Module Identifier |
WS12410 |
Module Title |
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES |
Academic Year |
2003/2004 |
Co-ordinator |
Dr Sarah J Davies |
Semester |
Semester 2 |
Other staff |
Dr Robert J Whittington, Dr Richard M Lucas |
Course delivery |
Lecture | 20 Hours |
Assessment |
Assessment Type | Assessment Length/Details | Proportion |
Semester Exam | 2 Hours Multiple Choice and Short-Answer Examination | 100% |
Supplementary Assessment | 2 Hours Multiple Choice and Short-Answer Examination | 100% |
|
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module students should be able to:-
-
demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental biogeochemical cycles and their inter-relationships
-
quantify the sources and sinks of the major elements
-
demonstrate the biogeochemical relationships between terrestrial, ocean and atmospheric systems
-
provide an historical perspective on changes in biogeochemical cycles and use this knowledge to assess future changes in global biogeochemical cycles
Content
1. Overview of Global Change and Biogeochemical Cycles
2. Introduction to the Global Carbon Cycle
3. Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Carbon Cycle
Carbon cycling, Deposition and Storage
Vegetation biomass, soil carbon and methane production
Quaternary and recent vegetation changes; impacts on climate
Case Study: Carbon balance of tropical forests
Case Study: Land use and land cover changes
4. Tectonic Processes and Erosion and Chemical Weathering
Rock Weathering
Delivery of Solute and Sediment to the Oceans
Atmospheric Co2 levels over glacial-interglacial cycles
The role of chemical weathering in climate change
Case studies:
(i) Chemical erosion in glacial environments
(ii) The Younger Dryas
5. The Oceans and Global Biogeochemical Cycles
Introduction to Ocean Biogeochemistry
Chemical composition and nutrient cycling in the oceans
The Oceans as a Sink for CO2
(i) Natural Cycles
(ii) Iron Fertilisation
6. The Oceans
Morphology and dynamics of ocean basins
Physical properties of oceans
Sea-level change and palaeo-oceanography
Ocean circulation
7. The Future
Response of the natural system
The role of international agreements
Aims
Biogeochemical cycles provide the basic framework for investigating environmental systems and global change and its implications for life on earth. This module aims to provide an integrated introductory knowledge of the interactions between the terrestrial and ocean systems.
Reading Lists
Books
** Recommended Text
Jacobson, et al (2000) Earth System Science
Academic Press
Press, F. and R. Siever (1986) Earth
4th. Freeman and Company
** Recommended Background
Bigg, G.R. (1996) The Oceans and Climate
Cambridge University Press
Butcher, S.S. and others (1992) Global biogeochemical cycles
Academiv Press, London
Chameides, W.L. and Perdue, E.M. (1997) Biogeochemical Cycles: A computer-interactive study of Earth system science and global change
Oxford University Press
Chester, R. (1990) Marine Geochemistry
Chapman and Hall, London
Open University Course Team (1995) Seawater: its composition, properties, and behaviour
2nd. Open University/ Pergamon Press
Ruddiman, W.F. (Ed) (1997) Tectonic Uplift and climate change
Plenum Press, London
Schlesinger, W.H. (1997) Biogeochemistry: An analysis of global change
Academic Press, London
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 4