Rhedir gan School of Ocean Sciences

20.000 Credyd neu 10.000 Credyd ECTS

Semester 2

Trefnydd: Dr Margot Saher

The module aims to introduce the student to the external forcing factors and internal processes which modulate and control the Earth’s climate system. These factors and processes will be investigated as they have worked in the past, as they are operating right now, and as we expect them to operate in the future. Major issues include the primary external forcings of natural climate variability (tectonic, orbital and solar), internal processes and feedbacks within the Earth system, anthropogenic drivers of climate change, impacts of climate change, future climate change, and mitigation and adaptation strategies.

These issues are addressed by:

(i) examining natural climate variability over different geological timescales;

(ii) understanding the important role of the oceans, atmosphere and cryosphere in regulating the Earth’s climate;

(iii) developing models of the Earth’s climate;

(iv) assessing inter-annual and inter-decadal climate variability;

(v) assessing the impacts of climate change and various proposed mitigation and adaptation responses.

The core part of this module consists of four parts:

A.* Climate Processes and Interactions*** including radiation and global energy balance, the greenhouse effect and climate feedbacks, redistribution of solar energy across the globe, ocean circulation including vertical mixing and deep water formation, and ice and ocean interaction;

B.* Natural Climate Variability on Geological Timescales*** including large scale processes (such as orogeny, erosion and long term biogeochemical processes that operate on timescales of tens or hundreds of millions of years), external orbital forcing (glacial/interglacial cycles), external solar forcing (eg solar minima such as the Maunder Minimum), event-based perturbations (eg volcanic events) and Earth system feedbacks (e.g. ice-ocean-climate feedbacks);

C.* Decadal and Annual Climate Variability and the Impacts of Climate Change* including decadal scale and regional climatic oscillations such as El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), oceanic CO2 drawdown, in situ monitoring of marine climate change, sea level and coastal flooding, and Earth observation (remote monitoring) of climate variability.

D.* Climate modelling. The basics of climate modelling are addressed through the investigation of the climate on Earth and other planets. .

trothwy

Threshold

Demonstrating a basic ability to analyse the response of the climate system to forcings over different timescales and at varying frequencies, to appreciate the complexity of the climate response of the Earth system and in particular the feedbacks that characterise this complexity, to undertake simple calculations relating to the Earth's radiation and global energy balance, and to offer informed advice on climate prediction (including an appreciation of probability), climate change impacts and mitigation strategies.

da

Good

Demonstrating a good ability to analyse the response of the climate system to forcings over different timescales and at varying frequencies, to appreciate the complexity of the climate response of the Earth system and in particular the feedbacks that characterise this complexity, to undertake simple calculations relating to the Earth's radiation and global energy balance, and to offer informed advice on climate prediction (including an appreciation of probability), climate change impacts and mitigation strategies.

ardderchog

Excellent

Demonstrating an excellent ability to analyse the response of the climate system to forcings over different timescales and at varying frequencies, to appreciate the complexity of the climate response of the Earth system and in particular the feedbacks that characterise this complexity, to undertake simple calculations relating to the Earth's radiation and global energy balance, and to offer informed advice on climate prediction (including an appreciation of probability), climate change impacts and mitigation strategies.

1. undertake simple calculations relating to the Earth's radiation and global energy balance;

2. analyse the response of the climate system to forcings over different timescales and at varying frequencies;

3. offer informed advice on climate prediction (including an appreciation of probability), climate change impacts and mitigation strategies.

4. appreciate the complexity of the climate response of the Earth system and in particular the feedbacks that characterise this complexity;

Math	Enw	Disgrifiad	Pwysau
GWAITH CWRS	Arctic Scientific Briefing Exercise		10.00
LLAFAR	Oral presentations		20.00
Written assignment, including essay	24 hour open book exam	24 hour open box exam	30.00
Written assignment, including essay	Essay		40.00

		Oriau
Lecture	Lecture,s 1 hour each	23
Seminar	CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS	8
Private study	During Private Study students will be expected to undertake wider reading linked to the course as well as work to complete the assessments. A recommended book list and web based material will be provided.	167
Workshop	Attending the 3rd yera poster presentation and assist with marking.	2

• Llythrennedd - Medrusrwydd mewn darllen ac ysgrifennu drwy amrywiaeth o gyfryngau
• Rhifedd - Medrusrwydd wrth ddefnyddio rhifau ar lefelau priodol o gywirdeb
• Defnyddio cyfrifiaduron - Medrusrwydd wrth ddefnyddio ystod o feddalwedd cyfrifiadurol
• Hunanreolaeth - Gallu gweithio mewn ffordd effeithlon, prydlon a threfnus. Gallu edrych ar ganlyniadau tasgau a digwyddiadau, a barnu lefelau o ansawdd a phwysigrwydd
• Archwilio - Gallu ymchwilio ac ystyried dewisiadau eraill
• Adalw gwybodaeth - Gallu mynd at wahanol ac amrywiol ffynonellau gwybodaeth
• Sgiliau Rhyngbersonol - Gallu gofyn cwestiynau, gwrando'n astud ar atebion a'u harchwilio
• Dadansoddi Beirniadol & Datrys Problem - Gallu dadelfennu a dadansoddi problemau neu sefyllfaoedd cymhleth. Gallu canfod atebion i broblemau drwy ddadansoddiadau ac archwilio posibiliadau
• Ymwybyddiaeth o ddiogelwch - Bod yn ymwybodol o'ch amgylchedd a hyder o ran cadw at reoliadau iechyd a diogelwch
• Cyflwyniad - Gallu cyflwyno gwybodaeth ac esboniadau yn glir i gynulleidfa. Trwy gyfryngau ysgrifenedig neu ar lafar yn glir a hyderus.
• Dadl - Gallu cyflwyno, trafod a chyfiawnhau barn neu lwybr gweithredu, naill ai gydag unigolyn neu mewn grwˆp ehangach

• Recognize and apply appropriate theories and concepts from a range of disciplines.
• Consider issues from a range of interdisciplinary perspectives.
• Apply subject knowledge to the understanding and addressing of problems.
• Collect, analyse and interpret primary and/or secondary data using appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative techniques.
• Awareness of the concepts of spatial and temporal scale in understanding processes and relationships.
• Appreciation of the reciprocal nature of human-environmental relationships.
• Apply appropriate techniques for presenting spatial and/or temporal trends in data.
• Preparation of effective maps, diagrams and visualizations.

Gorfodol mewn cyrsiau:

• F7AH: MSc Physical Oceanography year 1 (MSC/PO)
• F652: MSci Geological Oceanography year 4 (MSCI/GO)
• F734: MSci Physical Oceanography year 4 (MSCI/PO)

Opsiynol mewn cyrsiau:

• F801: MGeog Geography year 4 (MGEOG/G)
• F805: MGeog Geography with International Experience year 5 (MGEOG/GIE)
• F7AT: MSc Applied Marine Geoscience year 1 (MSC/APMGSCI)
• F7AX: MSc Marine Renewable Energy year 1 (MSC/MRE)