Programme

Introduction to the class, Earth’ structure, introduction to mineralogy, main Earth forming minerals. Main type of rocks (igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary). Plate Tectonics Theory. Morphology of the sea floor. Principles of sedimentology. Costal geomorphology and depositional environments. Deep see depositional environments. Marine carbonates and evaporites. Tectonic, volcanism and sedimentation of plate margins and the oceanic floor. Gas hydrates. Natural hazard along costs. Chemical physical properties of water. Ocean and climate. Atmospheric and oceanic circulation. Geophysical methods for the sea floor. Geotechnical principles in sea floor systems. Oceanography of the Mediterranean Sea. Climatic and anthropic impact on costal dynamics. Benthic and Planktonic ecosystems. Climatic and anthropic impact on marine ecosystems Marine minerals and energy.

Core Documentation

- Understanding Earth (Edition 7), Thomas H. Grotzinger and John, Jordan, Editor: W. H. Freeman, ISBN-13: 978-1464138744

- Oceanography: An Invitation to Marine Science (Edition 9), Tom S. Garrison and Robert Ellis, Editor: Cengage Learning, ISBN-13: 9781305105164

Type of delivery of the course

If allowed by the Covid situation, the class will be given in presence, otherwise, remotely according to national and university rules.

Type of evaluation

During the covid-19 total or partial lock-down the evaluation activities will be carried out according to the article 1 of the Rectoral Decrees DR 703 published on May 5th 2020. Specifically, the evaluation will consist in a remote oral exam through the Microsoft Teams platform. When the pandemic situation will finish, the exams will be done in presence and in form if written test. In both cases there will be an intermediate test