| CODE | EMP1015 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Earth Systems: Key Concepts and Case Studies | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 01 - Year 1 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | Not Applicable | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 6 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Environmental Management and Planning | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The unit provides an introductory ‘tour’ of planetary systems. Students will first be introduced to the concept of Earth Systems, and to the interlinkages between these various systems that underpin the functioning of Earth and that make life on the planet possible. In initial introductory lectures, students will be acquainted with general scientific concepts relevant to the six key earth systems, with these comprising (i) the geosphere (including tectonic activity, volcanism, geology, geomorphology), (ii) the biosphere (ecology and biodiversity), (iii) the hydrosphere (marine and freshwater systems), (iv) the cryosphere (polar environments), (v) the atmosphere (including weather and climate) and (vi) the anthrosphere (the ‘human’ world). In each case, introductory lectures will be followed by discussion workshops, during which management issues affecting the system in question will be reviewed and evaluated. These will cover a range of issues, with examples including the loss of biodiversity, climate change and ocean acidification, amongst other sustainability issues. In the final part of the Unit, students will be shown how the concepts of Earth systems can be applied at a variety of scales, through a focus on the Maltese Islands. The environment of the Maltese Islands will be explored through two fieldwork sessions to provide a basic understanding and appreciation of local biodiversity, biogeographical and geomorphological features. Study-unit Aims: The unit aims to provide: - a basic understanding of the basic components, processes and functioning of earth systems; - an overview of how ecological systems underpin the survival of all life on Earth, including human life; - a general understanding of the global geomorphologic processes taking place and how these shape the earth's physical environment; - an appreciation of how the various Earth systems (e.g. climatic, geological) link together and depend on each other; - an appreciation of local biodiversity and geomorphological landforms of the Maltese Islands. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - articulate and describe the concept of Earth Systems; - distinguish between the six main ‘sub-systems’ governing the functioning of planet Earth; - describe and discuss management issues affecting different Earth Systems; - develop students' appreciation of local biodiversity, biogeographical and geomorphological characteristics of the Maltese Islands. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - identify environmental issues affecting the Maltese Islands through an Earth Systems lens; - identify interconnections between different Earth Systems; - identify linkages between science and management concepts relating to Earth Systems; - recognise the importance of preserving biodiversity. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main texts - Kump, L.R., Kasting, J.F., Crane, R.G. (2009). The Earth System. Prentice Hall. - Skinner, B. and Murck, B. (2011). The Blue Planet: An introduction to Earth Systems Science. Wiley. |
||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Fieldwork, Lecture & Workshop | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
|
||||||||||||
| LECTURER/S | Louis Francis Cassar Elisabeth Conrad Charles Galdies Belinda Gambin Christopher Gauci Anthony Stephen Micallef |
||||||||||||
|
The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2023/4. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
|||||||||||||