Undergraduate - UnitATS3558 - Global Change and the Earth System

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 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

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered, or view unit timetables.

Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Physical Geography
Offered	Not offered in 2014
Coordinator(s)	Dr Ailie Gallant

Notes

Previously coded GES3890

Synopsis

This unit will deal with human global change and the impacts,interactions and feedbacks within the Earth's different subsystems - the atmosphere, soils, water, and biota.The unit will examine the dynamics of the earth by identifying the major driving processes and responses of the biosphere to energy, water, carbon, nitrogen and other biogeochemical cycles. We will view the earth system across local to global spatial scales. Processes and cycles will be viewed across geological and historical time scales. Humans as agents of change will be addressed.

Outcomes

The unit aims to provide specific knowledge and understanding of climate, biology and geology and their role in current global process and the feedbacks and interactions that exist between them. This will engage students by providing them with relevant information that can be applied to global environmental problems. The unit aims to provide contemporary and innovative ideas and research in the context of global change. The unit aims to develop synthetic capabilities in students through enquiry and integrative research as well as engaging teaching methods. The unit also aims to promote oral and other communications skills. Finally, students should develop teamwork skills through group based research projects.

Assessment

Oral seminar or debate presentation: 25%
Examination (2 hours): 40%
Research study report (2500 words): 35%

Chief examiner(s)

Dr Ailie Gallant

Workload requirements

Three hours per week (2 one-hour lectures per week (weeks 1-10), 3 hours seminars per week (weeks 11-12), 5 fortnightly research based activities (2 hours each)).

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

Geography, climate and physical environments
Atmospheric science

Prerequisites

Second year unit in geography, climate and physical environments or by permission

Prohibitions

APG4558, ATM3261