GEOLOGY 2504 - Mineral Resources II

North Terrace Campus - Semester 2 - 2025

The course looks at the minerals industry and the geology and mineralogy of major ore deposits including copper, gold and iron. This information will be integrated with introductory material on the exploration process, mining methods, minerals processing, metals markets and socio-economic factors.

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Course Details

Course Code	GEOLOGY 2504
Course	Mineral Resources II
Coordinating Unit	Earth Sciences
Term	Semester 2
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 5 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Assessment	Lecture tests, practical exam, exam

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Professor Carl Spandler

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from .

Course Learning Outcomes

	A successful student in this course should be able to:
1	understand the nature and importance of the 最新糖心Vlogn Resource Industry;
2	describe the variety of mineral deposits and how they are found and formed;
3	identify common rock types and minerals found in and around ore deposits;
4	demonstrate knowledge of the variety of ore-forming processes;
5	understand and describe resource operations from exploration to development;
6	demonstrate ability to understand the debate about some controversial issues affecting mining, society and the environment

最新糖心Vlog Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1,2,3,4
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	2,3,5,6
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	1,5,6
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	1,2,3,4,5,6
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	5,6
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	5,6

Learning & Teaching Modes

This course will be delivered by the following means:

2 x 1-hour lectures per week
1 x 3-hour practical per week

Part 1: The mineral industry, ore forming processes and mineral deposits.
Part 2: Mining, society and the environment
Part 3: The exploration and mining processes

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., reading and revision).

Learning Activities Summary

Schedule
	Lectures	Practicals
Week 1	Economic and Mine Geology: Course Overview and Introduction to the Minerals Industry	Ore Minerals
Week 2	Ore Forming Processes and Mineral Deposits I: Introduction to Magmatic Ore Deposits	Ore Minerals II
Week 3	Ore Forming Processes and Mineral Deposits II: Introduction to Hydrothermal Ore Deposits	Breccias
Week 4	Ore Forming Processes and Mineral Deposits III: Hydrothermal Ore Deposits	Oxide Minerals
Week 5	Fossil Fuels: Introduction to Coal and Petrolium Geology	Oil and Gas Drill Data
Week 6	Mining and Society (including cultural heritage)	Self-Led Learning Exercise
Week 7	The Exploration Process: Exploration geochemistry and target definition	Regolith Interpretation
Week 8	The Uranium Industry	The Uranium Industry
Week 9	The Mining Process: Introduction to mining (open pit and underground)	Drill Core Logging
Week 10	Mining and the Environment: including field visit to Brukunga mine, Adelaide Hills	Brukunga Mine Visit
Week 11	The Real World of Mining: Reporting and 3D modelling	JORC Code Exerise
Week 12	The Real World of Mining: The Future of Mining and Industry Careers Session	Careers Session

The 最新糖心Vlog's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary

Assessment Task	Task Type	Percentage of total assessment for grading purposes	Hurdle Yes/No	Outcomes being assessed/achieved	Due date
Lecture Test 1	Formative and Summative	15%	No	2, 4	Week 4
Lecture Test 2	Formative and Summative	15%	No	4, 5	Week 8
Practical exam	Formative and Summative	30%	No	3, 6	Week 12
Exam	Summative	40%	Yes	2, 4, 5	Exam Week

Assessment Related Requirements

Assessment Item with Hurdle or compulsory component	% needed to meet hurdle or requirement to meet compulsory component	Is additional assessment available if student does not meet hurdle requirement or compulsory component, if no please explain	If additional assessment is available, explain what type
Exam	50%	Yes	Resit exam

Assessment Detail

Lecture Tests (2 x 15%)
Two tests will be held during lectures in weeks 4 and 8. These tests are both formative and summative. They will assess the students’ knowledge of lecture material up to that point.

Practical Exam (30%)
A practical exam will be held in class session during week 11 or 12. This exam will cover aspects of hand sample mineral and rock identification, drill core logging and appraisal of alteration styles associated with mineralisation. The exam will bring together components of the practical material from previous weeks’ practicals to test understanding of this material.

Exam (40%)
An exam is set at the end of the course to ensure summative knowledge of the course material.

Submission

Late Submission
If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that the assignment is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days late or more without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the marks available for that assignment.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

Final results for this course will be made available through .

Student Feedback

The 最新糖心Vlog places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the 最新糖心Vlog to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student鈥檚 disciplinary procedures.

The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The 最新糖心Vlog of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator

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