Undergraduate Course: Environmental Sensitivity and Change (GEGR08001)
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 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Geography |
Other subject area | Environmental Courses |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | This course examines the dynamics of the Earth System, paying particular attention to the concepts of systems, thresholds, feedbacks, sensitivity and fragility. We explore the importance of past events in understanding the present, and vice versa. In the course we focus on 1) understanding the drivers of environmental change from decades to millennia; 2) the responses of Polar, Temperate and Tropical regions to change and their role in further reinforcing change; 3) human-environment interactions and 4) methods & concepts that enable you to interpret the 1 - 3. We explore these themes over decadal to millennial time scales and local, regional, and global spatial scales. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
Students MUST have passed:
Earth Surface Systems (GESC08001)
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 1, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Class Delivery Information |
Practicals as required, plus tutorials. |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2014 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 7,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 2,
Revision Session Hours 40,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
123 )
|
| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
35 %,
Coursework
65 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S1 (December) | Environmental Sensitivity and Change | 2:00 | | | Resit Exam Diet (August) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. By the end of this course you should be able to demonstrate ability to:
¿ Understand the scope and main areas of environmental sensitivity and change
¿ Understand scientific approaches to the principal issues
¿ Understand the primary causes and consequences of climate change
¿ Assess, analyse and understand the main characteristics of human-environment interactions
¿ The spatial variation of Quaternary environments
¿ Appreciate environmental change as an interdisciplinary research field
2. In the context of environmental change:
¿ Assess the merits and shortcomings of major theories and concepts and the evidence presented in support of these
¿ Abstract and synthesize mainstream information
¿ Develop reasoned arguments incorporating evidence
¿ Take responsibility for your learning via reading and the preparation of assignments
¿ Plan and write set assignments to a specified length
¿ Research, read and summarize relevant literature
¿ Select and prepare an oral and extended written presentation
¿ Employ appropriate visual aids in written and oral presentations
|
Assessment Information
Tutorial assignments as arranged
Degree Project (2500 words max) 35%
Degree Examination (2 hours - 20 multiple choice questions, 6 short answer questions and 2 long answer questions) 65% |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
1. Course introduction and scene setting
2. What is the Earth System?
3. Quaternary Environments and their reconstruction
4. Earth System dynamics & the Carbon cycle
5. Polar change
6. Change in the temperate zone
7. Change in the tropical zone
8. Human impacts and responses to change
|
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
There is no set text for this course ¿ the content covered in the course is broad. The best, most appropriate, up to date and relevant information is to be found in the form of book chapters and scientific papers that will be provided throughout the course. |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | GEGR08001 |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Caroline Lehmann
Tel: (0131 6)50 6025
Email: Caroline.Lehmann@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Beth Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 9847
Email: beth.muir@ed.ac.uk |
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