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2021/22 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

SOEE2960 Resources from Rocks and Minerals

10 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Robert Chapman
Email: r.j.chapman@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2021/22

Pre-requisite qualifications

Successful completion of Level 1 of registered programme

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

The industrial minerals, exploration and mining sectors are important employment avenues for our graduates, and are set to become increasingly as society pursues a low carbon future. Students will be introduced the scientific and economic drivers of the global industrial framework and provided with both the scientific background and transferable skills ’ to enhance employability in both this industry and others relevant to the general discipline. The module will place the processes of aggregate and ore formation in the context of wider geological processes and, where appropriate, current research activities, whilst also addressing subjects generic to the applied geosciences such as chemical and mineralogical characterization of geological materials.

Objectives

This module is taught as related learning units: (i) Sedimentary Basins and their Resources and (ii) Resources from Rocks and Minerals

Resources from Rocks and Minerals
The module is designed to provide an introduction to the geological science which underpins the industrial minerals, exploration and mining sectors, which are important employers of our graduates. In addition, the module addresses subjects generic to the applied geosciences (chemical and mineralogical characterization of geological materials, exploration ) and introduces the importance of economics in the industry and current major shifts in the industry that relate to the low carbon economy. Students will gain an understanding of the recruitment process and career pathways in the sector, and how they can maximise the potential of their cv in preparation for job applications. The module will incorporate a one-day field class to introduce field approaches to deducing deposit models.

Learning outcomes
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the aggregates industry in the UK.
2. Apply standard identification methods and analytical techniques to characterise mineralized material
3. Predict likely settings of specific types of mineralization on the basis of local and regional geology and wider geological processes.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the exploration, mining, processing and remediation challenges facing global supply of major commodities and metals necessary for a transition to a low carbon future,.
5. Demonstrate skills relating to personal employability in a range of career pathways relevant to geoscience graduates

Skills outcomes
Employability, awareness of various career options for geology graduates


Syllabus

1. The UK aggregates industry.
2. The global exploration industry.
3. Mineralogical and chemical analysis of mineralized materials.
4. Geological processes and their link to concentrating metals in the crust.
5. Hydrothermal processes and metal transport, source, transport and trap.
6. Changing demand for metals associated with transition to a low carbon future and implications for the resource industry.
7. Exploration methods: design of exploration programs and interpretation of data.
8. The full exploitation cycle- exploration, social licence- mining, mineral processing and remediation.
9. Geoscience graduate employability: career pathways for Geology graduates; the recruitment process, including CVs and cover letters, online testing and gameification, preparing for interviews

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Fieldwork18.008.00
Group learning12.002.00
Lecture32.006.00
Lecture111.0011.00
Practical62.0012.00
Independent online learning hours3.00
Private study hours58.00
Total Contact hours39.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)100.00

Private study

Students will be expected to invest time over and above class time to gain the appropriate level of mineral recognition skills and to reflect on the employability skills being developed.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Feedback during practical sessions and on outputs from non- assessed group work
Feedback during field activity
Monitoring of progress during class sessions dedicated to assessed posters
Feedback on reflective log entries responding to tasks and prompts in independent online learning resources, e.g. skills audit, online testing and interview exercises.

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Reflective logFormatively assessed reflections responding to tasks and prompts in the independent online learning resources0.00
Poster PresentationApplication for resource-related job, including: CV, cover letter, Poster presentation on relevant resource30.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)30.00

Resit for this module will comprise a single mark from a dedicated resit open book examination. The group poster will not form part of the resit.


Exams
Exam typeExam duration% of formal assessment
Open Book exam1 hr 25 mins70.00
Total percentage (Assessment Exams)70.00

Resit for this module will comprise a single mark from a dedicated 3000 word piece of coursework. The group poster will not form part of the resit.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 30/06/2021 16:25:48

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