22
UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH
School of GeoSciences
4th YEAR
HONOURS COURSES
in
GEOPHYSICS
and
GEOPHYSICS
with
METEOROLOGY
2013 - 2014
CONTENTS
1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES 3
2. YEAR STRUCTURE 4
2.1 CORE COURSES 4
2.2 OPTIONAL COURSES 4
3. EXAMINATIONS 6
3.1. ADVICE ON THE AVOIDANCE OF PLAGIARISM 6
4. ASSESSMENT PROCESS 6
5. TUTORIALS 7
6. PROJECT WORK 7
6.1 PLAGIARISM AND PROJECT WORK 8
6.2 SUBMISSION DEADLINES 8
7. COMPUTING 8
8. OTHER TRANSFERABLE SKILLS 9
9. FIELDWORK 9
10. WORK SPACE AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS 9
11. SEMINARS 9
12. READING 9
13. PROBLEMS 10
14. COURSE MODIFICATION 10
SUMMARIES OF COMPULSORY COURSES 12
CORE GEOPHYSICS COURSE SUMMARIES 12
CORE GEOPHYSICS WITH METEOROLOGY COURSE SUMMARIES 16
CLASS TIMETABLES 2013-2014
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
1. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
(i) General geophysical knowledge
The taught material of Geophysics 4 and Geophysics with Meteorology 4 builds selectively on the comprehensive coverage of solid Earth Geophysics given in the second and third year Geophysics courses. You will find that the courses in fourth year tend to go into greater depth than those in previous years. Even though the fourth year does not aim to be as comprehensive in its coverage, you should maintain and extend your general knowledge of geophysics (and Geology or Meteorology) through background reading.
It is now also expected that you will attend all relevant research seminars from the wide range available in the Grant Institute and Crew Building.
(ii) In-depth exploration of selective techniques and problems
Geophysics (and Geology or Meteorology) courses in previous years provide building blocks needed in order to attain a level of practising Geoscientists. Most course components in the fourth year aim to provide the level of technical and fundamental rigour required for professional Geophysical practice or research. With this background, technical scientific literature should be accessible and understandable.
(iii) Development of individual skills of organisation and analysis
The research projects fulfil an important part of the educational aims of the course: they are an opportunity for you to work individually, planning and carrying out an investigation unique to you, acquiring practical skills in computing, laboratory or field work. You may do two 20-credit pojects, one in each semester, or one 40-credit project spread across the whole year. You are required to prepare a written report on each 20 credit project; the deadlines are at the beginning of S2 and the end of S2. For 40-credit projects you are required to produce an interim report at the start of S2. You will be given feedback, but no marks, for this report; all the marks for a 40-credit project are given on the final report. You will need to schedule the completion of your work to meet these deadlines. A short seminar is given on one of your projects during Innovative Learning Week. Planning your work, meeting deadlines, and providing clear, structured communication of what you have achieved, are essential skills for all kinds of employment. Note that if you choose to extend a 20-credit project to 40 credits, or to curtail a 40-credit project to 20 credits (so that you can do a separate 20 credit project in S2) then this decision must be taken before the end of S1. You must ensure that you, the CO for projects (David Stevenson), the course secretary and all supervisors involved understand the decision which you have made.
2. YEAR STRUCTURE
The basic course unit is a group of around 18 lectures, or what is judged to be equivalent. The compulsory course units are:
2.1 CORE COURSES
For Geophysics students
Global Geophysics / EASC10037 / Kathy WhalerSeismology / EASC10035 / Ian Main & Andrew Curtis
Geomagnetism / EASC10036 / Ciaran Beggan, Kathy Whaler & Brian Hamilton
Exploration Seismology / EASC10038 / Mark Chapman
Transferable Skills for Geophysicists / EASC10040 / Andrew Curtis
For Geophysics with Meteorology students
Atmospheric Physics / METE10002 / Richard Essery & David StevensonAtmospheric Dynamics / METE10001 / Ruth Doherty
Transferable Skills for Geophysicists / EASC10040 / Andrew Curtis
2.2 OPTIONAL COURSES
These are selected from the following optional courses or from agreed courses given in other degree programmes. For Semester 2 options, students are required to decide upon their preferred options by the end of week 11 in Semester 1 and there will be a formal procedure for notifying your choices. This procedure is required because some courses, in other subject areas, have restrictions on the number of students that can be accommodated.
All optional courses listed below are worth 10 credits.
