Key facts

Type	Weekly Classes
Location	Reading
Address	London Road Campus Reading.
Dates	Wed 24 Apr to Wed 26 Jun 2013 Day: Wednesday Time of meeting: 7.00-9.00pm Number of meetings: 10
Subject area(s)	Geology
CATS points	10
Fees	From £145.00
Application status	Course cancelled
Course code	R12P462PYW
Course contact	If you have any questions about this course, please email ppweekly@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Overview

There has been considerable recent media interest in the geological history of the British Isles and this course enables students to explore the range of evidence for the evolution of the UK.

Description

Following the widespread acceptance of the concept of Plate Tectonics approximately 40 years ago after the long period of apparent rejection of Wegener's Theory of Continental Drift for half a century, studies of the geological evolution of most parts of the globe have integrated Plate Tectonics into discussion of the geological history of different regions. This course initially introduces students to the basic principles of geology and particularly the concept of plate tectonics. Thereafter the course examines the tectonic structure of the British Isles through a study of various regions and its contribution to the geological history of these selected areas. An underlying principle of the main part of the course is to commence with older regions of the British Isles and end with increasingly detailed studies of younger (local) areas of south-east England.

Programme details

Week 1: Brief introduction to plate tectonics and basic geology.
Week 2: Tectonic history of NW Scotland
Week 3: Geological history of Northern England
Week 4: North Wales and Anglesey
Week 5: South Wales
Week 6: SW England
Week 7: Yorkshire Dales and N York Moors
Week 8: East Anglia
Week 9: The Weald
Week 10: Thames Valley "Uplift History"

Background reading:
Bennison G.M.: The geological history of the British Isles
Duff and Smith (Eds): Geology of England and Wales
Anderson and Owen, 1980: The structure of the British Isles (2nd ed or later)
Woodcock and Strachan, 2000: Geological history of Britain and Ireland

Staff

Course aims

Course aim:
To introduce students to recent discoveries in the tectonic evolution of the British Isles.

Course objectives:
1. A brief consideration of the significance of plate tectonics upon the geological evolutionof the British Isles.
2. To consider the geological evidence for the geological evolutionof selected regions in the British Isles.
3. To be able to apply this understanding to appreciate the geological history of the wider region.

Assessment methods

Students may produce an c 1000-word assignment or essay or portfolio. This may take the following forms:
Field reports, or a number of shorter pieces of coursework (max 5) undertaken throughout the course, constituting a portfolio.

Teaching methods

Series of interrupted, illustrated lectures
Practical classes
Opportunities for regular fieldwork under the aegis of the Newbury Geology Study Group (NGSG.org.uk)

Teaching outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be expected to:
1. have a basic understanding of plate tectonics;
2. to be able to apply this knowledge to the geological history of different regions of the British Isles, and
3. to be able to appreciate the significance of plate tectonics in a wider context.

Fee options

Programme Fee

Home/EU fee: £145.00

Non-EU fee: £145.00

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