Topics in Global Environmental Change (U01786)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : GEO-4-GEC

Themes will vary with year, depending on what is topical. Examples of topics from past years are:
1. Orbital forcing and glacial-interglacial cycles
2. Climate stability and climate change on geologic timescales
3. Carbon and climate
4. What caused the glacial-interglacial changes in CO2?
5. Orography and climate change
6. Mechanisms of abrupt climate change
7. Recent climate variability
8. Future climate change predictions
9. Biomarker applications in palaeoenvironmental studies

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Sedimentology B, Structural Geology

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Earth Science, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
28/10/2005	14:00	16:00	Lecture Room 208, Geology/Geophysics	KB

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Friday	14:00	15:50	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Investigation of controversial 'hot-topics' in the subject areas of global environmental variability and change. These topics will be introduced by the lecturer, read about by all students, using recent articles in the literature, then will form the basis for student seminars and general group discussion. The objective is to develop an understanding and recognition of the principal agents of environmental change, the subject areas of continued uncertainty, the strengths and weaknesses of specific tracers, and, importantly, to help further develop the student's skills in critical assessment of scientific literature, as well as seminar presentation and debate.