GEOG20060 Weather, Climate and Climate Change

Academic Year 2020/2021

The focus of this module will be on understanding the processes responsible for weather, climate and climate change. Lectures will introduce students to concepts of energy and mass exchanges within the climate system which give rise to circulation systems and wetahr patterns. We use this as the basis for understanding the common states of weather at a place (climate) and show how natural and human activities are driving climate change.

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Curricular information is subject to change

Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this module students will a) understand energy and heat exchanges within the earth-atmosphere system, b) have an awareness of the variables influencing climate and c) have become familiar with graphic representations of various climate components. They should have a good understanding of the basis for global climate change caused by human activities and an ability to link policies at national and international scales to climate actions.

Indicative Module Content:

Introduction: Concepts & Sources of weather information; Forms of energy and transfer mechanisms; Earth-Sun relationships & Atmospheric Composition; Earth’s Energy Budget; Atmospheric Properties: Temperature/Humidity, stability, clouds & precipitation, pressure & wind; The Global circulation & weather systems: mid-latitude frontal cyclones, severe weather; Climates of the world; Climate change and its impacts.

Student Effort Hours: 
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

22

Autonomous Student Learning

78

Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module assumes a minimal knowledge of the atmopsheric sciences and uses day-to-day weather experiences to link relatively abstract information on climate processes to the observations and physical reactions of individuals to the outdoor weather. I place a strong emphasis on the lectures which draw heavily on current weather events and as such are not part of the online notes. A major part of my teaching is the use of handouts and weather websites in class to illustrate the subject. 
Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 
Assessment Strategy  
Description Timing Open Book Exam Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade
Examination: The final exam for this course evaluates the students understanding of the material and their ability to link ideas across the module. 1 hour End of Trimester Exam No Graded No

50

Multiple Choice Questionnaire: This is one of three online exams, each of which is worth 25% of the final grade. The best two of the three are used (50%) in determining the final grade Week 5 n/a Graded No

25

Multiple Choice Questionnaire: This is the second of the online exams and is worth 25% of the overall grade. Week 9 n/a Graded No

25


Carry forward of passed components
No
 
Resit In Terminal Exam
Summer No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 
Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

The module outlines the basis of climate processes and each week builds on the materials of previous weeks. The online exams are an opportunity to test basic knowldge of these processes and to link ideas in the class to broader concepts. Students ra encouraged to meet with me in office hours to discuss the course materials and prepare for the within module tests and the final exam, which is essay based.

Roger G. Barry and Richard J. Chorley (2009) Atmosphere, Weather and Climate, 9th editionis a comprehensive climatology textbook but there are a great number of books on Climatology and Introductory Meteorology that cover the material on this course. The are also a great many only textbooks including those published by the IPCC on Climate Change.