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GEOL40740

Academic Year 2026/2027

Marine Geoscience (GEOL40740)

Subject:
Geology
College:
Science
School:
Earth Sciences
Level:
4 (Masters)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Mark Coughlan
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Marine environments are critical to supporting life, providing crucial ecosystems services, and generating energy. The contemporary marine environment is a dynamic one, with a complex geological history. There are increasing anthropogenic impacts in the marine environment, with associated development and exploitative pressures on the seabed, requiring a holistic understanding of the physical, biological and geological processes to assess and mitigate their impacts. This module will provide fundamental knowledge of marine geoscience, and its practical application in a range of environmental and engineering studies. Core lectures will introduce the foundational concepts of the discipline, whilst guest lectures will speak more broadly to applied learnings. Key themes will include: palaeoenvironmental records, carbon storage in marine sediments, marine engineering & renewable energy, resource extraction and geohazards. These themes will be explored through a variety of disciplines, such as: physical oceanography, geomorphology, palaeoclimatology, modern process sedimentology.

This content will be delivered over a series of lectures supported by practical training by way of software and laboratory practical classes. Fieldbased training will atake place onboard the state scientific vessel the RV Tom Crean.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

The overall goal of this module is to provide undergraduate students with a sound knowledge of the marine and seabed environments: how they formed over geological time, what processes presently affect them, and how human activities impact it. This will equip the students to make rational assessments with regards to environmental and engineering challenges related to climate change and the energy transition. Students will learn about the complex interplay within the marine environment, and the role of various geological, biological, oceanographic and hydrodynamic processes.

On successful completion of this module, a student will be able to:
(1) Competently acquire, measure and interpret offshore surveying and sampling data;
(2) Integrate and interrogate a wide range of complicated datasets to provide robust assessments of the seabed and marine environment;
(3) Demonstrate a practical understanding of marine and seafloor processes and how they can create, or be exploited for, various resources, and the environmental implications;
(4) Communicate effectively complex ideas around marine geoscience to an audience of peers.

Indicative Module Content:

Indicative Module Content:
1. Seafloor mapping and seabed morphology
2. Seabed geomorphology and sedimentary environments
3. Sea-level change, marine hydrodynamics and processes on continental shelves
4. Marine sediments as environmental archives
5. Sediment geotechnics
6. The seafloor supporting habitats and providing ecosystem services
7. Offshore ground modelling
8. Marine geohazards
9. Marine renewable energy
10. Anthropogenic impacts on the seafloor

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20

Laboratories

20

Field Trip/External Visits

20

Autonomous Student Learning

40

Total

100


Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
The module will consist of a combination of class, laboratory and field-based learning with group work and independent research components.

Theortical content learned in lectures will be supported by practical components using industry standard software like ArcPro GIS and Qimera. Other practical elements will focus on developing laboratory testing and analytical skills.

A fieldwork component will involve spending two days onboard the state scientific vessel the RV Tom Crean developing offshore surveying and data collection skills.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Exam (In-person): 2 hour end of trimester Examination Week 14 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
No
Report(s): Assignments including in-class activites, practials and field trip report Week 8, Week 9, Week 11, Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer Yes - 2 Hour
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will have the opportunity to discuss their progress with the MC throughout the trimester, both informally and formally. Grades for In trimester assessments will be posted on Brightspace

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 6 Fri 09:00 - 11:50
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 9, 10, 11 Fri 09:00 - 12:50
Autumn Field Trip Offering 1 Week(s) - 10 Mon 09:00 - 18:00
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 Tues 09:00 - 12:50
Autumn Field Trip Offering 1 Week(s) - 10 Tues 09:00 - 18:00