School of Geography

You will study the following compulsory modules:

GEOG3600: Geography Dissertation

The dissertation (independent research project) is your chance to tackle a geographical research question (or questions) of your choice and to put into practice the skills and subject knowledge you have acquired in the first two years.

SOEE3060: Advanced Sedimentology and its Applications

• How do complex sedimentary successions arise in response to a range of both intrinsic operating processes and to a range of external controls such as sea-level change, climate change, and tectonic basin development?
• How do sedimentary successions in a variety of settings form important economic resources including, for example, the site of hydrocarbon reserves?
• What is the sedimentary response to global stratigraphic cyclicity driven by glacio-eustasy?
• How can the technique of sequence stratigraphy be applied to account for complex sedimentary successions and their style of accumulation within developing sedimentary basins?

Optional modules - one or two from the following level 3 BSc Geography modules:

GEOG3062: New Zealand Fieldtrip

The New Zealand field trip takes place in early December and lasts for two weeks. Initially, there is a guided tour of several glaciated parts of the Mt Cook National Park. You will then undertake an independent research project in the Matukituki valley near Wanaka, Mt Aspiring National Park. In this project you will study first-hand some of the most dynamic glacial, hydrological, geomorphological and ecological systems anywhere in the world. The module boasts an excellent staff-student ratio, exceptional resources in the form of supplementary material, and the field trip is an excellent example of research-led teaching because it capitalises on considerable staff research expertise in this area. As a student on this module, you will not be disappointed!

GEOG3065: Water Science and Management

• How do the natural dynamics of river systems influence their morphology, flows, water quality and biological communities?
• What are the most serious issues requiring the management of rivers and their catchments?
• How can hydrological and geomorphological alterations benefit river ecosystems by improving water quality?
• What are the approaches to managing water sustainably, both in an environmental context and within water supply/treatment networks?
• How do key water policies and legislation impact on the management of our rivers?

GEOG3180: Management of Wilderness and Global Ecosystems

• What are wildernesses and why should we protect them?
• How is the idea of wilderness linked to the rise of the 'environmental movement'?
• Why is wilderness an essential component of the ecosystem services model?
• How can GIS be used to identify, map and manage wilderness landscapes?
• What is rewilding and why should we create more wilderness?
• How does wilderness feature in world conservation policy?

GEOG3440: Environment, Conflict and Policy

• What are the key principles underlying policies aimed at solving environmental conflicts?
• What is the fundamental science underlying the application of these key principles?
• How do actual environmental disputes develop and how can contrasting viewpoints of different stakeholders be reconciled?
• When does the politics of policy sometimes override science?
• How can negotiation skills be used in practise to manage debates on environmental conflict?

GEOG3520: Workplace Co-operative Project

This module is mutually exclusive with GEOG3820: Research Placement. The module provides students with an opportunity to:

• Work in collaboration with an outside organisation on a project that is of use to the organisation and suitable as an advanced component of a degree in Geography.
• Design, negotiate, record and manage their work in cooperation with an academic supervisor and a member of staff from the outside organisation.

GEOG3690: Tropical forests and sustainable development

• How resilient have tropical rain forests been to environmental change during geological history?
• What is the role of glacial ‘refugia’ in shaping current tropical rain forest communities?
• How have indigenous people affected tropical rain forests landscapes?
• What factors control the diversity of tropical rain forests?
• How do tropical rain forests affect the climate system?
• Is sustainable development possible in SE Asia?
• What constraints on economic and social development are imposed by the fragile natural environments of SE Asia?
• How do national-governmental and international policies affect land-use in SE Asia?
• In a land-use context, what is meant by 'good governance'?
• What are the causes of land-use change in SE Asia and what is the relationship between land-use change and social and economic development?

GEOG3710: Digital worlds: computer simulation of Earth's dynamic environments

• What is an environmental model and why do scientists and environmental managers use models?
• How can models be both wrong and useful?
• How are models constructed?
• How are models tested and used both by practitioners (e.g., policy makers) and scientists?
• What is a numerical experiment and what can it tell us about an environmental system?

