Module GEOL3501: Earth System and Climate

Department: Earth Sciences

GEOL3501: Earth System and Climate

Prerequisites

• None

Corequisites

• None

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None

Aims

• To enhance understanding of the interconnectivity between different components of the Earth System and their relevance to climate.

Content

• Cycles of climate change: evidence and explanations.
• Understanding present and past climates: moving heat around, forcing functions and feedback, the evidence.
• Understanding the cryosphere - how ice sheets work.
• The Younger Dryas Event
• How climate is reconstructed using proxy records, including stalagmites and trees rings
• Milankovitch-Croll pacemaker of glacial cycles.
• Evidence for rapid climate change.
• Climate change on geological timescales.
• The rock record and ancient glaciations.

Learning Outcomes

• To describe with reference to boundary and threshold conditions the processes governing present and past climates.
• To describe how cryosphere and carbon dynamics influence global climate.
• To critically evaluate the geological proxies for climate change.
• To critically evaluate current hypotheses for rapid climate change.
• To critically evaluate the value of solid Earth and general circulation models in climate simulation, hypothesis generation and testing.
• Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in geological principles, terms, definitions and classifications.
• Will have acquired subject knowledge and understanding in the Earth systems science.

• Will have acquired intellectual and practical skills to synthesise information/data from a variety of sources.
• Will have acquired intellectual and practical skills to analyse, evaluate/interpret geological data.

• Evaluate performance.
• Receive, respond to and critically evaluate a variety of information and data sources.
• Communicate effectively in written and graphical form.
• Scientific writing
• Prepare, process and interpret data using appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques.
• Use the internet critically in communication and an information source.
• Identify individual and collective goals.
• Recognise and respect the views of other team members.

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

• The module is delivered through a series of 1-hour lectures and 2 hour practicals supported by discussions, practical exercises, directed reading and web and computer-based assignments.
• The discussions and exercises form an important component of the module encouraging learning and experience of tackling and solving problems individually in class, on Ultra and in groups.
• Guidance on preparation, key and exam skills are provided.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Tutorial. Ultra quizzes. Formative writing assignments.

■ Students who do not attend monitored activities shown under Teaching Methods and Learning Hours, or who fail to complete the summative or formative assessment(s) specified above, may be subject to the Academic Progress procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University.