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Earth Sciences Research Project (ERTH40001)
HonoursPoints: 25On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
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Semester 1
Semester 2
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
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The School of Earth Sciences is home to a large and diverse range of research programs. Interests include the solid Earth, the fluid Earth (including our atmosphere and oceans) and processes that operate at the interface between these upon which all life on Planet Earth depends. Current research activities include: Climate Variability and Change, Atmosphere and Ocean Dynamics, Synoptic and Mesoscale Meteorology, Hydrogeology and Aqueous Biogeochemistry, Sedimentary Geology and Palaeontology, Palaeoclimate and Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction, Thermochronology, Neotectonics and Landscape Evolution, Ore Deposit Geology, Geochemistry and Geochronology, Structural Geology, Tectonics and Geodynamics, Thermodynamics of Metamorphic Systems (THERMOCALC), Geochemistry and Geochronology of Magmatic Systems, Noble Gas Geochronology and Geochemistry, Computer Simulation of Geological and Geophysical Fluid Dynamics, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth's Deep Interior, and Energy: Resources and Futures.
This subject comprises a major piece of original supervised research on a topic as agreed by the student and their supervisor. A literature review is conducted in the first six months of candidature and includes a research proposal describing the aims, significance and approach of the project.
Students enrol in a total of 75 points of research project across the duration of the Honours program. This is achieved by enrolling in a combination of the following subjects in appropriate semesters to achieve a total 75 credit points.
- ERTH40001 Earth Sciences Research Project
- ERTH40003 Earth Sciences Research Project
- ERTH40006 Earth Sciences Research Project
This subject (ERTH40001 Earth Sciences Research Project) is the 25 point version for one semester.
Intended learning outcomes
The objectives of the research project are to provide students with the opportunity to:
- synthesise existing literature on a topic of interest and devise an appropriate research project that addresses key outstanding questions in the field;
- plan an appropriate program of data acquisition and manipulation (e.g. modelling) in order to constrain the questions being addressed;
- interpret the results of their work, perhaps suggesting further avenues for research beyond the scope of their project;
- prepare a written report of their results.
Generic skills
On completion of their research project students will have had the opportunity to gain new skills in:
- planning and conducting a program of research
- exercising critical judgement
- undertaking rigorous and independent thinking
- adopting a problem-solving approach to new and unfamiliar tasks
- developing high-level writing report and oral presentation skills
- interrogating, synthesizing and interpreting the published literature and
- field-work (where applicable)
Last updated: 3 November 2022