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Overview

Discover Earth's past, explore its present, and help shape the future; learn about dynamic processes that shape our planet. Field trips around local Zealandia - Earth's youngest, most active continent.

This paper introduces geological reasoning applied to current environmental and resource challenges such as climate change, sustainability, and natural hazards. To understand how Earth and humanity will respond to these challenges, we must look to past periods of global change captured by the geological record. Integrated field and laboratory investigations are used to inform understanding of the spatial and temporal scales of Earth processes, and the ways in which they shape Earth and our lives. This paper serves as a strong foundation for all natural and environmental sciences, and anyone wanting to make informed decisions about Earth and its resources.

About this paper

Paper title Dynamic Earth: A New Zealand Perspective
Subject Geology
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Semester 2 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,318.20
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Schedule C
Science
Contact
geology@otago.ac.nz
Teaching staff

Paper Coordinator:Andrew Gorman
Various academic staff from the Department of Geology

Teaching Arrangements

Three 50-minute lectures and one 3-hour lab per week.

Three weekend full-day field trips are required (choice of Saturday or Sunday). 

Textbooks

Recommended:

  • Physical Geology First University of Saskatchewan Edition (v1, January 2019). https://openpress.usask.ca/physicalgeology  & interactive version at opentextbc.ca/geology/
  • A Continent on the Move: New Zealand Geoscience into the 21st Century. Graham, Ian (Chief Editor) 2008. Geological Society of New Zealand and GNS Science, Wellington. 388Earth.
Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Critical thinking, Environmental literacy, Information literacy.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

After completing this paper you will be able to:

  • Work with authentic spatial and temporal Earth science data from a variety of sources to generate and evaluate multiple working hypotheses
  • Reconstruct past Earth processes using field observations and interpretations of the geologic record
  • Integrate active Earth processes and geologic records of the past to make predictions about the future

Overview

Discover Earth's past, explore its present, and help shape the future; learn about dynamic processes that shape our planet. Field trips around local Zealandia - Earth's youngest, most active continent.

This paper introduces geological reasoning applied to current environmental and resource challenges such as climate change, sustainability and natural hazards. To understand how Earth and humanity will respond to these challenges, we must look to past periods of global change captured by the geological record. Integrated field and laboratory investigations are used to inform understanding of the spatial and temporal scales of Earth processes, and the ways in which they shape Earth and our lives. This paper serves as a strong foundation for all natural and environmental sciences, and anyone wanting to make informed decisions about Earth and its resources.

About this paper

Paper title Dynamic Earth: A New Zealand Perspective
Subject Geology
EFTS 0.15
Points 18 points
Teaching period Semester 2 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Schedule C
Science
Contact
geology@otago.ac.nz
Teaching staff

Paper Co-ordinator: Professor Dave Prior

Various academic staff from the Department of Geology.

Teaching Arrangements

Three 50-minute lectures and one 3-hour lab per week.

Three weekend full-day field trips are required (choice of Saturday or Sunday). 

Textbooks

Recommended:

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Global perspective, Interdisciplinary perspective, Lifelong learning, Critical thinking, Environmental literacy, Information literacy.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

After completing this paper you will be able to:

  • Work with authentic spatial and temporal Earth science data from a variety of sources to generate and evaluate multiple working hypotheses
  • Reconstruct past Earth processes using field observations and interpretations of the geologic record
  • Integrate active Earth processes and geologic records of the past to make predictions about the future
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