| Module Identifier |
EA32310 |
| Module Title |
EVOLUTION OF THE PLANETS |
| Academic Year |
2004/2005 |
| Co-ordinator |
Dr Nicholas J G Pearce |
| Semester |
Semester 1 |
| Pre-Requisite |
|
| Course delivery |
Lecture | 16 Hours 8 x 2 hours |
| |
Seminars / Tutorials | 2 x 3 hour sessions for group presentations |
| |
Practical | Practicals / Field Days. 2 x 2 hours |
| Assessment |
| Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Written exam. | 40% |
| Semester Assessment | Essay: Independent project essay (to be submitted to the module co-ordinator by the end of week 11) | 30% |
| Semester Assessment | Presentation: Verbal group presentation (15 mins) | 15% |
| Semester Assessment | Presentation: Verbal group presentation (15 mins) | 15% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resit: Available for written examination and independent project essay only. Group project marks to be carried forward to resits. Independent project essay to be submitted to the Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences General Office by the day of the resit examination. | |
|
Learning outcomes
On succesful completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of :-
-
factors which determine our position in the solar system
-
how our planet relates to our near neighbours in space
-
a range of transferable skills and the preparation and presention of coursework material in small teams
-
a Planetary Geology CAL package
-
the retrieval of information from the Internet
Aims
This module will provide an understanding of the geological evolution of the terrestrial bodies within the solar system, and allow comparisons to be made between the Earth and the other rocky bodies.
Content
This module deals with the geological evolution of the terrestrial planets in the context of the overall chemical and physical evolution of the solar system. It will explain the processes which shape the solid surfaces of the planets and explain how these surfaces are analysed.
The module will consist of a series of lectures, some petrological practical (particularly the study of meteorites and lunar rocks), video materials and oral presentations by students. An extensive CAL package is available, which provides all additional information for this module can be accessed from all computer terminals on campus. In addition students will need to obtain information for one presentation from data available on the Internet.
Lecture themes will cover the following areas:-
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Why are we here and what lies out there?
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How do stars and planetary systems evolve?
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What happens during the formation and differentiation of planets?
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What is the fate of all the gases? - the gas giant planets
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An overview of the general features of the solid rocky planets.
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What are the different types of meteorites?
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The terrestrial planets of the inner solar system and Io.
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The geological evolution of the Moon.
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The geology of the other terrestrial planets.
Reading Lists
Books
** Recommended Background
R. Greeley (1993) Planetary Landscapes
2nd edition. Chapman & Hall, London; 286pp
J.K. Beatty, C.C. Peterson and A. Chaikin (1999) The New Solar System
4th edition. Cambridge University Press
W.K. Hartmann (1999) Moons and Florets
Wadsworth Publishing Co.
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6