Students wishing to complete a BSc majoring in Earth Science will take the following subjects over a three year period, subject to satisfactory progress. A fourth year of honours study in Geology is required for professional qualification. The modules that the students must take to major in geology are as follows. Students wishing to specialise in Environmental Geochemistry will take this programme and include 3rd year Environmental Geochemistry as one of their elective modules.   All students in the department take the same first year curricula of Geo-Environmental Science First Semester GEOM 124 - Introduction to Human-Environmental Systems Second Semester GEOM 154 - Introduction to Earth Systems Science Full Year GEOL166 - Earth Science Field Skills (information coming shortly)       In the second year onwards, students take the following compulsory subjects. Second Year Full Year GEOL 278 - Mineralogy     GEOL 266 - Earth Science Field Skills (information coming shortly)   Second Semester GEOL 244 - Physical Earth Sciences and Introduction to Structural Geology     OGC 214 - Introduction to Environmental Geochemistry Third Year First Semester GEOL 314 - Advanced Igneous Petrology and Isotope Applications     GEOL 324 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy   Second Semester GEOL 344 - Element Movement, Exploration Geology - geophysics and geochemistry     GEOL 354 - Metamorphic Petrology and Tectonics   Full Year GEOL 366 - Earth Science Field Skills (information coming shortly)       Third Year Elective for Environmental Geochemistry Specialisation First Semester OGC 314 - Environmental Geochemistry In addition to these subjects, students registered for the BSc Earth Science Program may also take Geography and Environmental Studies subjects as electives. In brackets after the subject name is given the number of credits the subject is worth, the number of lectures, the length of the practical session in hours and the language specification)   GEOM 124 - Introduction to Human-Environmental Systems (16, 3L, 3P, T) Nature of human geography; demography of world population; food resources; Urbanisation: models of urban structure, functional areas of cities, cities in developing countries; Politico-geographical organisation:nations and states in conflict, regions in the news; environmental systems on a global scale; fluvial, arid, karst, coastal and glacial environments, ecosystems and humans; utilisation of environmental resources; global occurrence, use and depletion of non-renewable energy, water and soil resources.   GEOM 154 - Introduction to Earth Systems Science (16, 3L, 3P, T) Introduction to earth systems science; star-forming processes; the solar system and the Earth; internal Earth processes; mineral- and rock-forming processes; origin of magma and igneous rocks; external structure of the Earth; formation of continents; plate tectonics; sedimentary rocks and the geological record; geological time scale; metamorphic rocks and mountain building; humans and tectonics; earthquakes and volcanoes; the hydrosphere; surface water processes; groundwater processes; theory of the origin and evolution of life. Coordinator Dr Rene Boshoff   GEOL 278 - Mineralogy (32, 3L, 3P, E) Physical and chemical properties of minerals Introduction to the optical microscope, the description and identification of minerals in thin-section; the description of rocks in hand-specimen and thin-section; rock textures and tectonic environments Classifying and identifying igneous rocks, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks PP Geology 114 or Geo-Environmental Science 114, Chemistry 114, Physics (Bio) 178 or Physics 114, 144 Coordinator Dr Jodie Miller   GEOL 244 - Physical Earth Sciences and Introduction to Structural Geology (16, 3L, 3P, T) Physical Earth Sciences: planar and linear elements in structural geology; uses of the geological compass; principles of stereographic projection; classification of fabrics, folds and fault zones; structural interpretation of geological maps, block diagrams; cross sections and strike-parallel sections; geological mapping techniques, plane table, theodolite, GPS, photogeology Structural Geology: Forces, stress and strain, rheology of geological materials, fissures and fracture planes, foliations and lineations, faults and fault zones, folding and boudinage, halokineses, intrusion mechanisms, structural control of fluid flow, introduction to plate tectonic principles, relationship between tectonics, metamorphism and sedimentation. PP Geology 114, 144 or Geo-Environmental Science 114 Lecturer Prof Alex Kisters   OGC214 - Introduction to Environmental Geochemistry (16, 3L, 3P, T) The natural geochemical cycles of elements at the surface of the Earth, as well as effects of human activities upon these cycles; the distribution and transport of chemical substances between the atmospheric, continental and marine environments; interactions between chemical, geological, physical and biological environmental processes; analysis of environmental geochemical data (geochemical modelling techniques and methods). PP Geology 214, 244 P Chemistry 114, 154 Lecturer Dr Cathy Dowding   GEOL 314 - Advanced Igneous Petrology and Isotope Applications (16, 3L, 3P, T) Petrochemistry: major elements, trace elements, ultra trace elements, stable isotopes, radiogenic isotopes, differentiation, partial melting, contamination, mixing. Gabbros/basalts, granites/rhyolites, diorites/andesites, ultramafic rocks, high-potassium calc-alkaline rocks, economic applications, experimental petrology. Field school during the April holidays PP Geology 214, 244 P Chemistry 114, 154 Lecturer Dr Jean-Francois Moyen   GEOL 324 - Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (16, 3L, 3P, T) Origin, composition and classification of sedimentary rocks. Sedimentary textures and structures. Depositional environments. Basement analyses/facies analyses. Stratigraphic principles. South African stratigraphy. Geophysical log correlation / interpretation. PP Geology 214, 244 P Chemistry 114, 154 Lecturer Dr Daniel Mikes   GEOL 344 - Element Movement, Exploration Geology - geophysics and geochemistry (16, 3L, 3P, T) Element migration. Exploration geology and geochemistry. Geophysics. Classification and genesis of mineral deposits. Economic geology of Africa with emphasis on Southern Africa. Introductory geostatistics. Mineral resource calculations and geometry. Mineral economics. Environmental impact studies PP Geology 214, 244 P Chemistry 114, 154 Lecturer Prof Abraham Rozendaal   GEOL 354 - Metamorphic Petrology and Tectonics (16, 3L, 3P, T) Metamorphic petrology: classification schemes for metamorphic rocks, first principles of thermodynamics, chemical equilibrium, metamorphic zones and facies, metamorphism of pelites, mafic and ultramafic rocks, carbonates, calc-silicates and felsic rocks, fluids related to metamorphism, reaction textures, metamorphism and tectonics, P-T time curves. PP Geology 214, 244 P Chemistry 114, 154 Lecturer Prof Ian Buick   OGC 314 - Environmental Geochemistry (16, 3L, 3P, T) - Third Year Elective Module Anthropogenic activities and associated pollution in soil and aqueous and atmospheric environments, e.g. heavy metals, radionuclides, toxic organic compounds, petroleum products and acid mine drainage. Sampling, analysis and monitoring studies in modern environments. Geochemical techniques used to obtain records of long-term environmental change. The basic principles of stable and radiogenic isotope techniques applied to environmental case studies. Geochemical models and biogeochemical cycles. PP Environmental Geochemistry 214 PP Chemistry 214, 244 PP Mathematics 114 or PP Mathematics (Bio) 124 Lecturer Prof Alakendra Roychoudhury