ESC-40018 - MGeoscience: Global Environmental Change

Coordinator: Alix G Cage Tel: +44 1782 7 33177

Lecture Time: See Timetable...

Level: Level 7

Credits: 15

Study Hours: 150

School Office: 01782 733615

Programme/Approved Electives for 2020/21

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

Not available to those students who have taken module ESC-30018 (Global Environmental Change).

Description for 2020/21

The Earthżs environment has been constantly changing throughout the history of the planet, and continuing change will have a serious impact on human activity. However, our understanding of how the environment changes is incomplete, and thus our ability to predict and adapt to future change is limited. This module aims to examine the key issues and debates surrounding global environmental change throughout the Quaternary period. In particular, it aims to highlight the relationships between global environmental change and the characteristics of the Earth's surface processes and landscapes, and to recognise the contested and limited nature of knowledge in this very dynamic subject.

Aims

To enable students to develop a systematic understanding and critical awareness of key issues and debates in Global Environmental Change that are at the forefront of the discipline. In particular, to enable students to appreciate the relationships between global environmental change and the characteristics of the Earth's surface processes and landscapes, and to recognise the contested and limited nature of knowledge in this very dynamic subject.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/esc-40018/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

critically evaluate the literature surrounding key issues and debates in global environmental change: 1,2
explain how past climate and environments are reconstructed using their knowledge of Quaternary Science methods: 1,2
select, analyse and interpret Quaternary Science data to produce a reconstruction of past environmental change: 1
use multiple sources of Quaternary Science data to contextualise a reconstruction of environmental change and create a picture of regional or global climate processes and mechanisms of change: 1
critique the role of climate upon the Earth's physical landscape and processes: 1,2
appraise the role of humans and nature in past, modern and future climate scenarios: 2
debate the contested and limited nature of knowledge in the discipline of global environmental change: 1,2

Study hours

Teaching sessions (lectures/practicals) - 24 hours
Additional Assessment Workshops - 2 hours
Guided independent study (including coursework preparation) - 124 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Paper weighted 50%
Report in style of journal manuscript
This assessment is a report in the form of a journal manuscript (~3,500 words comprising an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, conclusion and reference list) which will address an aspect of Quaternary Science reconstruction (topic areas will be provided). Students will use geochronology and proxy data (either from an accessible source such as the NOAA website, or from data released on the KLE) to produce a Quaternary Science reconstruction paper which will be underpinned by a thorough literature review and discussion/interpretation section. The report will require engagement with the literature and promote critical thinking through contextualisation of their data with other studies. The methods section will improve understanding of Quaternary Science techniques and the results section will engage the student in data analysis skills which will help address the identified data management/numeracy skill gaps within the Environment sector (NERC LWEC report, 2012).

2: Essay weighted 50%
Essay
Essay of around 2,500 words which explores a key question in Quaternary Science and climate change.

ESC-40018 - Module Specification School of Geography, Geology and the Environment Faculty of Natural Sciences

ESC-40018 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences