Earth Science Options Booklet 2013-2014

Earth Science Options Booklet 2013-2014

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Earth Science Options Booklet 2013-2014

THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

School of GeoSciences

Grant Institute of Earth Science

FOURTH YEAR COURSE

EARTH SCIENCE

OPTIONS

2013 - 2014

SEPTEMBER 2013

Options for Earth Scientists 2013-14 September 2013

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Earth Science Options Booklet 2013-2014

INTRODUCTION

As you will be aware from the Fourth Year Geology Honours Course Information booklet, you are able to select 30 points worth of Options to complete your timetable and total the 120 points you require at level 10. this Booklet provides you with more detailed information on the Options available to, to assist you in your selections. Environmental GeoScience students should refer to the EG 4th years Honours booklet for eligible option courses.

You will find that some options are run in the first Semester (all of the GEGR options, and some EASC options), some in semester 2 (EASC), and in one case (GeoScience Outreach) across the Semesters. Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality usually runs in a short mid-term block. In planning your year you should be aware of the impact your selection of Options will have on your workload balance between semesters, and plan accordingly.

Each EASC Option (and the ZLGY option Dinosaur Palaeobiology) contributes 10 points on the 120 point scale and 100 marks towards your final degree examination total. GEGR options are each worth 20 points (and so count 200 marks to your 1200 for the year). As an indication of time commitment, each 10 point Option is nominally of 20-25 hours total contact time. However, students should liaise with their individual Option organiser (named for each Option in this Options Booklet) for details of content, location and exact timings. Option assessments vary option by option, so it is important to check with the relevant CO (e.g. project work vs essays vs presentations vs exams). All forms of assessment are subject to either double-marking or moderation.

You will select either 3 of the 10 point options from the list (EASC and ZLGY) on the next page of this booklet, or 1x10 point option and 1x20 point GEGR option, or 1x10 point option and the 20 point version of the Geoscience Outreach option. Make your selection(s) by informing the Student Support Co-ordinator (SSC: Emma Latto). Do this by the end of week 1 of Semester 1 (i.e. September 20th). Emma will ensure that the course code is duly confirmed in EUCLID and the Option is added to your list of courses and points. She will ensure that your Personal Tutor is made aware of your choices. Practical considerations may require operation of a quota system – we generally will not run an Option if the number of students wishing to take it is less than a critical, option specific, threshold number. All options have maximum quotas on student numbers, so if you are slow to choose you may not find a place available on your favourite option!

In any case, whatever your preferences and intentions, please ensure that you contact and discuss with the relevant options COs the nature and content of their option before you sign up to take it. This is especially important for those of you who might wish to take Dinosaur Palaeobiology, which is a course run from Zoology, or any of the Geography options.

Your option assessment(s) must be submitted to the relevant Teaching Office (in Grant for EASC options, in Drummond for GEGR options), which will pass it on to the appropriate Option course organiser, by the date set. In the case of EASC semester 2 options this will generally be at or near the end of Semester 2, but hand-in dates will vary as the types of assessment involved in each option necessarily differ, as noted above. Your Option CO is the person to address any requests to regarding deadlines in his/her option course.

In the case of GEGR options please note carefully the hand-in dates given on page 16 of this booklet, these are also listed here:

Deadline for GEGR option taken in Semester 1 : 7th November, 2013

Deadline for GEGR option taken in Semester 2 : 13th March, 2014

LIST OF OPTIONS 2012-2013

Earth Science-based Options (EASC)

EASC10015HYDROCARBON RESERVOIR QUALITY

(Stuart Haszeldine)

EASC10022TOPICS IN GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

(Raja Ganeshram)

EASC10058GEOSCIENCE OUTREACH (10 point option)

(Jenny Tait)

PGGE11155Carbonate SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY

(Rachel Wood)

EASC10073ADVANCES in METAMORPHISM

(Simon Harley)

EACS10077HYDROGEOLOGY II

(Chris McDermott)

EASC10082 Hydrogeology 1

(Chris McDermott)

EASC10083MARINE SYSTEMS and POLICY (10 point version)

(Meriwether Wilson)

EASC10084EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES

(Bryne Ngwenya)

EASC10085Geophysical Techniques for Terrestrial

Environmental Applications

(Kathy Whaler)

EASC10087GEOSCIENCE OUTREACH and ENGAGEMENT

(20 point option)

