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GEO310 Paleoenvironment and Climate Change

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Danielle Mei Pearce

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Engelsk

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:250 hours

Teaching and exam period:This course starts in Autumn parallel. This course has teaching/evaluation in Autumn parallel.

About this course

The Quaternary (~2.6 million years) was characterized by dramatic changes in climate over multiple glacial-interglacial cycles. This course provides an introduction into how we can reconstruct the history of environmental change, over the Quaternary, using a range of techniques used to reconstruct past environments from a number of archives (eg, glaciers, sediments, pollen). The course has a particular focus on the Late Quaternary in the Arctic and sub-Arctic in the Northern Hemisphere and will enhance students' understanding through a series of lectures and seminars which uses up-to-date research papers addressing these topics.

Learning outcome

After completing the course, the student shall have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge: The students should have a deeper understanding of the cause and effects of Quaternary environmental change. In particular, discuss the long-term and recent climatic changes that have occurred in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, consequences of long-term and current sea-level change, relative and numerical dating techniques along with their uncertainties, as well as a number of other proxies widely used to reconstruct environmental change (eg, glaciers, sediments, pollen).

Skills: This course will help you develop skills to enhance your employability potential and career development through:

  • Discussing scientific studies published in international research journals.
  • Providing you with the opportunity to engage in inquiry-led learning through exploring topics of long-term environmental and climate change.
  • Developing your communication skills and portfolio by delivering presentations, and a written report.
  • Developing good practice of contributing to and working in groups through practical exercises
  • Encouraging you to think critically about the ways in which knowledge is applied and communicated in the media, literature and online
  • Lectures, seminars, debates, group work, submitted papers.
  • GEO210, or equivalent physical geography courses.

  • Total assessment:

    • Portfolio assessment 40%.
    • Final written exam in English 60%.

    Both parts must be passed. Grading system: A-E/Not passed.



    Portfolio Grading: Letter grades Written exam Grading: Letter grades Permitted aids: A2 No calculator, other aids as specified
  • An external examiner participates in the grading process.
  • One submitted paper.
  • Seminars, debates and lectures: 24 hours
  • Special requirements in Science