Land-Atmosphere Interactions (U01823)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : GEO-4-LAI

An honours level course in which we seek to address the following questions: (a) What are the important biophysical processes that determine land-atmosphere exchange and how might they influence the wider questions concerning 'Global Change'. (b) How has the present atmosphere evolved through geologic time and what has been the role of the biosphere in this process? (c) How do the atmospheric water, energy and trace gas cycles interact with the land surface?

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Soil, Water and Atmospheric Processes

? Costs : None

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Ecological Science, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Other subject areas

Environmental Courses, (School of GeoSciences, Schedule N)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 4th year

? Delivery Period : Semester 1 (Blocks 1-2)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
20/09/2006	09:30	12:15	Room 6, Crew Building Annexe	KB

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Wednesday	09:00	12:00	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Students will gain an appreciation of land-atmosphere interactions at a range of scales from cell to biome. In this module we aim to discuss the role of the biosphere in the climate system, how land-atmosphere exchange can be measured and what type of data and models are required to evaluate land-atmosphere interaction. Students will discover how changes made to Earth's surface can have an effect on the atmosphere and vice versa. Students will use a range of planetary-boundary layer models in practical sessions to simulate land-atmosphere exchange processes.