Planet earth and its environment - the cosmic connection
Dr Sonia Esperanca and Dr Barbara Wagstaff
6 points * Three 1-hour lectures and one 3-hour practical per week * First semester * Clayton
This subject looks at the Earth in the context of its place within the universe and solar system. Planetary geology examines the Earth with respect to its cosmological and planetological origins and compares the Earth and its atmosphere with the other planets. This leads into consideration of the global theory of plate tectonics, which, in turn, provides a framework for examining the processes that have shaped surface geology, both on the Earth and other planets. Comparisons especially between the Earth, Mars and Venus are made to contrast the environmental conditions that characterise these near-neighbours during the last four billion years, conditions which have been shaped by their location in the solar system, their level of tectonic activity and the presence or absence of living systems.
Assessment
Examinations (1 hour): 50% * Laboratory work: 30% * Fieldwork: 10% * Seminar participation: 10%
Prescribed texts
Hamblin W K The earth's dynamic systems 6th edn, Macmillan, 1992
Komarower P and others Exercises in earth and planetary science: A Pacific perspective Dept Earth Sciences, Monash University, 1994
Sagan C Cosmos Futura, 1980