Module GEOG3641: OCEANS PAST AND PRESENT

Department: Geography

GEOG3641: OCEANS PAST AND PRESENT

Prerequisites

• GEOG2601 (RECONSTRUCTING ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE)

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To provide an understanding of key issues in oceanographic research
• To provide an insight into the implications of possible changes in the ocean, including opportunity to undertake work on real oceanographic data

Content

• Geological oceanography: Origins of the oceans. Understanding of sediment deposition and the effect of biogeochemical cycles on sediments
• Physical oceanography: Issues related to ocean structure and circulation. Including the role of Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) in the whole earth system
• Chemical oceanography: Interactions between biogeochemical cycling and ocean chemistry
• Ecological oceanography: Understanding of the ocean ecosystem and its relevance to palaeoceanographic studies. Current issues in marine policy
• Case studies on current oceanographic research

Learning Outcomes

• The role played by the Oceans in the Earth System
• Ocean structure and circulation
• Key issues in biogeochemical cycling
• Key controls on marine ecology
• Evidence for past oceanographic change

• Understand and analyze key Oceanographic data
• Understand and interpret key palaeoceanographic proxies

• Access and interpret detailled oceanographic measurements
• Evaluate published interpretations in light of new / additional data
• Produce written arguements of complex scientific issues in a concise and logical form

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will provide the necessary breadth of coverage, overview and study guide required by the aims and objectives. These will be supported by additional reading lists that will enable students to build on the information provided in the lecture. These will also inform their understanding of current issues in oceanography that will be addressed directly by the seminars
• Seminars will be issue based and will provide students with the opportunity to discuss, develop and evaluate ideas covered in the lectures. These will also encourage students to work in small groups to develop this understanding
• Project work will focus on specific aspects of oceanography and continue the small group approach of this module. These projects will enable students to handle real data and provide insight to the research methods used in ocean science. The coursework associated with these projects will enable students to demonstrate detailed knowledge of specific aspects of the course and assess students' ability to demonstrate detailed comparative knowledge of oceanography
• The unseen examination will enable the students to demonstrate their understanding of the complex interactions that take place within the ocean systems and to place them in the context of past environmental change

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Feedback on seminars and practical work

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University