Grand Geoenvironmental Challenges: will provide you with a physical, chemical and geological understanding of the grand geoenvironmental challenges humankind currently faces, including: sustainable mining, sustainable development, critical metals/minerals, soil and water contamination, climate change, geomorphology change, land cover change and geohazards. A series of introductory lectures will provide you with a mechanistic overview of the occurrence and history of such challenges, along with the state-of-the-art with regard to how they can be overcome/mitigated in the future. You will then produce a verbal presentation and a scientific review paper on a topic of your choice. An understanding of the Earth system is required for this module including its recent geological past and how such systems have changed since the onset of the Anthropocene.

The aim of this module is to develop a holistic and critical understanding of the key geoenvironmental challenges which currently face Humankind. The module brings together subject areas which have been taught in the first and second year of the degree programme, and provides a context for their application: to solve globally relevant challenges within the geosciences. 

On successful completion of this module, you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge:

1 Describe and evaluate the key systems and processes whereby humankind is currently adversely affecting the health and functioning of the environment.

2 Describe and evaluate the key systems and processes whereby geohazards can affect the health and functioning of the environment.

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge:

3 Collect, synthesize, and critically evaluate scientific observations in an interdisciplinary framework and across local to global scales.

4 Gain an appreciation of how systems and cycles within the geosciences affect each other;

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge:

5 Apply self- and time-management skills;

6 Present results verbally with clarity;

7 Critically analyse and interpret academic literature

8 Write technical reports using the proper format, background literature, and referencing.

Introductory lectures:

1 A series of introductory lectures will provide you with a mechanistic overview of the occurrence and history of key global geoenvironmental challenges, along with the state-of-the-art with regard to how they can be overcome/mitigated;

Verbal presentation:

2 Students will each give a verbal presentation on a topic of their choice;

Scientific literature review:

3 Students will each produce a literature review on a topic of their choice. 
 

Online resources:

UN sustainable development goals: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Contemporary cross-disciplinary academic journal publications (e.g. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/70/1/8/5610806) 

Reading list for this module: