SLE395 - Earth Environments and Climate Interpretation
Unit details
| Year | 2025 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 |
| 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). |
| 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. |
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 inland lake, coastal 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:
- Palaeoclimate Modelling
- Sediment and chemical palaeo-environmental indicators and their application to solving environmental science problems
- Fossils as proxies of past environmental change
- Palaeo-oceanography and its importance for understanding global climate change.
Practical work will involve 2 components. The first component will involve a project on the use of microfossils as proxies of past environmental change within a human occupation historical timescale. This project will involve the examination of microfossils from sediment cores gathered within a modern aquatic setting. The second component of the practical work will involve a suite of exercises on palaeobiogeographical and palaeoenvironmental change. This unit will also include a half day field trip.
Learning Outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 fossil proxy records, and report on these scientific findings. | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| 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 | 1,000 word written report | 30% | Week 6 |
| Assessment 2 Essay | 1,000 word essay plus diagrams | 20% | Week 7 |
| Assessment 3 Practical report 2 | 1,000 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 SLE395 can be found via the University Library.
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
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.