(Isla Myers-Smith and Jenny Tait)

ZLGY10026Dinosaur Palaeobiology

(Dr Nick Colegrave, Zoology)

Geography-based Options (GEGR)
GEGR10023Catchment Water Resources

(Neil Stuart)

GEGR10039Principles of Geographical Information Science
(William Mackaness)
GEGR10055Remote Sensing and Global Climate Change
(Iain Woodhouse)
GEGR10075Glacial Processes AND GEOMORPHOLOGY

(Peter Nienow)

GEGR10094Eroding Landscapes: Mountains, Hills and Rivers

(Mikael Attal)

GEGR10103Volcanoes, Environment and People

(Andy Dugmore)

GEGR10108Landscape Dynamics - techniques and applications

(Linda Kirstein, Andy Hein)

TIMETABLE OF EASC AND ZLGY OPTIONS

Semester / Options / Day/Time / Course Organiser
1 / Hydrogeology 1 / Fri 1400 – 1700 / C. McDermott
2 / Hydrogeology 2 / Tues 1400 – 1700 / C. McDermott
2
Weeks 1-5 / Advances in Metamorphism / Thurs 0900-1200
(weeks 1-4)
Mon 1000-1300 (week 5) / S. Harley
2 / Earth surface processes / Tues 0900-1200 / B. Ngwenya
2 / Marine systems and policy / Fri 0900-1245 / M. Wilson
All year / Geoscience outreach / variable / J. Tait
2 / Geophysical techniques for terrestrial environmental applications / Fri 1400-1700 / K. Whaler
2
Weeks 3-10 / Topics in global environmental change / Wed 0900 – 1200 / R. Ganeshram
2
Weeks 3-7 / Carbonate Sequence Stratigraphy / Tues 0900-1300
Start date: Jan 14 / R. Wood
2
Weeks 1-4 / Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality / Mon 1000 – 1600 / S. Haszeldine
2
Weeks
1-5 / Dinosaur Palaeobiology / Tues 0930 – 1050
Thurs 0930 – 1050 / N. Colegrave

EASC10015Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality

(Prof. Stuart Haszeldine)

Description

This course is based on understanding the physical arrangement of grains in sandstones and carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs, with reference to fluid flow, sedimentology and to geochemistry. This entails an understanding of sediment deposition, burial, and modifications during burial. This has important applications to petroleum exploration and production, and also helps to understand more about water aquifers.

The focus will be on several scales: firstly, on the basin setting and gross basin architecture; secondly, on the reservoir scale depositional (in)homogeneities; thirdly, the cementation and dissolution effects at the pore scale, with integration of geological setting, basin modelling, geochemical measurements and petrological measurements. Topics include Sandstones and Carbonates. This will help understand how to predict good, or poor, quality porosity and permeability within a basin.

Delivery will be through a series of four lecture days, shared with MSc classes from Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt. Formative assessment is by class dialogue and interaction.

The option will be presented at 1000-1600 on Monday 13th, 20th and 27th of January and 3rd of Febraury at the Crew Building, room 302.

Objectives

To develop an understanding of how sandstone and carbonate reservoir porosity and permeability in the subsurface is influenced by sedimentological effects of grain size and sorting, and then, by effects of compaction, cementation and dissolution.

Components of Assessment

Essay 100%

EASC10022Topics in Global Environmental Change

Dr Raja Ganeshram (CO), Prof. Dick Kroon, Prof. Gabi Hegerl, Prof. Simon Tett, Dr. Peter Nienow

Description

Investigation of controversial 'hot-topics' in the subject areas of global environmental variability and change. These topics will be introduced by the lecturer, read about by all students, using recent articles in the literature, then will form the basis for student seminars and general group discussion. Themes will vary with year, depending on what is topical. Examples of topics from past years are:

a)Orbital forcing and glacial-interglacial cycles

b)Climate stability and climate change on geologic timescales

c)Carbon and climate

d)What caused the glacial-interglacial changes in CO2?

e)Orography and climate change

f)Mechanisms of abrupt climate change

g)Recent climate variability

h)Future climate change predictions

I)Ice sheet stability and climate

Objectives

The objective is to develop an understanding and recognition of the principal agents of climate and environmental change, the subject areas of continued uncertainty, the strengths and weaknesses of specific research methodology, and, importantly, to help further develop the student's skills in critical assessment of scientific literature, as well as seminar presentation and debate.

