Module Information
Module Identifier
GG23710
Module Title
POLAR ENVIRONMENTS
Academic Year
2008/2009
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Course Delivery
Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
---|---|
Lecture | 16 Hours. 8 x 2 hours |
Other | 5 hours surgery sessions for essay review (5 x 2 hours) |
Assessment
Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
---|---|---|
Semester Assessment | 4000 word essay review | 100% |
Supplementary Assessment | Resubmission 4000 word essay review | 100% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:-
- Describe the geology of, and the physical processes operating in, the Arctic and Antarctic
- Explain the way in which physical processes affect the activities of human populations in the Arctic and Antarctic
- Discuss the ways in which polar politics impinge on economic development of polar regions
- Critically evaluate the ways in which global environmental change will influence the polar regions, and vice versa
- Assimilate and review scientific data, and critically evaluate it in a professional quality, fully referenced and illustrated report
Brief description
The module (i) provides a summary of the physical processes operating in both polar regions in order to understand the factors controlling these processes; (ii) examines the response of human populations to the polar environments, both historically and at the present day; (iii) evaluates the significance of polar regions in the context of global environmental change; and (iv) analyses the political framework under which scientific and commercial activity takes place.
Content
LECTURES
- Introduction: information sources; Svalbard: portrait of an Arctic island.
- Geological evolution of the Arctic
- Antarctica and global change: an earth science perspective
- Unravelling Antarctica's glacial history
- Exploration of Antarctica
- Human environmental impact and management on Antarctica
- Science and the British Antarctic Survey; Earth Science research strategy and the International Polar Year
- Human environmental impact on the Arctic
Module Skills
Skills Type | Skills details |
---|---|
Application of Number | N/A |
Communication | Written: assignment to professional standards |
Improving own Learning and Performance | Independent reading of primary literature and Web |
Information Technology | Competency in critically using web sources; word processing; graphical representation |
Personal Development and Career planning | N/A |
Problem solving | N/A |
Research skills | Undertaken during independent reading and in the writing of the essay review |
Subject Specific Skills | N/A |
Team work | Some informal teamwork may be undertaken in lecture room connection with a polar quiz during session 1 |
Reading List
Recommended TextDowdeswell, J.A. & Hambrey, M.J. (2002) Islands of the Arctic Cambridge University Press Primo search Hanson, J.D. & Gordon, J.E. (1998) Antarctic Environments and Resources Longman, Harlow, Essex Primo search Supplementary Text
Armstrong, T., Rogers, G. & Rowley, G. (1978) The Circumpolar North Methuen & Co., London Primo search Harris, C. & Stonehouse, B. (eds.) Antarctica and Global Climatic Change Belhaven Press, London Primo search Laws, R. (1989) Antarctica - The Last Frontier Boxtree Ltd., London Primo search Sugden, D. (1982) Arctic and Antarctic - a Modern Geographical Synthesis Blackwell (Oxford) Primo search Walton, D. W. H. (Ed.) (1987) Antarctic Science Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 5