mandatory - exemptions will not be granted without supporting evidence. | |
Practical Exercises | Yes | 50% | All offerings | Laboratory and practical exercises No. Words: 1000 |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Note: Students are expected to purchase prescribed material. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Earth: Portrait of a Planet 7th edition and Geotours Workbook 2nd edition set
ISBN: 9781324025764
Marshak, S., Wiley 7th ed. 2022
Text refers to: All offerings
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