Permafrost and Environmental Change (F8023A)
Permafrost and Environmental Change
Module F8023A
Module details for 2021/22.
30 credits
FHEQ Level 6
Module Outline
Permafrost regions are amongst the most sensitive to environmental change. The climates of northern Alaska, Canada and Russia are warming more rapidly than almost all other regions on Earth. Such warming is causing major changes in the earth-surface conditions: permafrost is warming and disappearing, frozen peatlands are degrading, wetlands are replacing some boreal forest and treeline is advancing northward into the Arctic. The study of such phenomena therefore provides an important indication of the magnitude and rate of environmental change – a yardstick to evaluate the effects of global warming.
Permafrost and Environmental Change (PEC) is a 30-credit module that examines present and past permafrost regions from an interdisciplinary perspective, linking permafrost science with physical geography, geology, ecology and Quaternary science. After introducing the general nature of permafrost regions and their vegetation and soils, PEC examines several important themes spanning scientific, engineering and resource issues, focusing particularly on modern permafrost in the Arctic and past permafrost in the mid-latitudes. The aim is to provide students with a framework of knowledge and understanding of earth-surface processes and environmental change in permafrost regions. This framework will allow them to summarise and critically evaluate some of the methods, hypotheses and data about such regions. A secondary aim is to consider the problems and solutions associated with economic development and land management on permafrost terrain.
Contact hours and workload
This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 48 hours of contact time and about 252 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.
Full Module Description
Permafrost regions are amongst the most sensitive to environmental change. The climates of northern Alaska, Canada and Russia are warming more rapidly than almost all other regions on Earth. Such warming is causing major changes in the earth-surface conditions: permafrost is warming and disappearing, frozen peatlands are degrading, wetlands are replacing some boreal forest and treeline is advancing northward into the Arctic. The study of such phenomena therefore provides an important indication of the magnitude and rate of environmental change – a yardstick to evaluate the effects of global warming.
Module learning outcomes
To demonstrate knowledge and understanding of spatial variation of physical phenomena in present and past permafrost regions, and be able to explain the pattern and dynamic nature of spatial variation.
To conceptualise patterns, processes, interactions and change in the physical world as systems at a range of spatial scales, and incorporate into a systems framework natural environmental impacts on human activity, human impacts on biophysical systems and the management of permafrost regions.
To develop a critical awareness of the significance of spatial and temporal scale on physical processes and their interactions with human processes in permafrost regions.
To understand how environmental change operating on a range of timescales (past, present, future) affects the permafrost regions.
| Type | Timing | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | 60.00% | |
| Coursework components. Weighted as shown below. | ||
| Report | T1 Week 11 | 50.00% |
| Problem Set | T1 Week 6 | 50.00% |
| Distance Exam | Semester 1 Assessment | 40.00% |
Timing
Submission deadlines may vary for different types of assignment/groups of students.
Weighting
Coursework components (if listed) total 100% of the overall coursework weighting value.
| Term | Method | Duration | Week pattern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Autumn Semester | Practical | 1 hour | 01010010100 |
| Autumn Semester | Lecture | 2 hours | 22222222222 |
How to read the week pattern
The numbers indicate the weeks of the term and how many events take place each week.
Prof Julian Murton
Convenor
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Dr Simon Rycroft
Assess convenor
/profiles/8703
Dr Daniel Haberly
Assess convenor
/profiles/321250
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