This free online geology course covers the processes that formed the Earth’s structure, atmosphere, rocks and minerals.

Have you ever wondered how those beautiful mountains came to be? Or why earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur? This geology course has you covered. We explore the forces that have shaped our planet’s landscape over billions of years and the dynamic processes that keep changing our world. We begin by introducing you to geology, geological time scales and geologic materials. We then discuss how continents were formed as we explore plate tectonics and the theory that explains the drifting of continents.

This geology course then examines the history of the Earth and examines concepts such as relative dating, absolute dating and unconformities. We focus on the study of geologic materials, including minerals and rocks, which form the landscape of the Earth and serve as a source of many important minerals. We then outline the basic concepts that explain volcanic events and their origins. The course also covers earthquakes and explains how to measure and predict them.

We then describe the atmosphere and structure of the Earth, including its natural resources and classifications. Lastly, we discuss the different layers of the Earth, its internal heat, magnetic field and gravitational force. Earth is our only home and understanding its inner workings helps us to minimise natural disasters and make it safer. This course has no prerequisites and suits anyone who is interested in the Earth and wants to understand the processes that formed it. Sign up to master basic geology, also called ‘geoscience’, and explore the world of rocks.