GEOG3820: Research Placement

This module is mutually exclusive with GEOG3012: New Zealand Research Project and GEOG3520: Workplace Co-operative Project. In this module students undertake a substantial piece of original research on a project put forward by an academic supervisor. Often, the project will be an important part of a wider research programme of the supervisor. Students will be expected to contribute to the design of the project and will gain an in-depth appreciation of how academics ‘do’ research. The module is useful for those considering a career in research through study for a higher degree (MSc or PhD).

GEOG3875: Biogeochemical Cycles: Process to Policy

Global biogeochemical cycles describe the movement of biologically important elements through the Earth System (the combination of atmosphere, oceans, rocks and biota). The processes which govern such cycles are fundamental to all life, and result in a complex series of interactions and feedbacks. This module takes an Earth System Science approach to the study of the global cycling of biologically important elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. You will learn about the processes governing the movement of these elements, and how to represent them using simple box models and address questions such as:

• How do biogeochemical cycles combine to control Earth evolution, regulation, and climate?
• How have humans impacted biogeochemical cycles, and what are the future implications of this?

GEOG3885: Ecosystems of the Quaternary

With a focus on the Quaternary period of Earth’s history (the last 2.6 million years), this module uses a palaeoecological approach to address the following questions:

• How have modern ecosystems come into being?
• How do plants and animals respond biogeographically to climate change?
• What effect have Quaternary climate cycles had on the evolution of species and communities?
• How can we apply this knowledge to managing the ecological consequences of human impact on the environment?

Optional modules - three to five of the following earth science modules:

SOEE3040: Easter Field Class (Geological Science)

• How are pure and applied geological concepts used in field situations?
• What are the main set of skills used by geologists for integration of field observations and synthesis of geological models?
• How are techniques for understanding the dynamics of formation, cooling, alteration of mid-oceanic ridges, their subsequent emplacement as ophiolites and their unroofing and post-emplacement history applied in a field-based situation?

SOEE3042: Easter Field Class (Environmental Geology)

• How are environmental geologic principles applied in the field?
• What are the main set of skills used by geologists for integration of field observations and synthesis of geological models?
• What are the main environmental impacts of mining and waste disposal, and earthquake/tectonic effects on structures?

SOEE3091: Advances in Paleontology

• What is the origin of life and what is its role in controlling Precambrian sedimentary environments?
• What form do chemosynthetic communities take?
• What is the form of the enigmatic Ediacaran fauna?
• How did the Cambrian explosion lead to diversification of life on Earth?
• What was the cause of the End-Ordovician extinction?
• How did the evolution of Tertiary floral communities take place and lead to the rise of grasses?
• What factors led to the rise of the hominids and H. sapiens?

SOEE3110: Earth System Science: Biogeochemical Cycles

• What are the major biogeochemical cycles and how they can be used to understand the Earth System?
• What are the general principles and science of biogeochemistry in relation to the Earth system?
• How can changes in biogeochemical cycles (past, present and future) have an affect on the Earth System, and vice versa?

SOEE3135: Engineering Geology

• What is the significance and importance of different rock and soil types, and their characteristics in engineering construction and design?
• How do geologists determine strength and other index properties of both intact rock, rock masses, single discontinuities and soil?
• How do geologists undertake geotechnical assessments?
• How do geologists undertake preliminary design of a Site Investigation?
• How do geologists provide an engineering description of rocks and soils?
• How do geologists design slopes and underground openings?
• How do geologists recognise and understand slope instability in soils and rocks?
• How do geologists analyse slopes for stability?

SOEE3171: Volcanic Processes

• What are the major types of volcanic eruptions and their products?
• What are the physical controls on eruptive processes and the transport and deposition of eruption products?
• What are the commonly used volcano monitoring and hazard assessment techniques?
• What are the major impacts of volcanic activity on climate?

