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Geology and Geomorphology for the Low-Carbon Transition

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 6
  • Convenor and tutor: Dr Becky Briant
  • Assessment: a 3000-word industry report (100%)

Module description

Broaden your perspective on the role of geoscientists in solving climate change: the low-carbon transition that we need can only happen with your skills. In this module we will look at real industry case studies and the geological and geomorphological knowledge you would need to enable these projects to happen successfully. You will learn skills in borehole interpretation, seismic interpretation, geomorphological mapping, remote sensing and ground modelling among others that are regularly used in the workplace.

Indicative syllabus

  • Climate change, impacts of fossil-fuel extraction
  • Geology of hydrocarbons (including coal), different extraction methods and their impacts
  • Transition to a low-carbon society, including essential (chemical feedstuffs, lubricants, flux, specialised fuel) versus non-essential uses of fossil fuels (most fuel use)

Case studies

  • Onshore low-carbon energy infrastructure (coastal processes and sea-level rise with regard to nuclear power, geological disposal facilities), deep and shallow, seismic hazards
  • Sustainable transport (tunnelling and subsidence, surface sediments and stable embankments/slope processes, landslides)
  • Offshore renewables (seismic interpretation, marine sediment movements/processes, complex Quaternary deposits)
  • One-day field trip

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • understand the need for a low-carbon transition and the role of geoscientists in supporting this process
  • understand how geological and geomorphological datasets are used in industry
  • apply your theoretical understanding to industry case studies
  • evaluate the risk associated with different interpretations of geological datasets
  • interpret borehole datasets and use them to build basic ground models
  • interpret seismic data from onshore and offshore
  • create a basic geomorphological map using remote sensing
  • describe and interpret Quaternary sediment sequences and rocks in section.