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GEOL2357: Earth System and Climate: The Quaternary

Please ensure you check the module availability box for each module outline, as not all modules will run in each academic year. Each module description relates to the year indicated in the module availability box, and this may change from year to year, due to, for example: changing staff expertise, disciplinary developments, the requirements of external bodies and partners, and student feedback. Current modules are subject to change in light of the ongoing disruption caused by Covid-19.

Type Open
Level 2
Credits 10
Availability Available in 2024/2025
Module Cap
Location Durham
Department Earth Sciences

Prerequisites

  • None.

Corequisites

  • None.

Excluded Combinations of Modules

  • GEOL3407: Earth System and Climate: The Quaternary

Aims

  • To introduce the interconnectivity between different components of the Earth System and their relevance to climate, with a focus on modern and Pleistocene climate change and its causes.

Content

  • Cycles of climate change: evidence and explanations.
  • Understanding present and past climates: moving heat around, forcing functions and feedback, the evidence.
  • Atmospheric circulation and hurricanes.
  • Understanding the cryosphere - how ice sheets work.
  • Milankovitch/Croll pacemaker.
  • Evidence for rapid climate change.
  • Climate change on geological timescales.
  • Radiometric dating of last glacial materials.
  • Human/climate interactions.
  • Climate archives and proxies.
  • The rock record and ancient glaciations.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:

  • 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.

Subject-specific Skills:

  • 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.

Key Skills:

  • 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.
  • Time series analysis.

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 flexible 2-hour class meetings which will be supported by asynchronous lectures, discussions, and practical exercises, supported by, 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-line and in groups.
  • Guidance on preparation, key skills and essay skills is provided.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

ActivityNumberFrequencyDurationTotalMonitored
Asynchronous Lectures10Weekly1 Hour10 
Practicals10Weekly2 Hours10 
Reading and study of class hand-outs, preparation for and execution of formative and summative assessments, background reading both directed and independent.70 
Total100 

Summative Assessment

Component: CourseworkComponent Weighting: 100%
ElementLength / DurationElement WeightingResit Opportunity
Report 100 

Formative Assessment

Formative exercises will be conducted and feedback delivered as part of in-person sessions.

More information

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