Find out more about The Open University's Science courses and qualifications
Discover more about geology
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How to read a rock
By understanding the ways in which minerals combine to form rocks like the way words link to form sentences, we can start to unravel the secrets of the earth.
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How old is a mountain range?
Eleni Wood explains how the science of 'geochronology' can be used to effectively analyse the history of a mountain range.
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How to make a mountain: Investigating crustal melting in the Himalaya
PhD student, Stacy Phillips, explains how researching granites in Eastern Bhutan can give clues about the evolution of the Himalayan mountain belt.
Study a free course
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An introduction to geology
In this free course, An introduction to geology, you will explore basic geological processes, focusing on how, where and why different rocks and natural resources form across the Earth.
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An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope
In this free course, An introduction to minerals and rocks under the microscope, you will experience the study of minerals using a polarising microscope. While the study of minerals can involve electron or ion beam chemical analysis, the polarising microscope remains the prime tool for the study of rock thin sections and is the foundation of ...
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Practising science: Reading the rocks and ecology
Have you ever wondered how scientists analyse the environment? This free course, Practising science: Reading the rocks and ecology, introduces you to the techniques used by science students at residential schools. You will learn how to determine where rocks have come from and how they were made. You will also examine the processes involved in ...
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