To provide students with a view of the global carbon cycle as a dynamic system;
To give students an appreciation of the importance of chemical and biological processes in controlling the distribution of carbon in the atmosphere, ocean and land;
To provide students with an in depth understanding of how carbon is transfered between the atmosphere, land and ocean over contemporary and glacial timescales.

(LO1) Students will understand the role and significance of the ocean in the global carbon cycle.

(LO2) Students will learn the underlying mechanisms controlling the cycling carbon between the atmosphere and ocean via natural and anthropogenic processes.

(LO3) Students will understand the impact of anthropogenic carbon on the climate system and associated feedback mechanisms in the present day and future projections, and in the past.

(S1) Numeracy (application of) manipulation of numbers, general mathematical awareness and its application in practical contexts (e.g. measuring, weighing, estimating and applying formulae)

(S2) Problem solving/ critical thinking/ creativity analysing facts and situations and applying creative thinking to develop appropriate solutions

Understanding how carbon is cycled on Earth is fundamental to a wide variety of physical scientists, from ecologists, and geographers to ocean and atmospheric scientists. This module covers topics fundamental to the study of carbon in the earth system with a specific focus on the ocean and climate.

There will be two broad themes within this module:
Theme A. Fundamentals of the carbon cycle
Theme B. Four case studies on geographic regions or geological periods in the Earth System to highlight key processes, their interactions and consequences for the carbon cycle.

Teaching Method 1 - On-campus Lectures
Description:
Scheduled Directed Student Hours: 2 x 45 min lectures per week for 10 weeks.

Teaching Method 2 - Reading
Description: Knowledge from lectures is embedded and extended through guided reading of journals, book chapters and sections of IPCC reports relevant to the topic, providing a research-driven perspective on our current knowledge of the global carbon cycle.
Unscheduled Directed Student Hours: 1-2 hours per week for guided reading

Teaching Method 3 - Workshops
Description: Workshops are designed to introduce a challenging concept in the ocean carbon cycle and climate, and through group work or whole class discussion, work through problems or calculations.
Unscheduled Directed Student Hours (time spent away from the timetabled sessions but directed by the teaching staff): 0
Workshops have 10 hours of scheduled direct learning. Workshops occur weekly for 10 weeks and last 45 minutes