Earth Sciences

Lectures and labs first cover the description and classification of the physical and chemical properties of sediment and sedimentary rock. This is followed by investigation into the processes (including environmental and engineering impacts) involved in the origin of sediment, such as weathering, physico-chemical, biochemical, and biogenic sediment precipitation, and processes influencing mass movements, sediment erosion, transportation, deposition, reworking, sedimentary structures, soil formation and lithification. The course concludes with an introduction to basic sedimentary facies, stratigraphic principles, and the relative and absolute dating of strata.