SOEE3281: Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology

• How does groundwater fit into the hydrological cycle?
• What characteristics of rocks and soils determine aquifer quality?
• How do geologists interpret hydrogeological maps?
• How do geologists find groundwater fluxes in aquifers from hydraulic head data?
• How can a simple 'water balance' model of an aquifer be used to predict sustainable yields and predict the potential impacts of groundwater abstraction?
• What are the principles and uses of aquifer pumping tests?
• How do geologists evaluate the accuracy and completeness of a routine groundwater analysis?
• How does the chemical composition of natural groundwaters develop?
• What are the main mineral dissolution reactions giving rise to specific groundwater compositions?
• How do geologists describe the behaviour of key groundwater contaminants and the major threats to groundwater quality?
• How do geologists describe the main factors controlling aquifer vulnerability?

SOEE3480: Past Global Environmental Systems

• What approaches are used to interpret the interacting factors that have controlled the Earth's climate and global environments through geological time at times of both crisis and during background states that were fundamentally different to today?
• How are multidisciplinary data sources (geochemical, geological, palaeontological) integrated with palaeoclimate models and used to evaluate the causes of phenomena such as glaciation, mass extinction and intense greenhouse climates?

SOEE3500: Basin Dynamics and Petroleum Systems

• What are the origins of petroleum in the context of the geodynamic evolution, and the burial and thermal histories of sedimentary basins?
• What are the differing structural, magmatic and heat flow characteristics of continental margins?
• How do contrasting reservoir styles and hydrocarbon trap opportunities relate to the nature and evolution of the continental margin?
• How do teams of geologists work together to address petroleum exploration objectives within a quasi-commercial and competitive project to develop a drilling proposal?

SOEE3720: Environmental Geology in Northern Ireland

• How can interpretation techniques benefit from field-based observations in the disciplines of igneous petrology, sedimentary petrology and Quaternary geology?
• What was the geological development of Northern Ireland?
• How do geologists embed professional practice in environmental geology?

You will study the following compulsory modules:

SOEE3078: Independent Project

• How do geologists undertake independent field- or laboratory-based research-led studies?
• How are techniques of geological mapping executed in a field-based situation?

SOEE3060: Advanced Sedimentology and its Applications

• How do complex sedimentary successions arise in response to a range of both intrinsic operating processes and to a range of external controls such as sea-level change, climate change, and tectonic basin development?
• How do sedimentary successions in a variety of settings form important economic resources including, for example, the site of hydrocarbon reserves?
• What is the sedimentary response to global stratigraphic cyclicity driven by glacio-eustasy?
• How can the technique of sequence stratigraphy be applied to account for complex sedimentary successions and their style of accumulation within developing sedimentary basins?

Optional modules - two or three modules from the geography modules listed below:

GEOG3062: New Zealand Fieldtrip

The New Zealand field trip takes place in early December and lasts for two weeks. Initially, there is a guided tour of several glaciated parts of the Mt Cook National Park. You will then undertake an independent research project in the Matukituki valley near Wanaka, Mt Aspiring National Park. In this project you will study first-hand some of the most dynamic glacial, hydrological, geomorphological and ecological systems anywhere in the world. The module boasts an excellent staff-student ratio, exceptional resources in the form of supplementary material, and the field trip is an excellent example of research-led teaching because it capitalises on considerable staff research expertise in this area. As a student on this module, you will not be disappointed!

GEOG3065: Water Science and Management

• How do the natural dynamics of river systems influence their morphology, flows, water quality and biological communities?
• What are the most serious issues requiring the management of rivers and their catchments?
• How can hydrological and geomorphological alterations benefit river ecosystems by improving water quality?
• What are the approaches to managing water sustainably, both in an environmental context and within water supply/treatment networks?
• How do key water policies and legislation impact on the management of our rivers?

GEOG3180: Management of Wilderness and Global Ecosystems

• What are wildernesses and why should we protect them?
• How is the idea of wilderness linked to the rise of the 'environmental movement'?
• Why is wilderness an essential component of the ecosystem services model?
• How can GIS be used to identify, map and manage wilderness landscapes?
• What is rewilding and why should we create more wilderness?
• How does wilderness feature in world conservation policy?

