| Unit name | Physical Volcanology |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC30062 |
| Credit points | 10 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6) |
| Unit director | Professor. Rust |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
N/A |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
N/A |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
More than a billion people live within 100 km of a Holocene volcano. It is therefore important to understand the causes and consequences volcanic eruptions. In the UK we are far from active volcanoes, but even here volcanoes can affect our climate, and cause havoc to our airspace through volcanic ash carried by winds. Also, subvolcanic processes are important for critical metal and energy resources that are increasingly important with the energy transition.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This is an optional unit for Environmental Geoscience, Geology and Geophysics programmes.
An overview of content
This unit explores how volcanoes work. The overall aim is to develop an understanding of the physics of volcanic processes and apply this knowledge to understanding volcanic eruptions.
Topics such as the properties of magma and the kinetics of crystallization and vesiculation will be linked to the dynamics of various styles of volcanic eruptions. You will learn how models built with basic physics, chemistry and fluid dynamics provide insights into how and why volcanoes erupt. You will also learn how to infer processes that occurred during volcanic eruptions from studying eruption products.
Finally, what you've learned about volcanology will be related to other fields including climatology, petrology, engineering, natural resources and hazards.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will know how volcanoes work and how volcanology relates to other fields. You will also have increased confidence in a range of scientific approaches.
Learning Outcomes
You should be able to:
The unit will be taught through a combination of lectures and problem-based and inquiry-based practical sessions.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Practical exercises will be completed each week to reinforce and expand on content from lectures. Worked solutions and general feedback on practical assignments will be posted on Blackboard. Analogue experiments will be done in groups and formative feedback on the design, analysis and interpretation of the experiments will be provided through small-group discussions with the unit director.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
End-of-unit 2-hour examination (100%)
When assessment does not go to plan
The University’s Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC30062).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
