Earth's Surface and Interior (GEOL90022)

Earth’s Surface and Interior explores the geological processes that take place on the surface and in the interior of Earth, as recorded in the rocks and minerals of Earth’s crust and upper mantle. It centres around petrography – the practical ability to read rocks, interpreting their histories and the stories they tell about Earth’s characteristics and evolution over time. Students will also develop their skills in technical and scientific communication, including the scientific reporting of rock specimens, and the analysis of outstanding problems in the scientific literature.  

This subject is designed for students in the first year of their Master of Geoscience degree. In combination with the other first year core subjects, it allows all students to build the skills and understanding needed for advanced coursework subjects and research projects in the second year of the degree.  

Intended learning outcomes

Upon completion of this subject, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate a sound knowledge of Earth's fundamental characteristics, as revealed by its the rock-forming processes;
• Describe and classify a wide variety of rock and mineral samples in hand specimen and thin section, using scientific sketches and terminology;
• Propose and evaluate hypotheses regarding the rock-forming processes that created rock and mineral samples; and
• Explain and justify your interpretations in a technical communication, such as a report or presentation.

Generic skills

On completion of this subject, students should have developed the following generic skills:

• Effective written and oral communication skills;
• Time and workload management skills;
• Critical thinking skills;
• Problem-solving skills for new and unfamiliar tasks.