The aim of this course is to introduce students to a variety of Coastal Environments and the major physical and chemical processes which control the morphodynamic evolution of these systems. The course offers a unique opportunity of learning the full spectrum of marine sedimentary environments from siliciclastic, temperate, highly urbanised and impacted estuarine ecosytems to carbonate, tropical, pristine and undeveloped/protected coastal and continental margin environments. The course includes field work at two of the Universities research stations, i. e. at Chowder Bay, Port Jackson and One Tree Island on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). The two parts of the course comprise physical and chemical processes in estuarine and carbonate-dominated coastal and continental margin environments.
The first part of the course covers basic morphodynamics and physical processes in estuarine environments and focuses on methods of assessing the magnitude of human impact on these valuable and sensitive ecosystems and judging the risks of sedimentary contaminants on benthic animals. A major part of this section is a project aimed at assessing the environmental status of a major embayment of the Sydney estuary.
The second part of the course covers the basic morphodynamics and processes impacting carbonate-dominated coastal and continental margin environments. The focus is on carbonate reefal and margin systems and their geologic and biologic responses to past, present and future environmental changes. These systems will also be studied in the field at The University of Sydney One Tree Island Research Station in the GBR and in some practicals. This fieldtrip is not compulsory but is strongly recommended as it will expose students first hand to a pristine, world class coral reef system. Students who are unable participate in the GBR field trip will be given an alternative assignment.

Advanced students will complete the same core lecture material as for GEOS3009 but will carry out more challenging projects, practicals, assignments and tutorials.

Coastal Management is about how scientific knowledge is used to support policy formulation and planning decisions in coastal environments. The course links coastal science to policy and practice in management of estuaries, beaches and the coastal ocean. The principles are exemplified through specific issues, such as coastal erosion, pollution, and impacts of climate-change. The issues are dealt with in terms of how things work in nature, and how the issues are handled through administrative mechanisms. These mechanisms involve planning strategies like Marine Protected Areas and setback limits on civil development in the coastal zone. The coastal environments and processes that are more relevant to coastal management including: rocky coasts; beaches, barriers and dunes; and coral reefs will also be introduced. At a practical level, the link between science and coastal management is given substance through development and use of 'decision-support models'. These models involve geocomputing methods that entail application of simulation models, remotely sensed information, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The course therefore includes both principles and experience in use of these methods to address coastal-management issues. (It thus also involves extensive use of computers.) Although the focus is on the coast, the principles and methods have broader relevance to environmental management in particular, and to problem-solving in general. That is, the course has vocational relevance in examining how science can be exploited to the benefit of society and nature conservation.

Advanced students will complete the same core lecture material as for GEOS3014 but will carry out more challenging projects, practicals, assignments and tutorials.

This unit examines the processes that form energy and mineral resources, outlines the characteristics of major fossil fuel and metal ore deposits and introduces the principles that underpin exploration strategies used to discover and develop geological resources. The unit will focus on a variety of topics including: coal; petroleum formation and migration, hydrocarbon traps and maturation; precious metal, base metal and gemstone deposit types; and exploration strategies. An integrated approach will relate tectonic processes through time to the formation of fossil fuel and mineral provinces. Practical exercises will introduce students to the techniques used to identify economically viable geological resources using a variety of exercises based on actual examples of resource exploration drawn from both the petroleum and minerals industry.

This unit has the same objectives as GEOS3102 and is suitable for students who wish to pursue aspects of the subject in greater depth. Entry is restricted and selection is made from the applicants on the basis of their performance at the time of enrolment. Students who elect to take this unit will participate in alternatives to some aspects of the standard unit and will be required to pursue independent work to meet unit objectives. Specific details for this unit of study will be announced in meetings with students in week 1 of semester.

Sediments and sedimentary rocks cover most of the Earth's surface, record much of the Earth's geological and climatic history and host important resources such as petroleum, coal, water and mineral ores. The aim of this unit is to provide students with the skills required to examine, describe and interpret sediments and sedimentary rocks for a variety of different purposes. Specific foci of the unit will be the identification of the recent or ancient environment in which sedimentary materials were deposited, the environmental controls which produce sedimentary structures, and the processes that control the production, movement and storage of sediment bodies. On completion of this unit students will be familiar with the natural processes that produce and modify sediments across a range of environments at the Earth's surface, including fluvial, aeolian, lacustrine, marginal marine and deep marine environments. The various controls on the sedimentary record such as climate and sea-level change, as well as diagenesis and geochemical cycles will also be discussed. Practical exercises will require students to examine global datasets, and determine the properties and significance of sediments and sedimentary rocks. The course is relevant to students interested in petroleum or mineral exploration, environmental and engineering geology as well as marine geoscience.

This unit has the same objectives as GEOS3103 and is suitable for students who wish to pursue aspects of the subject in greater depth. Entry is restricted and selection is made from the applicants on the basis of their performance at the time of enrolment. Students who elect to take this unit will participate in alternatives to some aspects of the standard unit and will be required to pursue independent work to meet unit objectives. Specific details for this unit of study will be announced in meetings with students in week 1 of semester.

This unit introduces the common geophysical methods used to investigate the interior and dynamics of the Earth and focuses on the techniques used for mineral and hydrocarbon exploration. On completion of this unit students will have developed a thorough understanding of the common geophysical methods utilised in academia, the environmental resource exploration industry. They will be able to evaluate and critically assess most forms of geophysical data as well as actively participate in geophysical explorations. Furthermore the course will provide the students with the computational skills to process different geophysical data in an applied, resource exploration-centred perspective. The unit is aimed at students with interests in land-based and marine resource exploration, plate tectonics, internal earth structure/dynamics, and near-surface investigations of groundwater resources and environmental pollution. Students wishing to specialise in the field and become professional geophysicists will normally need to expand upon the geophysics knowledge gained from this unit and either complete an honours project or progress to postgraduate coursework in this field. In 2013 a geophysical field prac will be run, taking the students out to an area to be determined to undergo practical experience in geophysical data acquisition (gravity, ground penetrating radar, magnetics), and subsequent processing and interpretation of the data.

This unit has the same objectives as GEOS3104 and is suitable for students who wish to pursue aspects of the subject in greater depth. Entry is restricted and selection is made from the applicants on the basis of their performance at the time of enrolment. Students who elect to take this unit will participate in alternatives to some aspects of the standard unit and will be required to pursue independant work to meet unit objectives. Specific details for this unit of study will be announced in meetings with students in week 1 of semester.