Ice Age Earth (L020GRA)

30 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

This module examines the ways in which the earth's environmental and climatic processes have changed during the recent ice ages (approximately the last 2.6 million years).

You will:

• explore the physical, biological and chemical evidence for these past changes derived from a range of different records (including ocean sediments, ice cores, stable isotopes and fossil plants and insects), 
• complete an assessment of natural forcing mechanisms, geological dating techniques and earth-surface processes.

You’ll also try your hand at palaeoenvironmental reconstruction using both field and laboratory techniques. This broad, interdisciplinary approach provides a valuable 'palaeo' perspective from which to evaluate the evidence for 21st century global warming and associated environmental change.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 42 hours of contact time and about 258 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.