EAE3540 Geology in the field
Faculty of Science
EAE3540 Geology in the field is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Science, offered in 2022 in Winter at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2022
- Winter
- Clayton
- Assessment
- No exam
- 5 tasks
This is the 2022 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before EAE3540
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After EAE3540
No unit lists EAE3540 as a prerequisite in the 2022 handbook.
Enrolment rules
PROHIBITION: ESC3180
PREREQUISITE: You should have completed EAE3531, EAE3511 or EAE2532. Exemptions can be applied for with the Chief Examiner.
Overview
Three days on campus plus a fourteen-day field trip during the mid-year vacation. The unit aims to teach the skills of geological mapping in a classic field location of Australian geology. The emphasis will be on observing, recording, and interpreting geologic phenomena in the field. You will draw on a theoretical background of lectures and laboratory studies in first, second and third-year geology to analyse real rocks in the real world. You will use your observations and interpretations to construct geological maps and cross-sections and determine the geological history of a complex poly-deformed terrane.
Offerings in 2022
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Winter semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Pre-trip quizOther10%
- Construction of a geological mapOther60%
- Construction of a geological cross-sectionOther15%
- Rock testOther10%
- Field performanceOther5%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Observe and interpret the distribution of lithologies and structures in the field;
- 2
Describe the basic concepts of field mapping techniques;
- 3
Produce a geological map and cross-sections from field observations;
- 4
Visualise complex three-dimensional geometries;
- 5
Unravel the geological history of a complexly deformed terrane;
- 6
Determine overprinting relationships from field geology;
- 7
Work in a team environment and communicate with peers.
Workload and teaching
- Practical activities8 hours
- Practical activities100 hours
- Lectures6 hours
- Teaching approachField trips
- Teaching approachActive learning
14 days in the field over the mid-year vacation including travel and 3 orientation days on campus prior to departure.
·
- Orientation day in the field where most lithologies are observed, discussed and described
- Group mapping initially led by demonstrators during which demonstration of how to record the information collected from outcrops on maps and in notebooks will be made. Emphasis on what important features in the rocks are to be observed and described. Demonstration of mapping as a scientific exercise (observations at one location dictate where to go next – practicing hypothesising).
- Later – group mapping with random visits from demonstrators to check on progress and comprehension and provide corrective instructions if required.
Pre-field trip practical lectures and hands on observations – learning minerals and rocks recognition from hand samples, how to read a rock and record important information from rocks in the rock garden, practicing the use of the geologist’s tool (compass).
Where it fits
EAE3540 is part of 3 areas of study in the 2022 handbook.
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Laurent Ailleres
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Laurent Ailleres
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for EAE3540?
EAE3540 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is EAE3540 offered?
In 2022, EAE3540 runs in Winter at Clayton.
Does EAE3540 have an exam?
No. EAE3540 has 5 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include EAE3540?
EAE3540 is part of Earth science.