Planetary Geology

Qualification gained:

A Certificate of Professional Development in Astronomy will be awarded for the successful completion of this module. This module is assigned 12 credit points which can be used to build up credits towards other academic qualifications at Liverpool John Moores University and other Universities.

We provide:

CD-ROM and necessary course software, full tutor support for the duration of the course (by post, email, telephone and fax), course DVD, news group for student discussion and course website.

You need:

Good access to a computer with CD-ROM player. The computer needs to be able to run an Internet browser although you do not need to be connected to the Internet to take the course.

Commitment:

The course lasts for four months. You will be expected to produce four pieces of coursework and then take a multiple-choice test over the Internet at the end of the course.Overall we expect that you will put around 120 hours of time into the course.

Assessment:

You will need to email, post or fax us your work for the course. The weighting for the assessed work will be as follows: Coureswork (70%), Multiple Choice Test (30%).

Course Contents:

1: Formation of the Solar System
What are the current theories concerning the formation of the solar system? What key factors determine the original make-up of a planet's geolgy? How does a planet's surface alter due to both internal and external processes ? This part of the course is an opportunity for people who are unfamiliar with computers to learn the use of a personal computer and to become accustomed to the world wide web.

2: The Earth and Moon
The Earth we live on is a constantly changing world - the land beneath us is being constantly eroded and recreated, by a variety of processes such as plate tectonics, volcanism, glacial erosion and weathering. Compared to the Earth, the majority of other planetary bodies in our solar system are much less active; our Moon has remained relatively unchanged for the last three billion years. What are the factos the have led to such a difference in two bodies that formed so close together.

3: Mercury, Venus and Mars
How long ago did Mars have liquid water on its surface and could there be any liquid water today? Why does Venus lack active plate tectonics despite being very similar in mass to the Earth. How is Mercury similar to the Moon on its surface, yet has a stronger magnetic field than either Venus or Mars.

4: The Satellites of the Jovian Planets
How closely do the surfaces of the outer planet's satellites compare to the terrestrial planets? To what degree does the resurfacing of Io depend upon volcanic emissions? What processes determine the differences in the surface features on Callisto, Europa and Ganymede? What lies beneath the dense atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan and how has the Cassini probe revolutionised our knowledge of this world?