Components of Assessment

70% essay, 30% presentation & Class Participation

Timing:

Semester 2. Wednesday 9-12. Grant Institute Rm. 304B.

First Meeting: 11am Wednesday, 15th January 2013, Rm.304B

EASC10058Geoscience Outreach

Dr Jenny Tait (Course co-ordinator), Brian Cameron, Prof. Stuart Monro (Our Dynamic Earth), Dr Angus Miller (OLL and SESEF), George Meldrum and other GeoScience staff

Summary

Students will develop expertise in science outreach, teaching and/or knowledge exchange by working with external partners (clients) in schools, museums, science centres and other science education/engagement organisations, to design and develop specific resources and materials. Project ideas will be developed with guidance from the course team, other GeoSciences staff and members of the Scottish Earth Science Education Forum (SESEF). The number of students who can take this Option will depend on the availability of external clients.

Course Details

The course should take around 100 hours of work. An introductory meeting will be held early in first semester. Class meetings and progress meetings with individual students will be arranged from time to time, but most work will be done independently. Stuart Monro will present an introduction to Science Communication at Our Dynamic Earth science centre. Most project work will be timetabled around client needs and coursework/dissertation constraints.

Project Details

Students will work independently towards defined achievable goals. Where possible, projects will deliver resources to be used by clients in the longer term. Opportunities exist to undertake projects that contribute to the development of resources that support the new Scottish school curriculum.

Client Details

The client is the external person who briefs the student on project specification. Students will receive guidance in developing projects in an outreach context, to aim at an appropriate audience and deliver appropriate resources. Students will receive an introduction to the ethos of their clients and mentoring in elements of the project beyond the subject matter.

Student Details

The student will develop and maintain contact with the client, and supply a project of agreed form and content by a designated date. The student will consult the client for input and advice, or to modify the output as the project evolves. The student will also receive support as required from members of the course team and their peers.

Assessment

45% Report; 40% Reflective diary; Conference poster 10%. Details on LEARN

PGGE 11155Carbonate SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHY

(Prof. Rachel Wood)

Description

Carbonates contain over 50% Earth’s remaining hydrocarbons, and are important aquifers and potential sites for CO2 storage. Yet carbonate rocks have unique characteristics, and in particular, knowledge of how carbonate sediment production is controlled will aid prediction of reservoir properties, such as porosity and permeability, in the subsurface.

Sequence Stratigraphy attempts to subdivide and link sedimentary rocks on a variety of scales and explain these units in terms of variations in sediment supply and variations in the rate of change in accommodation space, often associated with changes in relative sea level.

The methods of Sequence Stratigraphy are of economic significance because these changes in sea level cause large lateral shifts in the depositional patterns of seafloor sediments. These lateral shifts in deposition create alternating layers of good reservoir quality rock (porous and permeable sands) and poorer-quality mudstones (capable of providing a reservoir "seal" to prevent the leakage of any accumulated hydrocarbons that may have migrated into the sandstones). Hydrocarbon prospectors look for places in the world where porous and permeable sands are overlain by low permeability rocks, and where conditions are right for hydrocarbons to be generated and migrate into these "traps".

This course is a Masters course, where you will join MSc Petroleum Geoscience and MSc Carbon Capture and Storage students.

Start date: Jan 14, for 4 weeks.

Objectives: In these lectures we cover:

1) The unique controls on carbonate production,

2) The basic concepts of sequence stratigraphy,

3) The recognition of sequences and bounding surfaces in seismic, core and wireline logs,

4) The uses and abuses of sequence stratigraphy

Components of Assessment

20% Practical assessment, 80% Essay

EASC10073 ADVANCES IN METAMORPHISM

(Prof. Simon Harley)

Description

Formal lectures/tutorials and practical sessions complemented by assignments and exercises undertaken by the students. The following topics will be covered:

  • Metamorphic Phase Diagrams – from AFM to Schreinemakers’ analysis, P-T pseudosections and further contoured phase diagrams.
  • Migmatites, melting and the importance of cordierite as a volatile-bearing phase. Calculated water activities during melting in the crust, role of CO2.
  • Advances in thermometry of UHT rocks using Ti in zircon and quartz, and Zr in rutile. Results, implications, caveats.
  • Reaction textures: Principles of interpretation and caveats, the roles of fluids, formation mechanisms, examples.
  • Advances in accessory mineral age dating: Zircon behaviour and linkage to P-T via reactions and chemistry; monazite and its behaviour; P-T-time paths and implications for rates and settings.

