Geology involves a comprehensive study of the Earth, including at AS level: plate tectonics (Unit 1); the link between igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks (Unit 2), and economic geology (Unit 3). Modern industrial society is dependent on the supply of raw materials including metals, oil & gas, and aggregates for building, and the course also considers the sustainable use of these natural riches.Unit 3 also includes a short project based on field work, such as folding or rates of weathering. The AS unit links well with many sciences (geophysics, geochemistry and palaeontology are all important disciplines at University and in industry) and with geography giving, for example, more information on sea level change, plate tectonics and natural hazards such as earthquakes and volcanoes. The A2 course continues with an in depth study of fossils (Unit 4), rock forming processes (Unit 5), and a synoptic paper (Unit 6) which links together material from the whole course. At A2 there is again a short synoptic project, for example reconstructing the environment of deposition of the London Clay on the Isle of Wight showing ancient changes in sea level.
