System Earth

Course goals

Note: The course information in the study guide is binding.

1. Building foundational knowledge and skills for understanding the Earth sciences (geology). Students are introduced to key Earth science concepts such as the geological record and the history of the Earth, including major events such as mass extinctions, as well as gradual and cyclical changes and their underlying causes. Attention is also given to evolution, natural climate and climate change, and paleontology (the study of fossils).

2. Applying this knowledge to explain how the history of the Earth has been reconstructed and how natural resources such as fossil fuels, gemstones, and (precious) metals are formed. In addition, students learn how Earth scientific knowledge has historically developed within the context of the history of science.

3. Skills: recognizing and describing rocks, basic skills in GIS (Geographic Information Systems), and the use and interpretation of geological subsurface data.

Content

The course provides an introduction to the Earth sciences and addresses the structure, history, and dynamics of the Earth from an integrated geological perspective. The following topics are covered:

• the history of geography and geology as scientific disciplines;
• the origin and structure of the Earth in a planetary perspective;
• minerals, rocks, and the basic principles of plate tectonics;
• weathering, erosion, and mass movements as processes shaping the Earth’s surface;
• soil systems and groundwater;
• paleoenvironmental reconstruction and interpretation of the geological record;
• climate systems and climate change on different timescales;
• stratigraphy and the geological timescale;
• fossils, evolution, and mass extinctions;
• structure and dynamics of the atmosphere;
• glacial and periglacial processes and landscapes;
• formation and occurrence of ores and other geological resources;
• basic principles of planetary science.

The practical sessions (tutorials/labs) focus on developing practical Earth science skills and applying theoretical knowledge to geological and geomorphological materials. During these sessions, students actively work with maps, rocks, fossils, landscape analysis, and digital geodata. The following components are included:

• rock identification and classification using hand specimens (igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks), including interpretation of their formation processes;
• interpretation of the geological record and reconstruction of paleoenvironmental conditions based on sedimentary structures and fossils;
• fossil analysis and the use of fossils for relative dating and paleoecological interpretations;
• analysis of geomorphological landforms such as river terraces, coastal features, and glacial landforms;
• map interpretation and contour-line analysis using topographic maps;
• working with digital geological subsurface data and introduction to national geodata resources;
• basic skills in GIS (Geographic Information Systems) for analyzing and visualizing spatial Earth science information;
• application of Google Earth and other digital visualization tools for landscape interpretation;
• analysis of river and coastal systems in relation to climate, tectonics, and sea-level change;
• application of geological knowledge to natural resources, such as ores and fossil fuels.