EAM0730 - RECONSTRUCTING PAST ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Module Identifier	EAM0730
Module Title	RECONSTRUCTING PAST ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
Academic Year	2002/2003
Co-ordinator	Ann G Wintle
Semester	Semester 2
Other staff	Dr Geoff Duller, Dr Henry F Lamb, Dr John P Grattan
Course delivery	Lecture	8 Hours 8 x 2 hours
	Seminars / Tutorials	5 x 2 hours
	Practical	Practicals / Field Days. 6 x 2 hours plus 2 days (x 8 hours) fieldwork
Assessment	Semester Assessment	Course Work: Essay on topic which integrates past records of environmental change (15%); Project on use of radiocarbon dates to provide a chronology (10%); Laboratory report on luminescence dating procedures (10%); Report on environmental reconstruction using lake sediments (20%); Report using geoarchaeological data sets (20%); Report on 2 day field trip (20%); Seminar presentations (10%)	100%
	Supplementary Assessment	Failed reports and essays can be resubmitted to the IGES office on or before the first day of the summer resit period (normally mid-August).

Learning outcomes

On completion of this module, students will be able to

relate current climate change concerns in the context of climate change in the last 2.4 Ma

select the most appropriate dating techniques for research projects, and make scientific judgements on the validity of dates obtained

develop individual research plans in specific areas of Quaternary research.

Brief description

Students will be given an overview of current research in Quaternary Science. The module will focus on equipping students with the skills needed to : assess the reliability of luminescence and radiocarbon dates, to take and analyse lake cores of palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and to interpret geoarchaeological data sets.

The students will learn to carry out independent research projects, both for academic research or for contract environmental applications. Emphasis will be placed on the production of written assignments.
Fieldwork in South Wales will involve the collection of Late Glacial/Holocene lake cores for palaeolimnological analysis and coastal sediments for luminescence dating studies.

Reading Lists

Books
Aitken, M J. (1985) Thermoluminescence Dating. Oxford University Press
Aitken, M J. (1998) An Introduction to Optical Dating. Oxford University Press
Taylor, R E. (1987) Radiocarbon Dating. Academic Press
Taylor, R E & Aitken, M J. (1997) Chronometric Dating in Archaeology. Plenum Press
Lowe, J J & Walker, M J C. (1997) Reconstructing Quaternary Environments. 2nd. Longman