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ESC-10048 - Module Specification
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment
Faculty of Natural Sciences

For academic year: 2024/25 Last Updated: 25 April 2024

ESC-10048 - The Earth System
Coordinator: Stuart Egan Room: WSF29 Tel: +44 1782 7 33174
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office: 01782 733615

Programme/Approved Electives for 2024/25

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2024/25

This Year 1 module provides an overview and considers interactions between the Earth's major systems, including the solid earth (geosphere), biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere, and how they combine in terms of their physical, geochemical and environmental processes. It also helps students gain useful experience of a range of employability skills within a geoscience context.

Aims
To provide an overview and consider interactions between all of the Earth's major systems, including the geosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and hydrosphere.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/esc-10048/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

demonstrate knowledge of the underlying concepts and principles associated with all of the Earth's major systems: 1,2,3,4
understand and evaluate the role of society on global change as well as have an appreciation of the need for the sustainable use of natural resources: 1,2,3,4
further develop their IT and writing skills through practical work and coursework assignments: 1,2,3
show knowledge and understanding of the relationships between past, present and future changes on Earth and their relationship to perturbations of its Systems and interactions between Systems: 1,2,3,4

Study hours

24 hours scheduled synchronous class activity
12 hours structured engagement with online resources and directed research
6 hours completion of spreadsheet-based box modelling assignment
30 hours research and completion of computer-based presentation
30 hours research and completion of review article
30 hours revision and completion of class test
18 hours flexible independent study (e.g. background reading)

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Computer Task weighted 30%
PowerPoint Exercise
Development of a standalone computer-based presentation on a selected Earth Systems topic

2: Computer Task weighted 10%
Spreadsheet exercises
Spreadsheet based exercises on system analysis diagrams

3: Review weighted 30%
Review article
750-1000 word review article on a selected Earth Systems topic (e.g. climate change, mass extinctions).

4: Class Test weighted 30%
KLE short answer/MCQ test
End of semester short answer/multiple choice test administered via the KLE and taking approximately one-hour to complete.

Please note that for the 2022/23 Academic Year programmes may be adapted to operate in accordance with a flexible, digital approach. This means that there may be some changes made to how modules are delivered and assessed. The latest information will be provided to you by your School in module handbooks. We endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes and details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/student-terms-and-conditions/

Last Updated: 25 April 2024