GEOG3440: Environment, Conflict and Policy

• What are the key principles underlying policies aimed at solving environmental conflicts?
• What is the fundamental science underlying the application of these key principles?
• How do actual environmental disputes develop and how can contrasting viewpoints of different stakeholders be reconciled?
• When does the politics of policy sometimes override science?
• How can negotiation skills be used in practise to manage debates on environmental conflict?

GEOG3520: Workplace Co-operative Project

This module is mutually exclusive with GEOG3820: Research Placement. The module provides students with an opportunity to:

• Work in collaboration with an outside organisation on a project that is of use to the organisation and suitable as an advanced component of a degree in Geography.
• Design, negotiate, record and manage their work in cooperation with an academic supervisor and a member of staff from the outside organisation.

GEOG3690: Tropical forests and sustainable development

• How resilient have tropical rain forests been to environmental change during geological history?
• What is the role of glacial ‘refugia’ in shaping current tropical rain forest communities?
• How have indigenous people affected tropical rain forests landscapes?
• What factors control the diversity of tropical rain forests?
• How do tropical rain forests affect the climate system?
• Is sustainable development possible in SE Asia?
• What constraints on economic and social development are imposed by the fragile natural environments of SE Asia?
• How do national-governmental and international policies affect land-use in SE Asia?
• In a land-use context, what is meant by 'good governance'?
• What are the causes of land-use change in SE Asia and what is the relationship between land-use change and social and economic development?

GEOG3710: Digital worlds: computer simulation of Earth's dynamic environments

• What is an environmental model and why do scientists and environmental managers use models?
• How can models be both wrong and useful?
• How are models constructed?
• How are models tested and used both by practitioners (e.g., policy makers) and scientists?
• What is a numerical experiment and what can it tell us about an environmental system?

GEOG3820: Research Placement

This module is mutually exclusive with GEOG3012: New Zealand Research Project and GEOG3520: Workplace Co-operative Project. In this module students undertake a substantial piece of original research on a project put forward by an academic supervisor. Often, the project will be an important part of a wider research programme of the supervisor. Students will be expected to contribute to the design of the project and will gain an in-depth appreciation of how academics ‘do’ research. The module is useful for those considering a career in research through study for a higher degree (MSc or PhD).

GEOG3875: Biogeochemical Cycles: Process to Policy

Global biogeochemical cycles describe the movement of biologically important elements through the Earth System (the combination of atmosphere, oceans, rocks and biota). The processes which govern such cycles are fundamental to all life, and result in a complex series of interactions and feedbacks. This module takes an Earth System Science approach to the study of the global cycling of biologically important elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. You will learn about the processes governing the movement of these elements, and how to represent them using simple box models and address questions such as:

• How do biogeochemical cycles combine to control Earth evolution, regulation, and climate?
• How have humans impacted biogeochemical cycles, and what are the future implications of this?

GEOG3885: Ecosystems of the Quaternary

With a focus on the Quaternary period of Earth’s history (the last 2.6 million years), this module uses a palaeoecological approach to address the following questions:

• How have modern ecosystems come into being?
• How do plants and animals respond biogeographically to climate change?
• What effect have Quaternary climate cycles had on the evolution of species and communities?
• How can we apply this knowledge to managing the ecological consequences of human impact on the environment?

Optional modules - one to three modules from the earth science modules listed below:

SOEE3040: Easter Field Class (Geological Science)

• How are pure and applied geological concepts used in field situations?
• What are the main set of skills used by geologists for integration of field observations and synthesis of geological models?
• How are techniques for understanding the dynamics of formation, cooling, alteration of mid-oceanic ridges, their subsequent emplacement as ophiolites and their unroofing and post-emplacement history applied in a field-based situation?

SOEE3042: Easter Field Class (Environmental Geology)

• How are environmental geologic principles applied in the field?
• What are the main set of skills used by geologists for integration of field observations and synthesis of geological models?
• What are the main environmental impacts of mining and waste disposal, and earthquake/tectonic effects on structures?

