University of St Andrews

Key information

SCOTCAT credits : 15

ECTS credits : 7

Level : SCQF level 9

Semester: 1

Planned timetable: Lecture (9am Wednesday), Practical (2pm Tuesday), IT room (weeks 1 to 7)

Climate change is one of the most challenging environmental problems currently facing society. Recent global warming likely lies outside the range of natural variability when compared to the last 1000 or even 2000 years. However, temperature is not the only game in town, and there are significant changes in hydro-climatic variability and related perturbations in large scale dynamical processes. This module provides fundamental information on climate dynamical processes and how we study them - currently and in the past. The module examines both strengths and limitations of terrestrial and marine proxy climate records used to study past climate of the late Holocene and Quaternary as well as introducing students to the fundamentals of modelling the climate system.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisite(s): Before taking this module you must pass ES2001 and pass ES2002 and pass ES2003

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact: 2-hour lectures (10 weeks), 3-hour practicals (10 weeks)

Scheduled learning hours: 50

Guided independent study hours: 100

Assessment pattern

As used by St Andrews: 2-hour Written Examination = 50%, Coursework = 50%

As defined by QAA
Written examinations : 50%
Practical examinations : 0%
Coursework: 50%

Re-assessment: Retake Examination = 100%

Personnel

Module coordinator: Professor R J S Wilson
Module teaching staff: Dr R Wilson, Dr A Burke, Dr J Rae, Dr M Byrne
Module coordinator email rjsw@st-andrews.ac.uk