Unit name | Sea Level past, present and future |
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Unit code | GEOG30008 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | H/6 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
Unit director | Dr. Bingham |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
There are no pre-requisites but students will be offered a revision lecture in the first week to cover material from GEOG25060 Environmental 2 that is relevant, as well as additional reading. |
Co-requisites |
Available to year-three Geography and year- four Geography with Study Aboard/Continental Europe students only. |
School/department | School of Geographical Sciences |
Faculty | Faculty of Science |
This new unit will combine two elements: an existing 10-lecture component from GEOG35200 on the future contribution of ice sheets to sea level change and existing (although currently not presented) material on past fluctuations in sea level. It is anticipated that the unit will comprise up to ~20 lectures and a computer-based practical. A report based on the latter will comprise 33% of the unit’s assessment, while the remainder will come from a two-hour unseen paper with a section from each part of the unit (two essay answers each comprising 33%).
The unit will review the evidence for past fluctuations in sea level, as well as the phenomena that this evidence has revealed such as the existence of meltwater events and potential instability of the ice sheets. It will then go on to look at evidence for recent change in the ice sheets and glaciers of the world, as well as the processes thought to be responsible. Finally, both the geological and contemporary evidence will be assessed within the context of the recent IPCC assessment report.
Although the unit is offered without prerequisite, some knowledge of glaciological processes is desirable such as is provided in GEOG25040. Support in the form of a small number of preliminary revision lectures and additional reading will be offered to students that have not done GEOG25040.
1. Revision - flow physics
2. Revision – surface mass budget
Element one: Past fluctuations in sea level
Element two: Present and future sea level
The following transferable skills are developed in this Unit:
Lectures & practical sessions
Final Exam 67% Project Report 33%
Price, S. F., A. J. Payne, I. M. Howat, and B. E. Smith (2011), Committed sea-level rise for the next century from Greenland ice sheet dynamics during the past decade, P Natl Acad Sci USA, 108(22), 8978-8983.
Pritchard, H. D., R. J. Arthern, D. G. Vaughan, and L. A. Edwards (2009), Extensive dynamic thinning on the margins of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, Nature, 461(7266), 971-975.
Pritchard, H. D., R. J. Arthern, D. G. Vaughan, and L. A. Edwards (2009), Extensive dynamic thinning on the margins of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, Nature, 461(7266), 971-975