GES3550

Quaternary Environments ( 6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL)

Leader: Professor Peter Kershaw

Offered:
Clayton First semester 2006 (Day)

Synopsis: This unit is concerned with the identification and analysis of evidence for environmental change during this most recent and significant period of geological time. Emphasis is placed on the study of glacial, fluvial and arid landforms, pollen and micro-faunal analysis of lake, swamp and ocean sediments, megafaunal extinction, the impact of people, and methods of dating and correlation, particularly in the Australian region. The unit concludes with an assessment of the importance of Quaternary knowledge to climatic prediction, conservation and land management.

Assessment: Written (2000 words): 40% + Examinations (2 hours): 40% + Practical/laboratory work/fieldwork: 20%

Prerequisites: 16 points of second-year physical geography, biology, earth sciences or atmospheric science, or permission