Download Case Studies here!

TESEP Case Studies are aligned with the 19 chapters of the Exploring Earth and Environmental Science text book produced in Western Australia but are stand alone documents that can be used anywhere the need arises. Another 'chapter' of Case Studies relevant to the Human Endeavour strand of studies is also provided. They are free to download and print for use in the classroom. Permission to reprint them in-part or in-full elsewhere should be obtained prior to doing so.

Please contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss use of TESEP Case Studies beyond the classroom.

Chapter headings and Case Studies for download

1. Introduction

  • Earth Systems Science - Dry Land Salinity
  • The Scientific Method - Discovery of Cadia
  • Aboriginal astronomy - Emu constellation
  • Aboriginal perspectives
  • Communicating Science - Iodised salt

2. Our Place in Space

  • Apophis - Near-Earth asteroid
  • Mars landing site selection
    (5.25Mb pdf)
  • Titan - An alien Earth
  • Martian meteorites
  • Kepler mission - Planet hunting

3. Minerals

  • Lake Eyre - Evaporates
  • Broken Hill - Secondary minerals
  • Warrumbungles - Zeoloites
  • Broken Hill - Pegmatite minerals
  • Australian opals - overview
    (5.25Mb pdf)
  • Sapphire & Ruby - eastern Aust. overview
  • Clays - Spectral Mineralogy

4. Igneous Rocks

  • Cradle Mountain - Dolerite Sill
  • Western victoria - Basalt Structures
  • North Queensland - Tin & tungsten granites
  • Tower Hill - Maar events
  • Granite - S & I type

5. Sedimentary Rocks

  • Lachlan Fold Belt Turbidites
  • Charters Towers Devonian Limestone
  • Bowen Basin Coal measures
  • Flinders Ranges sedimentology

6. Metamorphic Rocks

  • Mt Garnet Skarn v Contact Metamorphic
  • Broken Hill Regional metamorphics
  • East coast granite contact metamorphism
  • Sedimentary Basin Diagenesis
  • NE Tasmania - Mathinna Group
  • Cooma Metamorphic Suite
    (3.84Mb pdf)


7. Weathering and Soils

  • NSW coast - Acid sulphate soils
  • Weipa - Bauxite
  • Hobart - Dolerite weathering
  • Wineglass Bay - Granite sand transport
  • Chillagoe - Karst formation
  • NSW highlands - Granite landscapes

8. Water

  • Botany Bay Groundwater pollution
    (1.38Mb pdf)
  • Snowy River - Impact of dams
  • Murray/Darling System - Irrigation
  • Boorowa NSW - Dryland salinity

9. Weather and Climate

  • Tropical cyclone - Yasi impacts
  • Simpson desert - Gibber pavements
  • The big dry - BoM data analysis
  • Burdekin river coral - Wet season records

10. Climate Change

  • Bowen Basin - Permian cold
  • Lake Mungo
  • Mt Lofty Ranges - Permian glaciation
  • Permian transgressions and regressions
    (0.73Mb pdf)
  • Climate proxies in sedimentary rocks
  • Tasmania - Sea level rise
  • Snowball Earth and Australia
  • Australia - Fire tolerant vegetation

11. Volcanic Activity

  • Warrumbungles - plugs & dykes
  • Mount Warning - Caldera
  • Undara Volcanic NP - Lava Tubes
  • Western Victoria - Flood basalts

12. Earthquakes

  • Newcastle - event analysis
  • The Australian Tsunami Warning System
  • Intraplate activity - Sutton
  • Nuclear non-proliferation - Australia's role

13. Plate Tectonics

  • Palaeo wander curve - Australian viewpoint
  • Plate Tectonics - Australian Sth Margin
  • Plate Tectonics - Tasman Sea
  • Great Dividing Range - Landscape evolution
  • The Southern Adelaide Fold Belt
    (3.9Mb pdf)
  • Exploration - Cadia discovery

14. Ecosystems

  • Macquarie wetlands - Aquatic birds
  • Mound springs - Extremophiles
  • Cave troglodytes - Glow worms
  • Soft corals - Temperate waters

15. Human Activity and Biodiversity

  • Victoria - Bushfire ecology & people
  • North Queensland - GBR & farming
  • Port Phillip Bay - Shipping lanes
  • Jervis Bay - Seagrass meadows
  • Aust. East coast - Invasive seaweed
  • Tasmania - Old growth forests & logging

16. Fossils and Evolution

  • Canowindra - Devonian fossil fish deposit
  • Victoria - Graptolites
  • Bowen Basin - Invertebrates Permian
  • Naracoorte Caves - Megafauna
  • Gogo Devonian fossil fish
  • Polar Australian Dinosaurs    

17. Geological Time

  • Graptolites - Ordovician of Victoria
  • Zircons - dating of uplift
  • Wilpena lithostratigraphy
    (2.05Mb pdf)
  • SHRIMP - Dating rocks

18. Energy Resources

  • Geothermal - Australian potential
  • Brown Coal - LaTrobe Valley
  • Gas - Cooper Basin
  • Hydroelectricity - Snowy Scheme    

19. Mineral Resources

  • Gold - Cadia
  • Refractories - Broken Hill feldspar
  • Copper - Mt Isa
  • Victorian gold
  • Dimension stone - Parliament House

NB: these suggested areas for Case Study are just that. There will be many others just as useful and if you have one let us know!

  • Suggestions in blue are in progress
  • Suggestions in orange are in draft
  • Suggestions in dark blue are completed. Click the green download button to obtain your free PDF!

Science as a Human Endeavour

In addition to content orientated Case Studies we have had offers of material that address the Science as a Human Endeavour strand. While not a priority for this project this material is most welcome and all proposals will be evaluated and worked up where appropriate.
What is geological mapping?
How does exploration lead to a mine?
Creating SHRIMP
Geological history from an outcrop
Tunnel boring and geo-steering
Why S & I type?