The course is structured around fieldwork as the central element of learning, complemented by theoretical sessions and seminars that facilitate preparation and the integration of results.

Five one-day field trips are conducted:

• Field Trip 1 (Costa Brava): Far de Sant Sebastià and Cala Pedrosa (contacts and criteria for the relative chronology of Variscan intrusions in granitoids and contact metamorphic rocks); Aiguablava (leucogranites, joints and a lamprophyre dyke swarm); Platja de Pals – Illa Roja (Cenozoic cover and its relationship with the Palaeozoic basement).
• Field Trip 2 (Alt Empordà – Garrotxa): Boadella-Darnius (basement-cover relationships on the southern Pyrenean margin and Alpine tectonics); Sant Joan les Fonts (Neogene basaltic lava flows); Olot (pyroclastic deposits of Montsacopa).
• Field Trip 3 (Collserola – Vallès-Penedès): Collserola (Variscan igneous rocks and view of the Barcelona plain); Vallès-Penedès graben (Neogene extension) and its boundary (Riera de Sant Jaume – la Puda).
• Field Trip 4 (Montseny – Osona): Montseny (Variscan rocks and late Hercynian peneplain); El Brull and Pla de la Calma; Ebro Basin; Eocene succession at Tavertet and marine to continental transition with evaporites at Gurb (Pont del Llop).
• Field Trip 5 (Berguedà): Bagà – Coll de Pal (Cadí thrust sheet); Maçaners and Vallcebre (Pedraforca thrust sheets); Berga (Pyrenean thrust front and conglomerates associated with the boundary with the Ebro Basin).

Attendance at all field trips is compulsory.

The methodology is completed with:

• Theoretical sessions (8 h): held at the beginning of the semester, providing the conceptual framework required for the course.
• Seminars (4 × 2 h):
• two preparatory sessions, focused on documentation and geographical and geological context of the study areas;
• two follow-up sessions, focused on discussion, integration and interpretation of field observations.

Attendance at seminars is also compulsory.

Finally, a short period of one session is devoted to the completion of course and teaching evaluation surveys.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

The assessment of the course is based on the following components:

• Examination related to the contents covered in fieldwork, seminars and theoretical sessions: 65%
• Seminar work: 20%
• Exercises carried out during the field trips: 15%

During assessment activities, the use of the field notebook may be allowed, provided that it contains only observations and notes taken during field trips or other field activities, without including information prepared afterwards or from other sources.

Attitude and participation may also be taken into account.

To pass the course, it is mandatory to obtain a minimum grade of 4.5 in the examination.

The final grade must be equal to or higher than 5, in accordance with the regulations of the Faculty of Science.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is permitted as part of the development of the work, provided that the final result reflects a significant contribution from the student in terms of analysis and personal reflection. Students must clearly identify any parts generated using these technologies and specify the tools used. Lack of transparency in the use of AI will be considered a breach of academic integrity and may lead to penalties or further sanctions.

Resit

If the final grade is below 5, only the examination can be retaken. The rest of the assessment components are not recoverable.

The course is based on the work carried out during field trips; therefore, attendance is compulsory. Otherwise, the student will be graded as “not assessed” or “failed”.

Exceptionally, in duly justified cases and subject to evaluation by the teaching staff, alternative mechanisms for following the activity may be established.

Attendance at seminars is also compulsory.

All students, whether first-time or repeating, must complete the same activities and are subject to the same assessment criteria.

A student who has not provided any assessable evidence will be considered “not assessable”.

This course does not include a single-assessment option.

Assessment calendar

The dates of assessment activities and submission deadlines will be published on the Virtual Campus and may be subject to changes, which will be communicated through this platform.

No assessment activities will be carried out outside the scheduled dates, except in duly justified cases communicated in advance and with the approval of the teaching staff. In all other cases, activities not completed will not be recoverable.

Irregularities, cheating and plagiarism

In accordance with current academic regulations, any assessment activity in which irregularities are detected will be graded as 0, without prejudice to further disciplinary measures.

Irregularities include, among others:

• total or partial copying in any assessment activity,
• allowing other students to copy,
• submitting group work not fully carried out by all members of the group,
• having access to communication devices during assessment activities.