Geophysics students require 30 credits of optional courses
Geophysics with Meteorology students require 50 credits of optional courses
Atmospheric Physics * / METE10002 / Richard Essery & David Stevenson / Semester 1, Tu & Fri 14.10-15:00Geomagnetism ‡ / EASC10036 / Ciaran Beggan & Brian Hamilton / Semester 1, Tu & Fri 11.10-12.00
Seismology ‡ / EASC10035 / Ian Main and
Andrew Curtis / Semester 1, M & Th 11.10-12.00 Fri 9.00-09.50
Three Dimensional Climate Modelling / ENVI11002 / Simon Tett / Semester 1 Fri 10.00-10.50
Hydrogeology 1: Applied Hydrogeology / EASC10082 / Chris McDermott / Semester 1, Fri 14.10-17.00
Atmospheric Dynamics * / METE10001 / Ruth Doherty / Semester 1, M & Th 14.10-15.00
Geoscience Outreach Projects / EASC10058 / All year. Contact CO re first meeting.
Global Geophysics ‡ / EASC10037 / Kathy Whaler / Semester 2, Tu & Fr 10.00-10.50
Exploration Seismology ‡ / EASC10038 / Mark Chapman / Semester 2,
Th 10.00 – 12.00 & F 9.00-9.50
Hydrocarbon Reservoir Quality / EASC10015 / Stuart Haszeldine / Semester 2, M 10.00 – 15.50 (W1-4 only)
Topics In Global Environmental Change / EASC10022 / Raja Ganeshram / Semester 2, Wed 9.00 – 12.00
Frontiers in Geophysics / EASC10070 / Wyn Williams & Jenny Tait / Semester 2, Wed 12.10-14.00
Physics of Climate** / METE10003 / Gabi Hegerl / Semester 2, Tues & Fri 14.00-14.50
Controlled source Electro-Magnetic (CSEM) Methods / EASC11003 / Anton Ziolkowski / Semester 2, Wed 11.00-11.50 & Fri 12.10-13.00
Hydrogeology 2 / EASC10077 / Chris McDermott / Semester 2, Tues 14.10-17.00
Foundations of Quantum Mechanics§ / PHYS09051 / Luigi del Debbio / Semester 1, Tue & Fri 9-9.50 Tutorial Wednesday 9-10.50
Thermodynamics**§ / PHYS09021 / Graeme Ackland / Semester 1, Mon and Thurs 10-10.50 Tutorial 16.10-17.00 Mon OR Thur
Foundations of Electromagnetism§ / PHYS09050 / Martin Edwards / Semester 1, Tue & Fri 10-10.50am, Tutorial Wed 11.10-13.00
** Optional for Geophysicists , unavailable for Geophysics & Meteorology
* Compulsory for the Geophysics with Meteorology students
‡ Compulsory for the Geophysics students
§Level 9 Physics course. You may only choose one (1) of these.
The Earth Science Options (other than the core Geophysics or Geophysics with Meteorology courses) are detailed in a separate booklet available from the Undergraduate Office. There is some information about all courses on the DRPS web site: www.drps.ed.ac.uk
3. EXAMINATIONS
The regulations for assessment may be found on the University web pages at
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-services/staff/assessment/assessment-regulations
Geophysics 4 and Geophysics with Meteorology 4 core lecture courses have traditionally been examined by conventional written examinations, at the end of the year, however Atmospheric Physics, Atmospheric Dynamics and Geomagnetism will be examined at end of Semester 1. Further details of the examination paper rubric are normally distributed either within individual courses or in semester 2.
The optional courses are examined in various different ways. Options given as part of the Geology Honours curriculum or in other Schools are often examined by continuous assessment.
It is expected that our external examiner will interview most final year students. These interviews are not absolutely compulsory, but most students wish to take part. This will normally take place during the first week in June. Exact dates are yet to be arranged, but you should ensure you are available in Edinburgh during that week.
The purpose of these interviews is twofold. Firstly it helps the examiner to assess the overall quality of the class and the degree course. This means that the rank order of grades cannot be modified by the examiner. Secondly the interview gives you a chance to provide feedback on what you think are the good and bad aspects of the degree. This feedback is invaluable as it allows us to alter the degree in future.
