MSc Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and Reconstruction

This course unit provides an overview of the nature, drivers and timescales of climate change. Anthropogenic climate change and its forcings will be situated within the context of long-term, historical climate change. The course unit will review the Earth’s climate system and provide an introduction to climate dynamics across a wide range of timescales from geological deep-time, through Quaternary ice ages, to millennial and rapid changes. The unit will draw on case studies and examples from diverse climate records and offer opportunities for discussion and debate around abrupt change, tipping points, sensitivity/variability, uncertainty as well as provide an introduction to the climate modelling approaches that underpin future climate projections. The course unit seeks to provide a rich context for the study and understanding of past, current and future climate change.

The unit aims to:

• Examine the Earth’s climate system and its main components and interactions.
• Evaluate the drivers and timescales of change in the Earth’s climate system.
• Explore the diverse approaches and methods for learning about climatic changes.
• Consider the long-term context and trajectory of current anthropogenic climate change.

• Experience and greater confidence in working with, and interpreting numerical data via assessment 2.
• Enhanced skill in report writing and communication of complex topics using simple and straightforward language via assessment 2.
• Assessment 1 will give students experience of public speaking and collaboration skills as they work in small groups to research, prepare and present an oral presentation on a specific topic.
• Course aims to develop students confidence in the understanding, interpretation, and presentation of a variety of climate datasets and data visualisation. This is embedded into the ILOs (e.g. IS2, PS1, PS2) and assessments.
• Navigating/accessing/identifying learning materials via the VLE.
• Using appropriate search engines/indexes/databases to find information.
• Manage and retrieve information for study i.e. (bookmarks/referencing software).
• Producing visualisations of data for reports.

Syllabus (indicative curriculum content):

Lectures, seminars, and workshops on physical science of climate change and the historical and geological context for present-day and future climate change. Indicative topics may include: deep-time evolution of Earth’s climate, Quaternary ice ages (glacials-interglacials), Holocene climate change, carbon budget, cryosphere and sea level, numerical climate modelling.

Delivery style: 2 hours per week (x 8 sessions) of lecture/seminar/workshop. Typical structure could include 1 hour of lecture and 1 hour of seminar discussion, or 1 hour of lecture and 1 hour of computer workshop or 2 hours of lecture/seminar or 2 hours of computer practical. In addition, a further session will be a student-led session with the group presentations (up to 4 hours).

Oral formative feedback will be given from the course unit staff and peer-to-peer during planned and impromptu discussions in lectures and seminars, as well as from the course unit staff during dedicated student support hours and assessment workshop.

The module is supported by dedicated pages on the VLE which will contain copies of all learning materials and reading lists, as well as additional supporting resources.

• Describe the main components of the Earth’s climate system.
• Discuss the drivers and timescales of climate change.
• Assess the relevance of palaeoclimatology for the understanding of current and future climate change.
• Evaluate the relative contribution of natural and anthropogenic drivers in current and future climate change.

• Summarise complex concepts around the physical aspects of climate change.
• Communicate the implications of climate datasets.
• Critically evaluate debates and arguments in climate change research.
• Source and review scientific literature on the physical science of climate change.

• Make choices on relevant data sets and create an effective visual to communicate key climate change trends and patterns.
• Demonstrate data-visualisation skills through written reports and class activities.

• Collaborate with others to plan, develop and deliver an oral presentation (including the use of visual aids).
• Develop a clear and convincing written argument.
• Write concisely for a non-academic audience to convey the importance of the physical science of climate change.

Formative Assessment Task
Outline of topic and choice of dataset in Assessment 2.
= 300 words.
Formative feedback during in-class assessment workshop.
Expected outcome: Improved performance on Assessment 2.

Assessment task 1
Group presentation on an aspect of the physical science of climate change. Presentation to be delivered in class (oral presentation with use of visual aids). 
15 minutes plus 5 minutes of Q&A (~5 minutes per student).
Formative feedback in class. Written feedback on oral and visual presentation within 15 working days of presentation.
30% weighting.

Assessment task 2
Individual analytical report on a climate change dataset. Written for a non-academic audience in the style of a briefing note (i.e. page limited) and including data visualisations.
3 pages A4 (maximum), including figures (equivalent to 1000-1500 words plus figures).
Written feedback within 15 working days of submission.
70% weighting.

Readings will be assigned from a range of sources and each week there will be a dedicated list of essential reading.

General texts for the course:

IPCC (2021) Climate Change: The Physical Science Basis
Bender, M.L. (2013) Paleoclimate. Princeton University Press. 
Burch S.L. and Harris, S.E. (2021) Understanding Climate Change: science, policy and practice. University of Toronto Press. 
Farmer, G.T. and Cook, J. (2013) Climate change science: A modern synthesis: Volume 1-The physical climate (Vol. 1). Springer Netherlands.

• Course texts and readings incorporate authors of multiple nationalities, ethnicities and genders focussing on the latest climate science research.
• Teaching and learning will be designed to be inclusive through providing materials online in advance of sessions in accessible formats/providing a range of routes for students to engage with discussion (in class and online)/encouraging students to share their own knowledge and reflections on relevant topics.
• Students will be be able to select from a lits of topics/datasets for both assignments.