BO3120: Environmental Dynamics
| Co-ordinator | Professor Fraser Mitchell |
|---|---|
| Module Type | Mandatory (Plant Sciences), Optional (Environmental Sciences) |
| Assessment: | 50% Examination, 50% Continual Assessment |
| Credits: | 5 |
| Prerequisites: | None |
Contact hours:
| Lectures: | 24 hours |
|---|---|
| Total | 24 hours |
Description:
The last 2.5 million years of Earth history have witnessed dramatic climatic and environmental changes. This module provides an overview of these major environmental changes, their causes, and their significance for human development. It contrasts ‘glacial’ and ‘interglacial’ worlds, examines the nature of the transitions between them, explores some potential causes of change, and illustrates their environmental impacts. In the process, a range of key environmental records are considered, along with the “proxies” used to develop them.
Learning Outcomes:
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- Describe what is meant by the terms ‘glacial’ and ‘interglacial’ and outline their key characteristics with particular reference to Europe and N. America
- List the principal types of stratigraphic information used in Quaternary science and illustrate their application with reference to named examples
- Explain the physical processes causing sea level change and outline their significance for plant and animal migration and colonisation
- Describe how ice and sediment cores can provide information on past environments and illustrate their applications and limitations with reference to named examples
- Outline atmospheric and oceanic circulation change and comment on their potential significance for abrupt climate transitions