Undergraduate Course: Global Environmental Processes (EASC08007)
Course Outline
| School |
School of Geosciences |
College |
College of Science and Engineering |
| Course type |
Standard |
Availability |
Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) |
SCQF Level 08 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Credits |
20 |
| Home subject area |
Earth Science |
Other subject area |
Environmental Courses |
| Course website |
http://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/undergraduate/courses/earthsci/U01919/ |
|
|
| Course description |
The course analyses the geological, chemical, physical and biological processes, together with their interactions, which determine the characteristics of the environment in which we live and how it changes with time. The course comprises three principal components: evolution of the Earth and the driving mechanisms for change; major physical and biochemical processes and how they change through time; understanding the operation of the 'Earth System'. It covers issues such as Earth origin, extinction events in Earth history, solar forcing of climate change, ice ages, natural archives of change from the oceans, ice sheets, lakes, etc., the history of the hydrological carbon cycle and other biochemical cycles, climate trends, El Nino events, human impact, global climate models and the future of the environment. The course is appropriately combined with Oceanography. |
Entry Requirements
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites |
|
| Prohibited Combinations |
|
Other requirements |
None
|
| Additional Costs |
none |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2010/11 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
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WebCT enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
| Location |
Activity |
Description |
Weeks |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
| King's Buildings | Laboratory | | 1-11 | | 14:00 - 17:00 | or 14:00 - 17:00 | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | 11:10 - 12:00 | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | 09:00 - 09:50 | | | | | King's Buildings | Lecture | | 1-11 | | | | | 12:10 - 13:00 |
| First Class |
First class information not currently available |
| Additional information |
3 hour(s) per week for 6 week(s). |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
| Students will leave this course with a broad knowledge of Environmental Science as studied from a Geoscience perspective with an emphasis on biogeochemical processes that operate at the global scale. Students will gain a detailed knowledge of the inter-linked nature of the Earth System though a consideration of interactions between the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere and biosphere. Students will be able to evaluate how well predictive methods compare with actual field measurements of precipitation, transpiration and run off. They will be able to use a range of theoretical and practical approaches to formulate evidence-based solutions. The academic précis assessment exercise will give students the chance to inform their understanding with a summary of some recent work. |
Assessment Information
| Lectures, practicals and lab work. Class exams. Exemptions awarded on the basis of Class exam plus practical assessments. Class exam plus practical assessments = 40%, Degree exam = 60%. |
| Please see Visiting Student Prospectus website for Visiting Student Assessment information |
Special Arrangements
| Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser |
Dr Rachel Wood
Tel: (0131 6)50 6014
Email: Rachel.Wood@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary |
Mr Peter Dipnarine
Tel: (0131 6)50 4842
Email: v1pdipna@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
|
copyright 2010 The University of Edinburgh -
1 September 2010 5:47 am
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