| Unit name | Radioactive Earth |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EASC30084 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | H/6 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Professor. Corkhill |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
Successful completion of a Year 2 Earth Sciences programme. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School of Earth Sciences |
| Faculty | Faculty of Science |
Why is this unit important?
Natural radioactivity, from within the Sun and the Earth beneath our feet, is all around us. Energy liberated during radioactive decay is considered to be one of the main sources of heat within the Earth, and is also thought to have contributed to the evolution of life. The radioactivity of rocks, water and organic matter is widely used in dating geological and archaeological events. The discovery and utilisation of this energy source has added new radionuclides to the Earth’s surface, through applications in medicine, nuclear weapons tests and emissions from nuclear energy. This unit explores the source and importance of radioactivity in the Earth, and considers the environmental, social and political factors associated with its anthropogenic application.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit provides a detailed perspective of how radioactivity is inherently important in Earth and environmental processes and systems, and how it can be harnessed to generate low CO2-forms of energy. It is complementary to other units that consider interactions between geology, biology, chemistry and physics of the Earth’s interior and surface, and how Earth’s environment can be influenced by human activities.
An overview of content
The unit will cover the nature and source of radioactivity in the Earth, the importance of radioactivity in the evolution of the Earth and its inhabitants, as well as the practical modern uses of radioactivity in creating low-CO2 energy, medical treatments and other applications. A key focus will be on the environmental implications of nuclear energy, both good and bad, and how geoscientists have an important role in ensuring responsible use of radioactivity in the future. The material will be taught through a combination of lectures and classroom exercises.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
Students will gain a well-founded appreciation for the importance of radioactivity in the Earth's history and future. They will be knowledgeable about the key anthropogenic uses of radioactivity and the associated environmental implications, including an understanding of some of the key social, political and economic issues surrounding nuclear energy.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Lectures and classroom exercises.
Guided, background reading will be provided.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative)
Feedback on a mock essay will be provided and worked answers of all classroom exercises will also be provided. Students are strongly encouraged to use these and bring any remaining problems to weekly office hours.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative)
There will be an essay testing the understanding of knowledge developed in the unit (75%).
There will be a series of online assessments testing the breadth of skills developed in the unit (25%).
When assessment does not go to plan
The University's Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes outline the requirements for progression on and completion of degree programmes. Students who miss an exam and self-certify their absence may complete a supplementary assessment for an uncapped mark as if taken for the first time. Resit and supplementary exams are habitually taken during the reassessment period later in the summer. As far as is practicable and appropriate, resit and supplementary assessments will be in the same form as the original assessment but will always test the same intended learning outcomes as the initial missed or failed assessment. In the case of group work, failure by a whole group would result in an appropriate group task being set and reassessed for all group members. If a single student fails a group assessment or is unable to participate for an evidenced reason, an individual reassessment will be set.
There are rigorous and fair procedures in place to support students who are ill or whose studies and assessments are affected by exceptional circumstances.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. EASC30084).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
