Undergraduate - UnitATS2779 - Climate change and variability

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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6 points, SCA Band 2, 0.125 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Physical Geography
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2013 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Ailie Gallant

Notes

Previously coded GES2860

Synopsis

A multidisciplinary approach to the nature, causes and future implications of climatic change and variability. This is a team taught unit. Emphasis is placed on processes such as rapid climate change, greenhouse warming, carbon cycle, monsoon activity and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon which are of greatest global concern. Contributions of fossil, historical and instrumental data are critically assessed and social, economic, political and broad environmental implications of predicted future changes are evaluated in terms of the significance for biotic communities and human society. Analysis of paleo, historical and current environmental data forms is a core.

Outcomes

The course aims to provide a background in how climate has changed in the past and how it is likely to change in the future. After completing the unit students will be expected to:

Understand the concept of climate change and how this varies from climate variability
Demonstrate an understanding of how climate changes across different timescales (geological, centennial, decadal to annual).
Illustrate the mechanisms and feedbacks that influence climate change.
Show an awareness of the social and political context to climate change and the impacts, adaptation and mitigation of such change.

Assessment

Examination (2 hours): 35%
Practical reports (6 hours): 30%
Essay (2000 words): 35%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Ailie Gallant

Contact hours

Two 1-hour lectures per week
One 2-hour practical per fortnight

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Sustainability, environment and society
Geography and environmental science (ARTS)
Geographical science
Climate change and society

Prerequisites

A first-year sequence in geography and environmental science, mathematics, earth sciences, biology, environmental science or permission

Prohibitions

ATM2250, ATM3250, GES3860