SOEE3091: Advances in Paleontology

• What is the origin of life and what is its role in controlling Precambrian sedimentary environments?
• What form do chemosynthetic communities take?
• What is the form of the enigmatic Ediacaran fauna?
• How did the Cambrian explosion lead to diversification of life on Earth?
• What was the cause of the End-Ordovician extinction?
• How did the evolution of Tertiary floral communities take place and lead to the rise of grasses?
• What factors led to the rise of the hominids and H. sapiens?

SOEE3110: Earth System Science: Biogeochemical Cycles

• What are the major biogeochemical cycles and how they can be used to understand the Earth System?
• What are the general principles and science of biogeochemistry in relation to the Earth system?
• How can changes in biogeochemical cycles (past, present and future) have an affect on the Earth System, and vice versa?

SOEE3135: Engineering Geology

• What is the significance and importance of different rock and soil types, and their characteristics in engineering construction and design?
• How do geologists determine strength and other index properties of both intact rock, rock masses, single discontinuities and soil?
• How do geologists undertake geotechnical assessments?
• How do geologists undertake preliminary design of a Site Investigation?
• How do geologists provide an engineering description of rocks and soils?
• How do geologists design slopes and underground openings?
• How do geologists recognise and understand slope instability in soils and rocks?
• How do geologists analyse slopes for stability?

SOEE3171: Volcanic Processes

• What are the major types of volcanic eruptions and their products?
• What are the physical controls on eruptive processes and the transport and deposition of eruption products?
• What are the commonly used volcano monitoring and hazard assessment techniques?
• What are the major impacts of volcanic activity on climate?

SOEE3281: Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology

• How does groundwater fit into the hydrological cycle?
• What characteristics of rocks and soils determine aquifer quality?
• How do geologists interpret hydrogeological maps?
• How do geologists find groundwater fluxes in aquifers from hydraulic head data?
• How can a simple 'water balance' model of an aquifer be used to predict sustainable yields and predict the potential impacts of groundwater abstraction?
• What are the principles and uses of aquifer pumping tests?
• How do geologists evaluate the accuracy and completeness of a routine groundwater analysis?
• How does the chemical composition of natural groundwaters develop?
• What are the main mineral dissolution reactions giving rise to specific groundwater compositions?
• How do geologists describe the behaviour of key groundwater contaminants and the major threats to groundwater quality?
• How do geologists describe the main factors controlling aquifer vulnerability?

SOEE3480: Past Global Environmental Systems

• What approaches are used to interpret the interacting factors that have controlled the Earth's climate and global environments through geological time at times of both crisis and during background states that were fundamentally different to today?
• How are multidisciplinary data sources (geochemical, geological, palaeontological) integrated with palaeoclimate models and used to evaluate the causes of phenomena such as glaciation, mass extinction and intense greenhouse climates?

SOEE3500: Basin Dynamics and Petroleum Systems

• What are the origins of petroleum in the context of the geodynamic evolution, and the burial and thermal histories of sedimentary basins?
• What are the differing structural, magmatic and heat flow characteristics of continental margins?
• How do contrasting reservoir styles and hydrocarbon trap opportunities relate to the nature and evolution of the continental margin?
• How do teams of geologists work together to address petroleum exploration objectives within a quasi-commercial and competitive project to develop a drilling proposal?

SOEE3720: Environmental Geology in Northern Ireland

• How can interpretation techniques benefit from field-based observations in the disciplines of igneous petrology, sedimentary petrology and Quaternary geology?
• What was the geological development of Northern Ireland?
• How do geologists embed professional practice in environmental geology?

You will study the following compulsory modules:

SOEE3078: Independent Project

• How do geologists undertake independent field- or laboratory-based research-led studies?
• How are techniques of geological mapping executed in a field-based situation?

