Module Information
Module Identifier
GG30420
Module Title
River Systems and Global Environmental Change
Academic Year
2014/2015
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1
Pre-Requisite
Pre-Requisite
Pre-Requisite
Other Staff
Course Delivery
| Delivery Type | Delivery length / details |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 10 x 3 hours |
| Seminars / Tutorials | 10 x 0.5 hours |
Assessment
| Assessment Type | Assessment length / details | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Semester Exam | 2 Hours Written examination. | 50% |
| Semester Assessment | ESSAY 10 minute seminar presentation. | 50% |
| Supplementary Assessment | Resubmission of failed CA component. | 50% |
| Supplementary Exam | 2 Hours Re-sit: written examination | 50% |
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module students should be able to:
- Describe the process-response relationships between environmental change and river dynamics at a global scale.
- Critically assess the relative importance of natural and anthropogenic factors responsible for catchment disturbance and river instability at a global scale.
- Forecast the likely impacts of changes in climate, land-use and pollution on river and catchment systems at a global scale.
Aims
This module is designed for students to develop a conceptual, factual and practical knowledge of channel, floodplain and catchment response to environmental change over the last 20,000 years resulting from natural and anthropogenic perturbations.
Content
River systems and Pleistocene environmental change
Lecture 1: UK and Northern Europe
Lectures 2 and 3: Mediterranean
River systems and Holocene environmental change
Lectures 4 and 5 : UK and Northern Europe
Lecture 6: Mediterranean
Lecture 7: North America
Lecture 8: Africa
River systems and historical environmental change
Lecture 9: Flood histories in UK and North America
Lecture 10: Metal mining impacts on rivers
Lecture 1: UK and Northern Europe
Lectures 2 and 3: Mediterranean
River systems and Holocene environmental change
Lectures 4 and 5 : UK and Northern Europe
Lecture 6: Mediterranean
Lecture 7: North America
Lecture 8: Africa
River systems and historical environmental change
Lecture 9: Flood histories in UK and North America
Lecture 10: Metal mining impacts on rivers
Reading List
Recommended TextBrown, A.G. (1997) Alluvial Geoarchaeology: floodplain archaelogy and environmental change Cambridge Primo search Knighton, D. (1998) Fluvial Forms and Processes Arnold: London Primo search Lowe, J.J. & Walker M.J.C. (1997) Reconstructing Quaternary Environments Longman Primo search Roberts, N. (1998) The Holocene: an environmental history. Blackwell, Oxford Primo search Thorne, C.R., Hey, R.D. & Newson, M.D. Applied Fluvial Geomorphology for River Engineering and Management, John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Chichester Primo search
Notes
This module is at CQFW Level 6