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Geosciences for the Low Carbon Transition

Overview

  • Credit value: 30 credits at Level 6
  • Convenor and tutor: Prof Becky Briant
  • Assessment: a 3000-word industry report (100%)

Module description

Broaden your perspective on the role of geoscientists (geographers and earth scientists) in solving climate change: the low-carbon transition that we need can only happen with your skills. In this module we will look at real industry case studies and the geoscience knowledge you would need to enable these projects to happen successfully. You will first learn about resource constraints, impacts of fossil-fuel extraction and consumption (i.e. climate change) and elements of the transition to a low-carbon society, including essential (chemical feedstuffs, lubricants, flux, specialised fuel) versus non-essential uses of fossil fuels (most fuel use). Case studies (with guest speakers) will include:

  • Onshore low-carbon energy infrastructure (coastal processes and sea-level rise with regard to nuclear power, geological disposal facilities), deep and shallow, seismic hazards 
  • Sustainable transport (tunnelling and subsidence, surface sediments and stable embankments/slope processes, landslides) 
  • Offshore renewables (seismic interpretation, marine sediment movements/processes, complex Quaternary deposits) 

Field and laboratory experience 

The module will include a one-day field trip to a relevant site depending on the availability of industry partners each year. 

Learning objectives

By the end of this module, you will be able to:

  • understand the need for a low-carbon transition and the role of geoscientists in supporting this process
  • understand how geological and geomorphological datasets are used in industry
  • apply your theoretical understanding to industry case studies
  • evaluate the risk associated with different interpretations of geological datasets
  • interpret borehole datasets and use them to build basic ground models
  • interpret seismic data from onshore and offshore
  • create a basic geomorphological map using remote sensing
  • describe and interpret Quaternary sediment sequences and rocks in section.

Skills development 

  • Borehole interpretation 
  • Seismic interpretation 
  • Geomorphological mapping 
  • Remote sensing 
  • Ground modelling 
  • Report writing