Canary Islands PAU Geology & Env Sci study plan

Draw and label a cross-section of the Earth's internal layers, stating the seismic discontinuities (Mohorovičić, Gutenberg, Lehmann) and the physical state of each layer.

Explain the evidence for plate tectonics (palaeomagnetism, ocean-floor magnetic stripes, Wadati-Benioff zones, sea-floor spreading rates) in a written summary of at least 150 words.

Classify the three main plate boundary types and, for each, name the resulting relief, seismicity pattern and magmatism with at least two real examples.

Distinguish the four main magma series (tholeiitic, calc-alkaline, alkaline, peralkaline) by their tectonic setting and typical SiO2 and alkali content, using the Canary Islands alkaline volcanism as a worked example.

Identify the key metamorphic facies and their pressure-temperature fields, and match each to a tectonic setting (subduction, continental collision, contact aureole).

Describe the mineralogical and textural criteria used to classify igneous rocks, and apply them to name at least eight rock specimens from descriptions alone.

Sequence the processes of magma generation, differentiation (fractional crystallisation, assimilation, magma mixing) and eruption style, and link each to a resulting rock texture.

Explain the origin of the Canary Islands hotspot/volcanic archipelago in terms of mantle plume versus fracture-propagation models, listing the evidence for each.

Outline the rock cycle and place sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic processes on it, naming the energy source driving each stage.

Solve three exercises that require identifying a rock from its mineral assemblage, texture and setting, and justify each identification in two sentences.

Distinguish weathering (physical, chemical, biological) from erosion and explain at least four weathering reactions relevant to volcanic terrains, including hydrolysis of basaltic glass and palagonitisation.

Trace a sediment grain from source to sink, naming the transport agent, the sorting and rounding signature it produces, and the depositional environment it implies.

Compare the sedimentary structures (cross-bedding, graded bedding, ripple marks, mud cracks, bioturbation) and state what each reveals about flow regime and environment.

Construct a relative chronology using the principles of superposition, cross-cutting relationships, inclusions and faunal succession, and apply it to a described outcrop sequence.

Build a geological time scale from memory (eons, eras, periods) and place five key events (origin of life, Cambrian explosion, Permo-Triassic extinction, K-Pg extinction, first hominins) on it with approximate dates.

Explain the main fossil groups and their use as index fossils, and state the age range and environment indicated by at least five of them.

Interpret simple geological maps and cross-sections: determine strike and dip, identify folds and faults, and reconstruct the geological history in the correct order.

Classify geological hazards (volcanic, seismic, mass movement, coastal) by their causes and return periods, and distinguish hazard from risk and vulnerability.

Describe the main volcanic hazards of the Canary Islands (lava flows, pyroclastic falls, lahars, sector collapse and mega-tsunami debate) and outline the monitoring methods used (seismicity, deformation, gas geochemistry).

Calculate a simple recurrence interval from a described earthquake or eruption catalogue and use it to comment on exposure.