Module GEOG3641: OCEANS PAST AND PRESENT

Department: Geography

GEOG3641: OCEANS PAST AND PRESENT

Prerequisites

• Any Level 2 Geography module

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 the opportunity to undertake work on real oceanographic data

Content

• Geological oceanography: Origin and evolution of the oceans. Seafloor processes and their wider implications, such as for climate, ecosystem and hazards. Understanding of globally important sedimentary processes and biogeochemical cycles.
• Physical oceanography: Principals of ocean circulation. Drivers and impacts of surface and deep water circulation.
• Chemical oceanography: Interactions between biogeochemical cycling and ocean chemistry.
• Ecological oceanography: Understanding of the ocean ecosystem and its relevance to palaeoceanographic studies.
• Case studies on topical issues in oceanographic and palaeoceanographic 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
• Seafloor processes and their wider importance

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

• Access and interpret detailed oceanographic measurements
• Evaluate published interpretations in light of new / additional data
• Produce written arguments 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. Lectures will also inform 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
• Workshops will focus on specific aspects of oceanography enabling 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 evaluate different perspectives and explanations proposed for oceanographic phenomena. These will be delivered through three workshop sessions
• 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 data analysis exercises during workshops

■ 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