EAE3541 · Geoscience: Igneous and metamorphic processes

Overview

The goal of this unit is to provide you with key skills required in a modern geosciences environment. These include a profound understanding of geological foundations of the Earth’s crust and the geochemical processes that led to its current expression. Knowledge of these processes is imperative for understanding societal issues such as mining waste, modern extraction methods of critical metals and environmental factors associated with passive human terraforming. The unit will include aspects of rock forming processes, the compositions of rocks, minerals and fluids, and modern analytical techniques.

Areas of study: Earth Science

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook lists an examination for this unit.

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

The Handbook lists no prerequisite, corequisite or prohibition for this unit.

Learning outcomes

1. Understand mineral reactions under changing environments, such as temperature, pressure or fluids, and subsurface mass movement;
2. Relate hard rock geologic concepts and genesis to other geoscience disciplines, such as ore geology and environmental sciences;
3. Translate idealised textbook concepts of rock forming processes within the Earth into more complex, natural rock relationships, including mineral reactions;
4. Apply the concept of geologic time and means to accurately measure it;
5. Synthesise data from real life examples and convert this into a scientific report;
6. Identify rock relationships in the field, in comparison to idealised laboratory environs.

Workload

Total 144 hours over 12 weeks, which includes: • Two 3-hour workshops per week • One 4-day field trip • Additional self-directed learning activities

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.