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Advanced Past Climates (ATOC90017)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
To learn more, visit 2023 Course and subject delivery.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
The history of Earth’s climate provides examples of widely different states, ranging from cold glacial climates to hot greenhouse climates. Palaeoclimatology seeks to reconstruct past climate conditions and understand the dynamics and variability of the climate system on a range of time scales. This course will explore key examples of past warm and cold climates, including the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, the Pliocene, the warm last interglacial period and the last glacial maximum. The drivers and mechanisms of past climate change will be discussed, with a focus on topics of current debate in palaeoclimate science. Proxy records used to reconstruct past climate will be discussed, such as ice cores, marine sediments, tree ring and coral records. The use of climate models to simulate past climates will also be a explored. The course will also address the relevance of past climates for understanding future climate change due to human activity.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject students should be able to:
- Describe processes that drive changes in Earth's climate over a range of time scales from millions of years to centuries, including the role of climate feedbacks;
- Interpret records of past climate including palaeoclimate reconstructions from proxy records, and explain the uncertainties in such records;
- Apply climate model simulations to understand past climates, and compare models with reconstructions from proxy records;
- Synthesise understanding of past climate and discuss its relevance for understanding future climate change.
Generic skills
At the completion of this subject, students should gain skills in:
- Developing the ability to exercise critical judgement;
- Rigorous and independent thinking;
- Problem-solving for new or unfamiliar tasks;
- High-level written report and oral presentation skills.
Last updated: 20 February 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
One of
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
ATOC30006 | Modern and Future Climate | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
ERTH20003 | Past Climates: Icehouse to Greenhouse | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
GEOG30023 | Global Climate Change in Context | Not available in 2024 |
12.5 |
GEOG90026 | Global Climate Change In Context | Not available in 2024 |
12.5 |
AND
Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
MAST10005 | Calculus 1 |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
Or equivalent
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Recommended background knowledge
- MAST10010 - Data Analysis 1 OR MAST90044 - Thinking and Reasoning with Data (or equivalent)
- COMP90059 - Introduction to Programming (or equivalent programming experience)
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 20 February 2024
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Oral presentation
| Week 4 | 20% |
Written Assignment
| Week 11 | 30% |
Written exam
| During the examination period | 50% |
Participation in a minimum of 80% of practical classes Hurdle requirement: Participation in a minimum of 80% of practical classes | Throughout the semester | N/A |
Last updated: 20 February 2024
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Josephine Brown Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 2 x 1 hour lecture/week + 1 x 1 hour tutorial/week = 36 hours total. Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 27 February 2023 to 28 May 2023 Last self-enrol date 10 March 2023 Census date 31 March 2023 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 May 2023 Assessment period ends 23 June 2023 Semester 1 contact information
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Last updated: 20 February 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
Last updated: 20 February 2024