Environmental Problems and Issues (U02487)

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

PART 1: Atmospheric Processes
- Global warming:
- Stratospheric ozone depletion
- Pollution at the Earth's surface

PART 2: Estuarine Processes
Physical and biogeochemical processes occurring in estuaries, and how these interact to control the cycling and fate of natural and contaminant materials.

PART 3: Natural Seismic and Climatic Hazards
The mechanisms and consequences of seismic and climatic hazards

PART 4: Environmental Issues facing Coral Reefs
The science behind: coral bleaching, impacts of changing seawater CO2; eutrophication; pathogens in reef systems; plagues; controls on species diversity; species composition and relative abundance on reefs at different spatial and temporal scales; phase shifts in the reef ecosystem (2 lectures).

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Quaternary Environmental Change, Aquatic Systems. Other students may be admitted at the discretion of the Course Organiser.

? Costs : None

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Earth Science, (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) 10 minutes per week for 10 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
26/09/2006	14:00	17:00	Lecture Room 208, Geology/Geophysics	KB

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	14:00	17:00	KB
Lecture	Thursday	14:00	17:00	KB

? Additional Class Information : Times and days may vary.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

This course deals with the current state of the Earth and the role of geosciences in developing an understanding of the interactions between Man's activities and natural cycles. It has been broken into 4 themes that are intended to complement other EG4 courses as well as to permit students to pursue in-depth studies of processes within the context of specific problems and case studies. By examining a range of real-life problems, the student will gain an appreciation of the ways in which processes interact within different settings. The course is particularly concerned with familiarising students with the interface between geosciences and other science disciplines in tackling environmental problems. Student seminars, to be based on topics set from each of the themes, and Group Projects (see below), will provide the student with experience in collecting, synthesising and critically assessing information, and in presentation and discussion of the results.