SOEE3060: Advanced Sedimentology and its Applications

• How do complex sedimentary successions arise in response to a range of both intrinsic operating processes and to a range of external controls such as sea-level change, climate change, and tectonic basin development?
• How do sedimentary successions in a variety of settings form important economic resources including, for example, the site of hydrocarbon reserves?
• What is the sedimentary response to global stratigraphic cyclicity driven by glacio-eustasy?
• How can the technique of sequence stratigraphy be applied to account for complex sedimentary successions and their style of accumulation within developing sedimentary basins?

Plus

SOEE3042: Easter Field Class (Environmental Geology)

• How are environmental geologic principles applied in the field?
• What are the main set of skills used by geologists for integration of field observations and synthesis of geological models?
• What are the main environmental impacts of mining and waste disposal, and earthquake/tectonic effects on structures.

Or

SOEE3720: Environmental Geology in Northern Ireland

• How can interpretation techniques benefit from field-based observations in the disciplines of igneous petrology, sedimentary petrology and Quaternary geology?
• What was the geological development of Northern Ireland?
• How do geologists embed professional practice in environmental geology?

and the following two modules:

SOEE3135: Engineering Geology

• What is the significance and importance of different rock and soil types, and their characteristics in engineering construction and design?
• How do geologists determine strength and other index properties of both intact rock, rock masses, single discontinuities and soil?
• How do geologists undertake geotechnical assessments?
• How do geologists undertake preliminary design of a Site Investigation?
• How do geologists provide an engineering description of rocks and soils?
• How do geologists design slopes and underground openings?
• How do geologists recognise and understand slope instability in soils and rocks?
• How do geologists analyse slopes for stability?

SOEE3281: Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology

• How does groundwater fit into the hydrological cycle?
• What characteristics of rocks and soils determine aquifer quality?
• How do geologists interpret hydrogeological maps?
• How do geologists find groundwater fluxes in aquifers from hydraulic head data?
• How can a simple 'water balance' model of an aquifer be used to predict sustainable yields and predict the potential impacts of groundwater abstraction?
• What are the principles and uses of aquifer pumping tests?
• How do geologists evaluate the accuracy and completeness of a routine groundwater analysis?
• How does the chemical composition of natural groundwaters develop?
• What are the main mineral dissolution reactions giving rise to specific groundwater compositions?
• How do geologists describe the behaviour of key groundwater contaminants and the major threats to groundwater quality?
• How do geologists describe the main factors controlling aquifer vulnerability?

Or the compulsory modules listed above plus

SOEE3500: Basin Dynamics and Petroleum Systems

• What are the origins of petroleum in the context of the geodynamic evolution, and the burial and thermal histories of sedimentary basins?
• What are the differing structural, magmatic and heat flow characteristics of continental margins?
• How do contrasting reservoir styles and hydrocarbon trap opportunities relate to the nature and evolution of the continental margin?
• How do teams of geologists work together to address petroleum exploration objectives within a quasi-commercial and competitive project to develop a drilling proposal?

SOEE3560: Field Class: Petroleum Reservoir Architectures

• What are the main events in the geological evolution of the North Sea Basin, with particular reference to its hydrocarbon potential?
• How are geological features observed across a range of scales, from seismic cross-sections to geophysical log data and to outcrop related?
• What are the main roles and interactions of geoscientists and petroleum engineers in developing a static reservoir model?
• What are the methods, nomenclature and parameters which are used to characterise source rock potential and the reservoir properties of rocks from outcrop and log data?
• How do primary depositional architectures and secondary diagenetic features, and faults and fractures influence fluid flow in hydrocarbon reservoir and aquifer analogues?
• What are the uncertainties in geological data analysis and in the modelling process with respect to a static reservoir model?

Optional modules - zero or one module from the Earth Science options listed below:

SOEE3040: Easter Field Class (Geological Science)

• How are pure and applied geological concepts used in field situations?
• What are the main set of skills used by geologists for integration of field observations and synthesis of geological models?
• How are techniques for understanding the dynamics of formation, cooling, alteration of mid-oceanic ridges, their subsequent emplacement as ophiolites and their unroofing and post-emplacement history applied in a field-based situation?

