Undergraduate Course: Physical Geography (GEGR08010)
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 1 Undergraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | Geography |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
None |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | The course provides a foundation for the understanding of fundamental concepts and current ideas in physical geography for the Geography degree programmes. The course begins by considering in broad terms the development of physical geography and the key concepts and phenomena of change and evolution, cycles, fluxes and events, the environment as resource and hazard, and the human impact on the environment. The remainder of the course explores these themes in more detail in the context of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and pedosphere, and the biosphere. The course emphasizes the importance of spatial variation, and temporal and spatial scale, and interactions between human society and the biophysical environment. |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | No |
Course Delivery Information
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| Delivery period: 2014/15 Semester 2, Available to all students (SV1)
|
Learn enabled: Yes |
Quota: None |
|
Web Timetable |
Web Timetable |
| Course Start Date |
12/01/2015 |
| Breakdown of Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 5,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 4,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Summative Assessment Hours 37,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
126 )
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| Additional Notes |
|
| Breakdown of Assessment Methods (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
|
| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | Physical Geography | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. an understanding of the nature and development of physical geography
2. an appreciation of the concepts and phenomena of change, evolution, cycles, fluxes and individual events as the context for understanding of the physical geography of the present world
3. an appreciation of the way the biophysical environment interacts with human societies
4. an understanding of the major processes involved in the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, the pedosphere and the biosphere
5. an appreciation of importance of spatial variation and scale in physical geography |
Assessment Information
| Written exam: 60%, Coursework: 40% |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
The course provides a foundation for the understanding of fundamental concepts and current ideas in physical geography for the Geography degree programmes. The course begins by considering in broad terms the development of physical geography and the key concepts and phenomena of change and evolution, cycles, fluxes and events, the environment as resource and hazard, and the human impact on the environment. The remainder of the course explores these themes in more detail in the context of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and pedosphere, and the biosphere. The course emphasizes the importance of spatial variation, and temporal and spatial scale, and interactions between human society and the biophysical environment.1. Introduction: outline of the course and course administration
Part 1: Context and major themes
2. The development of Physical Geography
3. Change and evolution
4. Cycles, fluxes and events
5. The environment as resource and hazard
6. The human impact on the environment
Part 2: The atmosphere
7. The climate of Earth and other planets
8. Earth¿s climatic zones
9. Weather
10. Weather events
11. Changing climate in the Quaternary and the Anthropocene
Part 3: The hydrosphere and pedosphere
12. The hydrological cycle
13. Catchment hydrology
14. Water and society
15. Introduction to soils
16. Soil classification
Part 4: The biosphere
17. The biosphere and global change
18. Ecosystems, carbon and climate
19. What is biodiversity and where is it?
20. Dynamic biogeography
21. Forests, people and environment
22. Course summary
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| Transferable skills |
Students will gain experience of critically evaluating scientific papers and of synthesizing information, of producing written summaries and analyses, of discussing issues in a group (tutorial) format, and of undertaking the practical analysis of environmental processes. |
| Reading list |
Cox, C.B. and Moore, P.D. 2010 Biogeography: An Ecological and Evolutionary Approach (8th edn) (Wiley).
Holden, J. 2012 An Introduction to Physical Geography and the Environment (3rd edn) (Pearson).
Goudie, A.S. 2013 The Human Impact on the Natural Environment (7th edn) (Wiley).
Lomolino, M.V., Riddle, B.R., Whittaker, R.J. and Brown, J.H. 2010 Biogeography 4th edn (Sinauer Associates Inc.).
Shonk, J. 2013 Introducing Meteorology (Dunedin Academic Press).
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| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
2 lectures per week, attendance at 2 practicals and 5 tutorials as arranged. |
| Keywords | Physical geography, atmosphere, hydrosphere, pedosphere, biosphere, environment, human society |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Prof Michael Summerfield
Tel: (0131 6)50 2519
Email: Dr.M.A.Summerfield@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Beth Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 9847
Email: beth.muir@ed.ac.uk |
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