Practical (laboratory examination of material, graphical analysis and computer-based calculations of equilibria) will accompany all topics.

The option will utilise a basic knowledge of mineralogy, chemical equilibria and metamorphic petrology drawn from G3 course work.

Objectives

The student will develop an understanding of the graphical and thermodynamic principles and techniques used in the analysis of mineral equilibria in high-grade metamorphism. He/she will gain skills in applying these to perform calculations on metamorphic examples to extract P-T information, and be able to integrate this with microtextural observations and mineral age data to construct P-T-t records of crustal rocks. He/she will develop critical knowledge skills to appraise selected current literature.

Assessment

50% laboratory-based exercise, individually constructed for each student (combinations of Schreinemakers’ analysis, THERMOCALC / theriak-domino, Zr-Ti thermometry, monazite age calculation).

50% Presentation and critique of metamorphic work on selected UHT areas.

EASC10077 HYDROGEOLOGY 2: Simulation of Groundwater Flow and Transport

(Dr habil. Chris McDermott)

Level 10 – 4th Year, 10 Credits.

Pre-requisites

Normally the student taking this course will have taken and passed Hydrogeology 1. This may be waived under certain circumstances. Maths is not a pre-requisite, we are teaching hydrogeology not maths, but maths tools will be used.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course students should understand the principal areas, features, boundaries, terminology and conventions of groundwater and solute transport modelling. They should understand the concepts of the development of partial differential balance equations describing groundwater flow, solute and heat transport; have a good understanding of the finite difference and finite element methods of solving the balance equations and will understand calibration, validation, sensitivity analysis and verification. They should have a critical understanding of the principal theories, concepts and principles. Students will develop a hydrogeological conceptual model into a predictive model of groundwater and contaminant transport based on a scenario of saltwater intrusion into a coastal aquifer. Students should understand the key principles behind most numerical models of flow and transport (readily applicable beyond the field of hydrogeology) and will understand the key constraints required for solving the balance equations such as different boundary conditions, initial conditions, source terms, time control and mesh generation. Students will principally be trained in the use of a finite element research code, but also gain experience of an industry groundwater and solute transport model code, Visual Modflow.

The course covers the following topics:

  • Modelling groundwater flow and transport in the subsurface;
  • Hydrogeological relevant material parameters in the subsurface;
  • Worked examples of finite difference, finite element and finite volume modelling approaches
  • Generic model design
  • Tutorials and application of finite element software for flow and mass transport. (OpenGeosys)
  • Field visit and assignment of parameters

Assessment

Continuous assessment exercises 60%

Degree Examination 40%

EASC10082 HYDROGEOLOGY 1 : Applied Hydrogeology

(Dr. habil. C McDermott)

Groundwater management, geo-engineering, geothermal power, hazardous waste disposal, and contaminant transport are examples of areas that require an understanding of hydrogeology and groundwater movement. The same basic principles and concepts that apply to groundwater also apply to the movement of other fluids or gasses such as oil and CO2. This course will provide an introduction to applied geoscience, particularly hydrogeology, and illustrate the practical application of geoscience knowledge to real-life problems.

This course is a prerequisite for the Hydrogeology 2 course.

Topics covered and key learning outcomes

1: Introduction to Applied Hydrogeology

  • Understanding the hydrogeological cycle
  • Familiarity with different soil and rock physical properties
  • Understanding the distribution of groundwater
  • Understanding the mechanism behind capillary action
  • Understanding Darcy’s law
  • The difference between hydraulic conductivity and permeability
  • Hydrogeological classifications of the subsurface
  • Predicting regional groundwater flow systems
  • Creating a hydrological balance of an area

2: Soil description for Applied Geoscience purposes

  • Understanding the principles behind the applied description of soils and rocks
  • Understanding the meaning behind consistency, density and strength of soils
  • Ability to describe cohesive and non cohesive soils consistently
  • Familiarity with rock description
  • Ability to describe discontinuities in a formation
  • Meaning of RQD, SCR, TCR
  • Understanding the meaning of the term “rock mass”
  • Ability to read a polar plot of fractures

3: Groundwater flow