Earth's history

Teacher(s)

Vanacker Veerle;

Language

French

Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.

Main themes

Topics treated in lectures include : - the constituent minerals of rocks - the different types of rocks and their mode of occurrence - the mode of formation of these rocks by magmatic, sedimentary and metamorphic processes - the deformation of the earth's crust and the resulting structures, at all scales - the chronological criteria used to recontruct the history of the earth's crust - the geology of Belgium and neighbouring areas. The practical classes are devoted to : - geological map-reading and three-dimensional interpretation using cross-sections - macroscopic identification of rocks and their forming minerals.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	The course examines a certain number of basic concepts that underlie important geological phenomena, and that have practical applications in the spatial perception of our environment.

Content

This course covers the history of our planet, and presents a chronology of the geological time including the major geological and paleo-geographical events and biological evolution. The course also resumes a number of geological concepts laying the foundations of current paradigms in earth sciences.
During the practical exercises, we will discover geological maps, and read and interpret them in 3D using geological transects. We will also look into the nature of geological formation, and determine rock, mineral and fossil specimens.

Teaching methods

The teaching activities include lectures with active participation of the students, and learning sessions with exercises and practical work.

Evaluation methods

The evaluation is based on a written exam that complements the continuous evaluation during the semester. The written exam will be in the form of open questions and multiple choice questions. The continuous evaluation will take place during the practical sessions, and aims to evaluate the students' capacity to apply their knowledge to identify rock, mineral and fossil specimens, and to interpret geological maps by using structural schemes and geological transects.

Online resources

https://moodleucl.uclouvain.be/course/view.php?id=9022

Teaching materials

• Stanley, S.M., Luczaj, J.A., 2015. Earth System History. 4th Edition. W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, US.
• Boulvain, F., Pingot, J.L., 2015. Genèse du sous-sol de la Wallonie. Academie Royale de Belgique, Mémoire de la Classe des Sciences, Collection in-8°, IV° série, tome V. IMP Printing s.a., Ganshoren.

Faculty or entity

GEOG