SOEE3091: Advances in Paleontology

• What is the origin of life and what is its role in controlling Precambrian sedimentary environments?
• What form do chemosynthetic communities take?
• What is the form of the enigmatic Ediacaran fauna?
• How did the Cambrian explosion lead to diversification of life on Earth?
• What was the cause of the End-Ordovician extinction?
• How did the evolution of Tertiary floral communities take place and lead to the rise of grasses?
• What factors led to the rise of the hominids and H. sapiens?

SOEE3110: Earth System Science: Biogeochemical Cycles

• What are the major biogeochemical cycles and how they can be used to understand the Earth System?
• What are the general principles and science of biogeochemistry in relation to the Earth system?
• How can changes in biogeochemical cycles (past, present and future) have an affect on the Earth System, and vice versa?

SOEE3135: Engineering Geology

• What is the significance and importance of different rock and soil types, and their characteristics in engineering construction and design?
• How do geologists determine strength and other index properties of both intact rock, rock masses, single discontinuities and soil?
• How do geologists undertake geotechnical assessments?
• How do geologists undertake preliminary design of a Site Investigation?
• How do geologists provide an engineering description of rocks and soils?
• How do geologists design slopes and underground openings?
• How do geologists recognise and understand slope instability in soils and rocks?
• How do geologists analyse slopes for stability?

SOEE3171: Volcanic Processes

• What are the major types of volcanic eruptions and their products?
• What are the physical controls on eruptive processes and the transport and deposition of eruption products?
• What are the commonly used volcano monitoring and hazard assessment techniques?
• What are the major impacts of volcanic activity on climate?

SOEE3281: Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology

• How does groundwater fit into the hydrological cycle?
• What characteristics of rocks and soils determine aquifer quality?
• How do geologists interpret hydrogeological maps?
• How do geologists find groundwater fluxes in aquifers from hydraulic head data?
• How can a simple 'water balance' model of an aquifer be used to predict sustainable yields and predict the potential impacts of groundwater abstraction?
• What are the principles and uses of aquifer pumping tests?
• How do geologists evaluate the accuracy and completeness of a routine groundwater analysis?
• How does the chemical composition of natural groundwaters develop?
• What are the main mineral dissolution reactions giving rise to specific groundwater compositions?
• How do geologists describe the behaviour of key groundwater contaminants and the major threats to groundwater quality?
• How do geologists describe the main factors controlling aquifer vulnerability?

SOEE3480: Past Global Environmental Systems

• What approaches are used to interpret the interacting factors that have controlled the Earth's climate and global environments through geological time at times of both crisis and during background states that were fundamentally different to today?
• How are multidisciplinary data sources (geochemical, geological, palaeontological) integrated with palaeoclimate models and used to evaluate the causes of phenomena such as glaciation, mass extinction and intense greenhouse climates?

SOEE3500: Basin Dynamics and Petroleum Systems

• What are the origins of petroleum in the context of the geodynamic evolution, and the burial and thermal histories of sedimentary basins?
• What are the differing structural, magmatic and heat flow characteristics of continental margins?
• How do contrasting reservoir styles and hydrocarbon trap opportunities relate to the nature and evolution of the continental margin?
• How do teams of geologists work together to address petroleum exploration objectives within a quasi-commercial and competitive project to develop a drilling proposal?

SOEE2232: Exploration Seismics

• What are the physical principles that underlie the application of the seismic refraction and reflection techniques to the determination of shallow structure and the exploration for hydrocarbons, water and other mineral resources?
• What are the techniques and equipment used to undertake exploration seismic surveys on land and sea?
• What techniques are used for the processing and interpretation of seismic refraction data?

Optional modules - two modules from the Geography options listed below:

GEOG3065: Water Science and Management

• How do the natural dynamics of river systems influence their morphology, flows, water quality and biological communities?
• What are the most serious issues requiring the management of rivers and their catchments?
• How can hydrological and geomorphological alterations benefit river ecosystems by improving water quality?
• What are the approaches to managing water sustainably, both in an environmental context and within water supply/treatment networks?
• How do key water policies and legislation impact on the management of our rivers?

