GV2CEC: Climate and Environmental Change

Module code: GV2CEC

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: Level 2 (Intermediate)

When you'll be taught: Semester 2

Module convenor: Professor Nicholas Branch, email: n.p.branch@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Maria Shahgedanova, email: m.shahgedanova@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 20 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

This module will focus on two areas of physical geography and environmental science: evolution of atmosphere and climate, and ecosystem dynamics. We will examine the main processes of climate formation with regard to energy balance and atmospheric circulation, discuss natural climatic variability and climate change. We will investigate the underlying environmental and anthropogenic causes of changes in plant and animal diversity focusing on their responses to climate change. These processes will be studied at varying spatial (local, regional and global) and temporal (decadal, centennial and millennial) scales drawing upon numerous case studies and involving field investigations, laboratory practical classes, and analysis of climate and environmental data. The module will help students to understand the fundamental processes of climate and environmental change, and the consequences of changes in climate and environment for human communities in the past and present. 

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to: 

1. Explain how climates evolve, and provide a reasoned account of climatic fluctuations at different spatial and temporal scales, and their impact of changes in both on environments and people. 
2. Understand the causes of changes in plant and animal diversity at different spatial and temporal scales, and evaluate the implications of these findings for human communities. 
3. Elucidate how ecosystems (especially lakes and peatlands) develop and function through time (e.g. carbon storage), and assess the consequences of changes for global climate, ecohydrology and people. 
4. Gain knowledge and experience of working with field instruments and sampling equipment, global climate data sets (both contemporary and palaeo), and the microscopic analysis of sub-fossil biological remains. 

Module content

The module content will be based around four types of activities. 

1. Lectures on climate, including changing composition of the atmosphere and balance between solar and terrestrial radiation, general circulation of the atmosphere and major teleconnections, as well as climate change and variability, over various timescales. Lectures on environmental change, including plant and animal diversity, lake and peatland formation and development, proxy records, and human adaptation to environmental change, over various timescales.   
2. Field investigations to gain experience of using appropriate scientific equipment and data collection. 
3. Laboratory practical classes in the identification and analysis of sub-fossil biological remains. 
4. Analysis of climate and environmental change datasets with a focus on instrumental data obtained globally and palaeoclimatic records. 

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The teaching and learning methods will comprise: (a) in person lectures on climate and environmental change (20 hours) including in-class/online formative assessment as a series of tests, and the provision of digital screencasts/videos to provide pre-lecture contextual information (10 hours); (b) Field investigations (10 hours); (c) Laboratory practical classes with a focus on microscopy (12 hours); (d) Computer based analysis of datasets in the form of seminars (6 hours). 

Study hours

At least 50 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 40% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

In-class/online spot quizzes/tests will enable feedback and feed-forward on strengths and weaknesses, and help the students to prepare for their summative assessments. 

Reassessment

Additional costs