Module Information

Module Identifier
EA12210
Module Title
THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE WATER CYCLE
Academic Year
2009/2010
Co-ordinator
Dr Graham Bird
Semester
Semester 1
Other Staff
 

Course Delivery

Delivery Type Delivery length / details
Lecture 20 x 1 hr
 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Exam 1.5 Hours   Multiple-choice written paper, computer marked  100%
Supplementary Exam 1.5 Hours   Same format  100%

Learning Outcomes

On succesful completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate knowledge of :-

  • the fundamental processes of exchange within the earth-atmosphere system
  • issues of global warming and changing water resource patterns
  • the role of the oceans in the earth-atmosphere system
  • an historical perspective on changes in climate and use this knowledge to assess future global change

Aims

The module aims to impart an understanding of the processes that generate and control weather and climate, and of the water cycle through ocean, atmosphere and land phases.

Brief description

The Atmosphere and the Water Cycle provides the basic framework for understanding and investigating the earth-atmosphere system, the dynamics of global change and its implications for life on earth. This module aims to provide an integrated introductory knowledge of the physical interactions between terrestrial, marine and atmospheric systems.

LECTURE THEMES

  1. The climate system and global warming (2)
  2. Radiation and atmospheric structure
  3. The global heat budget
  4. The global hydrological cycle
  5. Evaporation procdesses and oceanic patterns
  6. Clouds and precipitation processes (2)
  7. The cryosphere
  8. Global patterns of runoff
  9. The General Circulation of the Atmosphere (2)
  10. Mid-latitude circulation and weather processes
  11. Tropical circulation, weather and climate
  12. Historical climate change
  13. Factors in historical climate change
  14. Storms, floods and droughts (2)
  15. Human modification of the water balance (including case studies from representative climates) (2)

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 4