Geoscience

Stream Leader

Prof Paul Upchurch: p.upchurch@ucl.ac.uk

Aims

The Geoscience stream focuses on the physical and chemical processes that drive the Earth’s engine and their manifestations at the surface, as well as the environment including past life and climate. We observe processes operating at the surface today preserved in the geological record and view the evolution of the life through fossil right up to the present day. On this treams, you will learn to apply ideas from areas like chemistry, mathematics and physics to understand what the Earth and planets are made of, what their properties are, and how they make the Earth such an active plane as well as become skilled with instruments, data collection and computational analysis.

Objectives

Students who complete this stream will understand:

How the Earth came to be
What is Earth made of? How do we know?
What are the properties and behaviour of Earth materials, from rock to ice?
What is the structure of the interior? How do we know?
How has Earth’s environment changed?
Earthquakes and seismology
Volcanoes and volcanology - how did volcanoes make Earth’s atmosphere? How is that reflected in the rocks and sediments at the surface?
Physics of oceans and atmospheres.
Geofluids: water, ice, magma and hydrocarbons
Geophysical data, computation, equipment and analysis
Geological data, computation, equipment and analysis
How has life changed? How is that reflected in the fossil record?
A comprehensive view of Earth’s system and its dynamical evolution

Year 1

Stream combinations with Astrophysics; Physics; Physical Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics:

Students must take:

and should choose 15 credits from:

Surface Processes (GEOL0006) (includes a field trip)
Geochemistry (GEOL0008)
Maps, Images and Structures (GEOL0015) (includes a field trip)

Genetics, Evolution and Environment; History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science streams:

Students must take:

The Earth (GEOL0007)

Students should choose 30 credits from:

Dynamic Earth (GEOL0004)
Surface Processes (GEOL0006) (includes a field trip)
Geochemistry (GEOL0008)
Maps, Images and Structures (GEOL0015) (includes a field trip)

Year 2

Stream combinations with Astrophysics; Physics; Physical Chemistry, Mathematics and Statistics:

Students must take:

Global Geophysics (GEOL0012)

Students should choose 30 - 45 credits from:

Stream combinations with Genetics, Evolution and Environment; History, Philosophy and Social Studies of Science:

Students must take:

Vertebrate Palaeontology and Evolution (GEOL0009)

Students should choose 30 - 45 credits from:

The Geosciences stream combines with: