A WORD OF WELCOME
We wish to welcome you in the Department of Environmental Sciences, and specifically to
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this introductory Geology module. In this module, we not only study various characteristics
of the Earth, but we also place them in the larger context of a geosystem. Studying
unifying theories such as that of plate tectonics is very exciting. Afterwards you can apply
your new knowledge of the different Earth components and processes by including it in
overarching theories, thus gaining an understanding of how everything comes together
interactively on a global scale. Apart from the fact that this module constitutes your
foundation for further studies in the Earth sciences, it also contains knowledge which
you can apply in your everyday life and the Earth you inhabit. This may even induce you
to come to the conclusion that the environment of the Earth is wonderful and precious
enough to respect.
Your lecturer will provide you with the necessary guidance to achieve the outcomes of
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this module, but you in turn will have to put in the effort to master the work. You are
welcome to contact your lecturer if you should experience any problems in the course
of your studies for this module.
CONTACT PERSON
Please contact the relevant lecturer about academic queries – preferably by e-mail, post
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or telephone, during office hours.
Lecturer for the Geology module GEL1503:
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Mr M Jordaan
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Tel.: (011) 471-3222
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e-mail: jordam@unisa.ac.za
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The Unisa Department of Environmental Sciences is based at the Florida Campus of Unisa.
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RATIONALE
New technologies such as GPS use satellites to measure the changing distances between
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continents over time, and computers are used in the interpretation of seismological
observations of earthquakes and other environmental data. From this knowledge, various
theories about the interior of the Earth, volcanic eruptions and other geological events
are formed. Geology not only integrates several of its own subdisciplines of knowledge
into the single theory of plate tectonics, it also interacts with various other fields of
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