Planet earth; dynamic systems, environmental change and resources
Dr Sonia Esperanca and Dr Barbara Wagstaff
6 points * Three 1-hour lectures and one 3-hour practical per week * Second semester * Clayton * Prerequisites: ESC1011, or permission of the coordinator
This subject looks at the Earth, its rock and mineral constituents and the processes that have shaped this planet. It is a natural continuation of ESC1011, with a focus on the Earth itself. The global theory of plate tectonics serves as a framework for the examination of ocean basins and continents, earthquakes and volcanoes, the origin of mountain ranges and the formation of oil and mineral deposits. The subject further examines how these natural resources can be used sustainably. It explains why the distributions of plants and animals have changed through the past three and a half billion years and explores methodologies used to reconstruct past environments, using Australian examples to explain how modern day Australia developed.
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, 1994