3.1. ADVICE ON THE AVOIDANCE OF PLAGIARISM
Advice to students on the issue of plagiarism appears in the Student Handbook, distributed to you separately, and Examination Regulations and Guidelines in the University Calendar. Please be on your guard against copying, whether unconscious or deliberate, and against requests for the use or borrowing of unsubmitted work by other students. In group work, the preparation of the actual written submission for assessment should be independent.
4. ASSESSMENT PROCESS
Courses are assessed through theory papers as set out above. These test your knowledge and understanding of the material covered in each 4th year course, and of material covered in earlier years where this has been developed and applied in the 4th year. They are also intended to examine the application of your understanding to problem-based situations as well as basic physics and geology.
The two projects count 20 credits each, transferable skills counts 10 credits and the seven compulsory courses and options have equal weighting of 10 credits, so making up a total of 120. The 4th year marks contribute 50% to the final degree classification, the other 50% being contributed by 3rd year marks.
The marking scheme used for projects can be found on the web at:
https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/geophysics/gph4/students/
Grade Marking Criteria and General Descriptors for Honours Years are given in a separate booklet.
5. TUTORIALS
Whole group tutorials are assigned in both semesters. During the period after lectures and project work has finished, revision tutorials will be arranged as needed. The format of tutorials varies and some may involve going through set work or giving seminars, but you should in any case take them as an opportunity to raise points of difficulty you have found in lectures.
6. PROJECT WORK
Each student is required to write two reports on project work done during the year. A list of projects being offered is available here:
https://xweb.geos.ed.ac.uk/~dstevens/teaching/GP_Projects_2013-14.pdf
Different projects can be taken in the two semesters (20 credits each), or one double project (40 credits) can be taken that spans both semesters. In either case two reports must be handed in for assessment. This academic year these deadlines will be:
Tuesday 14 January 2014 (12 noon): first report or interim report for whole year projects
Friday 4 April 2014 (12 noon): second or final report
Students are required to submit both a paper and electronic copy (on LEARN – pdf format) of their reports.
Projects handed in late will be penalised. You should therefore plan to complete projects at least a day or two in advance of the above dates, to allow for unforeseen circumstances such as printer, photocopying or binding service breakdowns (these are not valid excuses to waive late submission penalties). Any student who has problems that prevent him or her from meeting a deadline must inform the course organiser well in advance of the actual deadline so that the case can be assessed and a decision made as to whether late submission penalties can be waived.
It is essential that you start project work promptly and that you work steadily throughout the semester. In particular, students are responsible for ensuring that they meet with the Supervisor at least once per week to discuss progress.
Project work should occupy about one and a half days a week - no more than 150 hours of actual work on each. For projects involving fieldwork, students may have to work partly at weekends because of competition for use of equipment or vehicles. Because they have to be posted to the external examiner for assessment please conform to A4 format, for illustrations as well as text. Any other material for which A4 size is not appropriate can be written to USB key, or CD/DVD, and included in a pocket at the back. Please ensure the reports are spiral bound - this service is available through “The Copy Shop” in JCMB.
To provide feedback on your first project students are asked to give a short oral presentation on their first project in the middle of the second semester in Innovative Learning week. The purpose is to provide experience for the student but it is also assessed (2 credits towards ‘Transferable Skills for Geophysicists). The normal method of assessment is by peer-review.
All projects involve original research and results are therefore unpredictable to a greater or lesser extent. You will not be unfairly penalised if the project fails to generate the anticipated result or even any result at all, but it is essential to keep in frequent touch with your supervisor so that your project can be amended if necessary.
6.1 PLAGIARISM AND PROJECT WORK
It is very important that all students understand the University’s rules about plagiarism. Students sometimes break these rules unintentionally because they do not realise that some of the ways in which they have incorporated other people’s work into their own, before they came to this University, may be against the rules here.
Guidance on what constitutes plagiarism is provided in a separate booklet.
Plagiarism in connection with Geophysics project work is taken very seriously and marks will be deducted for misconduct. In particular any computer code included in project work not written by you should be clearly identified. Use of the www for providing background reading to project work is strongly encouraged. But any text downloaded and incorporated in a project report should be shown in italics or within quotation marks and the www address given in the list of references.
Misconduct and Plagiarism links –
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-services/students/undergraduate/discipline/academic-misconduct
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/academic-services/staff/discipline/plagiarism
6.2 SUBMISSION DEADLINES
The deadlines given in this booklet must be adhered to. The penalty for late submission of material without prior explanation and agreement is 5% of the maximum mark allocation per day for the first five days; the mark is reduced to zero after 5 calendar days.