Earth Science Lecture Programme
Earth science plays a key role in modern society. Most of the materials and energy resources we
use everyday are extracted from the ground, while our lives can be disrupted by natural
disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Understanding how Earth works
is essential to properly manage our impact on the planet and predict how the environment will
change in the future.
The Earth Science Lecture Programme is a new series of evening courses organised by Malta
University Consulting Ltd that will provide a comprehensive introduction to a range of themes
in Earth Science. The themes that will be covered during the academic year 2013-2014 include:
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Introduction to marine geology
Geology of the Mediterranean Basin
Petroleum Geoscience
Hydrogeology
The duration of the courses is between 10 and 14 hours and a certificate of attendance will be
issued by Malta University Consulting Ltd to participants who have attended 75% of the course.
Course participants should ideally have a background in geography, environmental science,
physics, mathematics or engineering.
Introduction to Marine Geology
Course registration fee:
€75
Dates: November: 14; 21; 28; December: 5, 12, 19, 23
Time: 6.00p.m to 8.00p.m.
Venue: University Residence, Robert Mifsud Bonnici Street, Lija (ample parking space available)
Aims and contents of the course: Many of the processes that impact the Earth occur partly or completely below the
surface of the oceans. These processes act on different spatial and temporal scales. Some occur over geological time
scales – building mountains and volcanoes, forming ore deposits, and changing the Earth’s climate – while others act
more quickly – resulting in tsunamis, triggering slope failures, and affecting benthic biological communities. Although the
ocean floor covers 70% of the Earth, only a small fraction has been investigated in detail, and as a result our
understanding of marine geological processes is improving at a fast rate.
This course will provide students with a broad introduction to marine geology. The knowledge and skills acquired by the
students will be useful to address key scientific questions in marine geosciences, as well as to investigate the applied
aspects of the marine environment (e.g. resources prospecting, geohazard assessment, environmental management, carbon
sequestration). These skills and knowledge are currently in demand and very useful to secure employment in the offshore
industry (e.g. hydrocarbon exploration, offshore site assessment), academia, governmental agencies and international
authorities.
The aims of the course are:
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To give a broad outline of the origin, structure and evolution of ocean basins and their margins
To equip students with an understanding of the nature and spatio-temporal scale of the principal marine
geological processes, and their signature in seafloor data
To introduce the students to the state-of-the-art tools employed in marine geological investigations
To explain the environmental, social and economic implications of marine geological investigations, with
particular reference to the central Mediterranean region.
List of topics:
 History of marine geology
 Seafloor exploration techniques
 Ocean margins and basins
 Tectonic and sedimentary processes
 Principal geological features and processes
o Near shore (submerged landscapes, continental shelf dynamics, sea level changes)
o Continental slope (submarine landslides, submarine canyons, contourites, fluid flow processes).
o Continental rise and abyssal plain (submarine channels and fans, hydrothermal vents, seamounts and
submarine volcanoes)
 Applied marine geology (resources, geohazards, policy making, environmental management)
Lecturer:
Dr Aaron Micallef is lecturer and Marie Curie fellow at the Department of Physics, University of Malta.
As a marine geologist he uses quantitative techniques to solve problems related to submarine landslides, canyons, fluid
flow processes, submerged landscapes and seafloor mapping. His areas of study include the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic
and Pacific oceans. Dr Micallef graduated with a BA (Hons) from the University of Malta, MSc from the University of
Oxford and a PhD from the National Oceanography Centre, UK.
Contact Information:
Malta University Consulting Ltd, Tel: 21 240746/9982 9244
email: maria.bugeja@muhc.com.mt; website: www.muhc.com.mt
Geology of the Mediterranean Basin
Course registration fee:
€75
Dates: April: 3; 7; 16; 24; 30 May: 8, 15
Time: 5.30p.m to 7.30p.m.
Venue: University Residence, Robert Mifsud Bonnici Street, Lija (ample parking space available)
Aims and contents of the course: The Mediterranean Sea is one of the most geologically fascinating basins because
it exhibits examples of most of the geological processes acting on the Earth today. The significance of the Mediterranean
Basin also lies in its role in global geological events, such as the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and the formation of
Himalayas. This course will provide students with a broad background in global tectonics and geological principles.
Special attention will be given to the Mediterranean Basin, its origin and development and its role in major global events.
The knowledge and skills acquired by the students will be useful in addressing scientific geological questions related to
geohazards, geosite identification and non-renewable resources, among others.
The aims of the course are:
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To provide a thorough background on geological processes and forces such as sea-floor spreading, continental
rifts, plate boundaries and isostasy
To apply the above principles to global tectonics, with a special focus on the Mediterranean Basin
To equip students with a sound understanding of the origin and development of the Mediterranean Basin and the
major events in its geological history
To provide an understanding of the processes and forces that are shaping the Mediterranean Basin today
To equip students with a strong background on the central Mediterranean region, the importance and significance
of features such as the Malta Escarpment and the Pantelleria Rift, and their relation to the Maltese Islands
List of topics:
This course will introduce the forces and processes that shaped, and are still shaping, planet Earth. It
will discuss important geological principles such as sea-floor spreading, continental rifts and isostasy. These principles
will then be applied to global tectonics and to the motion and behaviour of plates and their boundaries.
Focus will then be shifted on to the geology of the Mediterranean Basin. The origins of the Basin and its role in major
global events such as the formation of the Himalayas, the opening of the Atlantic, and the Messinian Salinity Crisis, will
also be discussed. It will then focus on the separate geological provinces of the Mediterranean Basin, in particular those of
the central Basin, discussing the relationship between the different micro-plates, subduction, collision and the extension
zones that make up this highly interesting basin.
A field trip to the Maghlaq Fault will be included to observe how the geological processes acting in the central
Mediterranean region have left their marks on the Maltese Islands.
Lecturers:
Ms Antoniette Grima graduated with First Class Honours in Geography from the University of Malta in 2010. Ms Grima
obtained her M.Sc. in Geoscience with distinction from the University College London (UCL) in 2012. She is passionate
about geology, geophysics and geodynamics, particularly of the Mediterranean Basin. Ms Grima is also currently
involved on a voluntary basis with the National Natural History Museum.
Dr Aaron Micallef is lecturer and Marie Curie fellow at the Department of Physics, University of Malta. As a marine
geologist he uses quantitative techniques to solve problems related to submarine landslides, canyons, fluid flow processes,
submerged landscapes and seafloor mapping. His areas of study include the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic and Pacific
oceans. Dr Micallef graduated with a BA (Hons) from the University of Malta, MSc from the University of Oxford and a
PhD from the National Oceanography Centre, UK.
Contact Information:
Malta University Consulting Ltd, Tel: 21 240746/9982 9244
email: maria.bugeja@muhc.com.mt; website: www.muhc.com.mt