GEOG3130: Alternative Urban Futures

• What are the different kinds of alternative futures urban areas face?
• How will key challenges such as peak oil, climate change, social and spatial justice impact on our urban spaces?
• What role will eco-modernisation, localisation, state renewal and grassroots democracy have to play in determining these futures?
• How will the multi-faceted nature of urban change impact on future urban scenarios and alternatives in practice?

GEOG3180: Management of Wilderness and Global Ecosystems

• What are wildernesses and why should we protect them?
• How is the idea of wilderness linked to the rise of the 'environmental movement'?
• Why is wilderness an essential component of the ecosystem services model?
• How can GIS be used to identify, map and manage wilderness landscapes?
• What is rewilding and why should we create more wilderness?
• How does wilderness feature in world conservation policy?

GEOG3440: Environment, Conflict and Policy

• What are the key principles underlying policies aimed at solving environmental conflicts?
• What is the fundamental science underlying the application of these key principles?
• How do actual environmental disputes develop and how can contrasting viewpoints of different stakeholders be reconciled?
• When does the politics of policy sometimes override science?
• How can negotiation skills be used in practise to manage debates on environmental conflict?

GEOG3520: Workplace Co-operative Project

This module is mutually exclusive with GEOG3820: Research Placement. The module provides students with an opportunity to:

• Work in collaboration with an outside organisation on a project that is of use to the organisation and suitable as an advanced component of a degree in Geography.
• Design, negotiate, record and manage their work in cooperation with an academic supervisor and a member of staff from the outside organisation.

GEOG3690: Tropical forests and sustainable development

• How resilient have tropical rain forests been to environmental change during geological history?
• What is the role of glacial ‘refugia’ in shaping current tropical rain forest communities?
• How have indigenous people affected tropical rain forests landscapes?
• What factors control the diversity of tropical rain forests?
• How do tropical rain forests affect the climate system?
• Is sustainable development possible in SE Asia?
• What constraints on economic and social development are imposed by the fragile natural environments of SE Asia?
• How do national-governmental and international policies affect land-use in SE Asia?
• In a land-use context, what is meant by 'good governance'?
• What are the causes of land-use change in SE Asia and what is the relationship between land-use change and social and economic development?

GEOG3710: Digital worlds: computer simulation of Earth's dynamic environments

• What is an environmental model and why do scientists and environmental managers use models?
• How can models be both wrong and useful?
• How are models constructed?
• How are models tested and used both by practitioners (e.g., policy makers) and scientists?
• What is a numerical experiment and what can it tell us about an environmental system?

GEOG3820: Research Placement

This module is mutually exclusive with GEOG3012: New Zealand Research Project and GEOG3520: Workplace Co-operative Project. In this module students undertake a substantial piece of original research on a project put forward by an academic supervisor. Often, the project will be an important part of a wider research programme of the supervisor. Students will be expected to contribute to the design of the project and will gain an in-depth appreciation of how academics ‘do’ research. The module is useful for those considering a career in research through study for a higher degree (MSc or PhD).

GEOG3875: Biogeochemical Cycles: Process to Policy

Global biogeochemical cycles describe the movement of biologically important elements through the Earth System (the combination of atmosphere, oceans, rocks and biota). The processes which govern such cycles are fundamental to all life, and result in a complex series of interactions and feedbacks. This module takes an Earth System Science approach to the study of the global cycling of biologically important elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous. You will learn about the processes governing the movement of these elements, and how to represent them using simple box models and address questions such as:

• How do biogeochemical cycles combine to control Earth evolution, regulation, and climate?
• How have humans impacted biogeochemical cycles, and what are the future implications of this?

GEOG3885: Ecosystems of the Quaternary

With a focus on the Quaternary period of Earth’s history (the last 2.6 million years), this module uses a palaeoecological approach to address the following questions:

• How have modern ecosystems come into being?
• How do plants and animals respond biogeographically to climate change?
• What effect have Quaternary climate cycles had on the evolution of species and communities?
• How can we apply this knowledge to managing the ecological consequences of human impact on the environment?