SLE395 - Earth Environments and Climate Interpretation

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:Trimester 1: Burwood (Melbourne)
Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 1: Mark Warne
Prerequisite:

One unit from SLE102, SLE136 or SLE103 plus two level 2 units

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: Nil
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150 hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

1 x 2 hour lecture per week, 6 x 3 hour practical experience (laboratory) per trimester, 1 x half day practical experience (field trip) per trimester (weather dependent).

Content

This unit provides students with an opportunity to study palaeoclimate interpretation. Students will use sedimentary, geochemical and palaeoecological indicators of past climates, derived from both inland lake and deep-sea sediments, to evaluate natural cycles of, and anthropogenic-driven shifts in, the Earth’s climate system.

Student will also gain experience in the use of microfossil data in the assessment of environmental change within aquatic ecosystems, and for environmental monitoring.

Classes will include the study of:

  1. Palaeoclimate Modelling
  2. Sediment and chemical palaeo-environmental indicators and their application to solving environmental science problems.
  3. Microfossils as proxies of past environmental change.
  4. Palaeo-oceanography and its importance for understanding global climate change.

Practical work will involve 2 projects.

The first project will involve the sedimentological, geochemical and palaeoecological evaluation of the palaeo-environments represented in a limestone, sandstone or mudstone rock exposure in SE Australia.  The second project will involve the use of invertebrate microfossils as proxies of past environmental change within a human occupation historical timescale. This project will involve the examination of fossils from sediment cores gathered within a modern aquatic setting. 

This unit will also include a half day field trip.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Explain how sedimentological, geochemical and palaeoecological data have contributed to our understanding of global environmental change, with particular reference to palaeoclimatic change.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

ULO2

Deduce environmental change in past and modern aquatic environments from microfossil proxy records, and report on these scientific findings.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO6: Self-management

ULO3

Evaluate appropriate scientific literature for useful information relevant to the palaeo-environmental indicators and their application to the assessment of palaeo-climates, and to solving environmental science problems.

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities
GLO4: Critical thinking
GLO6: Self-management

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1
Practical report 1
1000 word written report 30% Week 6
Assessment 2
Essay
1000 word essay plus diagrams 20% Week 7
Assessment 3
Practical report 2
1000 word written report 30% Week 11
Assessment 4
Class test
1-hour in-class test 20% Week 11

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via the link below: SLE395 Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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