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Undergraduate Module Descriptors 2012/13
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GEO305: Climate Change

Module Title Climate Change
Module Code GEO305
Module Tutor Frank Chambers
School Natural and Social Sciences
CAT Points 15
Level of Study 6
Pre-requisites None
Co-requisites None
Restrictions None
Brief Description Climate change lies at the forefront of public awareness of science, and studies of climate change are inter-disciplinary with regard both to practitioner and audience. This module aims to provide a more rigorous background to the current and widespread concerns over "global warming".
Indicative Syllabus The rate, magnitude and direction of climate change are of concern across the global, political and economic arenas. While this module does not involve detailed policy issues, it covers an understanding of climate change together with the factors responsible for forcing the climate and controlling the magnitude and tempo of past (and future) shifts. Only by understanding past shifts can there be informed insight into future climate changes and their consequences, and so this module examines contemporary and recent observations in the broader context of major shifts in Earth's past climates as an indicator of sensitivity to change. Climate models, their construction, use and validation, are also covered.
Learning Outcomes

i. Knowledge and understanding
On completion of the module students should be able to demonstrate that they:
a)  have developed a scholarly appreciation of the importance of past climatic change in underpinning the scientific debate on future climate change;
b)  have gained and consolidated a scientific and philosophical underpinning of 'uncertainty' in the context of climate change;
c)  have developed a critical academic awareness and comprehension of natural climate oscillations as the background to climate models that incorporate anthropogenic forcing.
d) have developed an informed scholarly position in relation to the current concerns over climate change.



ii. Skills
On completion of the module students should be able to demonstrate that they:
a)  can critically review and consolidate lines of evidence from up-to-date research papers in a coherent and cogent form;
b)  have enhanced their critical and lateral thinking skills;
c)  have developed and consolidated an ability to review, and appraise critically, writings on climate change from a populist to research level.
Learning and Teaching Activities

Staff / student contact: 16% (24 hrs; lectures)
Student directed learning: 84% (126 hrs)
Assessment (For further details see the Module Guide) 001: 50% Coursework: Standard: 2000 words or equivalent
002: 50% Written Exam: End of year, unseen, closed book: 2.00 hours
Special Assessment Requirements None
Indicative Resources

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.

Important

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Old Archive

Course resources prior to 2012/13 can still be found in the original Maps and Descriptors Archive.

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