Understanding Planet Earth

Geoscience is the scientific study of the Earth and the complex processes that have shaped our planet. Interactions between the rocks, water, climate and life are recorded in the rock record over the Earth’s 4.6 billion year history. Geoscience is a key part of our everyday life, not only because it solves real world problems, but because our rocky environment forms many wonders of the world we live in. This subject will allow students to gain a deeper understanding of the processes controlling the geological and environmental evolution of Planet Earth. Experience a three-day field trip that provides hands-on and employment-focused investigations of Victoria’s geology and physical environment. We will explore the origin of Earth as a planet within the Solar System. We will study the formation of Earth’s layers and the dynamic processes that cause earthquakes and volcanoes and their impacts. The evolution of Earth’s continents, oceans and mountain belts and their changes through geological time will be revealed. Fossils will be studied that provide evidence for the origin and evolution of life, including radiations and mass extinctions. By studying Earth surface processes, we will delve into past landscapes, ecosystems and climate variability. The study of Earth’s past climate is key to better predict future climate change. We aim to understand the geological mechanisms that regulate the long-term climate system.

探索地球的形成、结构、地质过程和自然资源。

• 1describe the rocky planets of the Solar System, the Earth and its modern physical environment.
• 2describe the minerals and rocks that comprise the Earth, the processes of rock formation, rock structures and deformation processes.
• 3describe fossils and explain past evolution of life, environments and climates.
• 4apply and integrate different types of data, samples and observations to interpret Earth processes.
• 5demonstrate practical skills in data acquisition, both in the field and laboratory settings, which are essential for explaining Earth processes.
• 6apply knowledge of geological history and environmental evolution to interpret and relate field observations from the Melbourne region, Victoria, and Australia.