Online Geology and Geophysics 2026-2027

The course covers aspects of geology, geophysics and subsurface evaluation to illustrate how geologists deal with uncertainty and risk when assessing energy resources in the subsurface. It will look at the place of the geoscientist during the productive life of an hydrocarbon field and the role that they play in subsurface energy storage. Another key aspect of this course will be the issue of communication between geoscientists and engineers. By the end of this course students should understand how geologists look into the subsurface, and the main tools at their disposal; the role of the geophysicist; how to make subsurface maps; volumetrics; subsurface fluid flow; and the creation of static reservoir models.

Spectroscopy, radiative transfer and retrieval methods are rapidly growing fields with extreme importance in atmospheric and planetary science. They are fundamental to study weather, climate, air quality on Earth, the evolution of greenhouse gases and biogeochemical cycles on Earth. They provide information about the physics and evolution of the atmospheres of the solar system planets and exoplanets at a larger scale. This course will provide the fundamental knowledge to a depth that will leave a student with the background to perform quantitative research on atmospheres. It spans across principles through applications, with sufficient background for students without prior experience in spectroscopy or radiative transfer.

This module focuses on the application of geophysical techniques for solving near surface environmental problems. It covers basic theory and practical aspects of modern data collection for near surface magnetic, gravity, resistivity, electro-magnetic (EM), ground penetrating radar (GPR) and seismic refraction, along with case study examples of application to the assessment and monitoring of a range of scientific and technical environmental problems including water resources, geotechnics, contaminated lands, civil engineering, mining, geothermal resources, archaeology. The module will be taught so that the students will be equipped to plan and undertake their own geophysical experiments focusing on a variety of near surface geophysical targets. The use of a variety of geophysical equipment in the field will form a significant component of this module.

The course will give students the skills to interpret
petrophysically complex reservoirs from a variety of sedimentological and
lithological environments. Integration with geology will be emphasised along
with the advanced tools and techniques necessary to characterise these very
different reservoir types.  By the end of
this course, students will understand: how the sedimentary environment impacts
reservoir properties; how those properties may be evaluated; the logging tool
suites available to interpret complex reservoirs; key differences between
matrix and fracture based production systems; impact of clay type and
distribution on clastic reservoir quality; and the potential volumes available
from unconventional reservoirs.

The course will provide an understanding of: data governance issues and how they impact on business workflows; data management organisation models and structures, data roles and responsibilities; legal issues relating to data governance, and a more detailed exploration of data protection law;  data policies, strategies, standards and procedures; the relation between data governance and data quality, security, entitlements and obligations; and data management maturity and impact.

The course covers aspects of geology, geophysics and subsurface evaluation to illustrate how geologists deal with uncertainty and risk when assessing energy resources in the subsurface. It will look at the place of the geoscientist during the productive life of an hydrocarbon field and the role that they play in subsurface energy storage. Another key aspect of this course will be the issue of communication between geoscientists and engineers. By the end of this course students should understand how geologists look into the subsurface, and the main tools at their disposal; the role of the geophysicist; how to make subsurface maps; volumetrics; subsurface fluid flow; and the creation of static reservoir models.

Data sets derived from remote sensing, meteorites and samples retrieved from the Lunar surface will be integrated to inform understanding of geological processes that play within and upon the surface of terrestrial planets. This course will develop essential geologically based reasoning skills through diverse data sets, building upon and contributing to the students’ wider understanding of Planetary Sciences.

Space weather describes the varying conditions in the space environment between the sun and Earth. Phenomena associated with space weather have the potential to impact systems and technologies in orbit and on Earth. For example, solar energetic particles can penetrate satellite electronics and cause electrical failure. These energetic particles also block radio communications at high latitudes during solar radiation storms. Each phenomenon of space weather impacts a different technology. 

In this course, we will review Space Weather on Earth, and we will use the lessons learned to understand the impact of the space environment on planetary exploration.

This course provides practical training on some of the most challenging issues of space exploration. In this course, the student will overview the present and future challenges of space exploration, including in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), sample return missions and planetary protection (PP).

Modern seismology is wide-ranging and encompasses topics such as earthquake and tsunami hazard, the structure and dynamics of the Earth and other terrestrial planets, exploration for hydrocarbon and minerals, monitoring of micro-seismicity for a variety of purposes (carbon sequestration, induced fracturing and aftershock surveys) and even ocean circulation and weather variations. This course will teach the fundamentals of modern seismology, from exploration to the solid Earth, and will include a component on seismic imaging, which is the premier tool for illuminating Earth structure from small to large scales.

This module is designed to give students a range of skills associated with data-driven approaches and machine learning. Machine learning has revolutionised numerous scientific fields and it has begun to change the paradigm in geosciences by providing real-time solutions to non-trivial and computationally intense problems. Throughout the module the students will become familiar with the basic concepts and tools of machine learning. This will open up multiple career paths in geoscience and STEM in general.

The course will provide an understanding of: the value of data quality, the importance of data quality management and the consequences of poor data quality management. It will cover common data quality issues, and inherent uncertainty in data values, and demonstrate the need for data quality standards, business rules, policies and procedures, and how these are used to lead compliance activities. It will also show the relation between data governance and data quality. 

This project is an extended, independent, self-directed, piece of practical work integrating and reinforcing the material taught on the rest of the Petroleum Data Management MSc programme, and giving a detailed insight into the demands of, and ways of carrying out, data management in the oil and gas industry. Under guidance, the student will be responsible for the project design and execution.

This course provides the student an opportunity to design and execute the workflow of the data treatment (including in exceptional cases the possible of acquisition), processing, analysis and modelling, and interpretation of a geophysical dataset in the context of Earth structure or processes and/or exploration goals relevant to resource industries. The project is an extended, independent, self-directed, piece of practical work integrating and reinforcing the material taught on the course, and giving a detailed insight into the demands of, and ways of working in academia or industry.