Unit information: Oceanography in 2013/14

Unit name	Oceanography
Unit code	EASC30017
Credit points	10
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 2C (weeks 13 - 18)
Unit director	Professor. Robinson
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	Successful completion of years 1 and 2 of either the Environmental Geoscience or Geology degree programme curriculum
Co-requisites	n/a
School/department	School of Earth Sciences
Faculty	Faculty of Science

Description including Unit Aims

An overview of the physical, chemical and biological aspects of oceanography in the sense that they relate to environmental geosciences.

Aims:

• qualitatively describe the processes that shape the ocean basins.

• provide a qualitative analysis of the dynamics of wind-driven surface current systems, and of density-driven circulation in the deep oceans.

• investigate the biogeochemical cycling of elements in the seawater solution, and water-sediment interactions on the seafloor.

• describe and explain interactions between marine plants and animals in relation to the physical and chemical properties and dynamic behaviour of the sea water in which they live.

• introduce the aspects of the ocean-atmosphere system that are relevant to climate change on the Earth on timescales of 102-106 years.

• assess the role of oceans in controlling levels of atmospheric CO2.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the unit you will be able to:

• describe the processes that shape the ocean basins.

• describe and explain the reasons for the temperature, salinity and density structure of the oceans.

• explain how deep water masses form and describe the global conveyor system.

• discuss the distribution of elements in seawater and identify their sources and sinks.

• debate the abiotic factors affecting biological productivity in the oceans

• discuss the carbon and oxygen cycles in the ocean-atmosphere system.

• analyse the processes that lead to the observed regional distribution of biogenic carbonate and siliceous sediments on the ocean floor, describe early diagenetic processes in deep sea and hemi-pelagic sediments.

• analyse palaeoclimate data and draw inferences from such data regarding the past climate of the Earth.

• discuss why oceans are important in the atmospheric CO2 cycle and critically analyse the different hypotheses as to how the oceans respond to, or cause, variations in atmospheric CO2 on a variety of timescales

Teaching Information

Lectures and practicals

Assessment Information

• 5% Weekly online test

• 60% Closed book exam

• 35% Literature Review Essay

Reading and References

• The Ocean Basins: Their structure and evolution. The Open University.

• Ocean Circulation. The Open University.

Seawater: Its Composition, Properties and Behaviour. The Open University.

• Ocean Chemistry and Deep Sea Sediments. The Open University

• Libes, S.M. 1992. Marine Biogeochemistry. John Wiley & Sons.

• Ruddiman, W.F. (2000) Earth's Climate: Past Present and Future W.H. Freeman & Co.

• Talley, Pickard, Emery and Swift, Descriptive Physical Oceanography An Introduction (sixth Edition) (2011) Elsevier Ltd.

• Sarmiento and Gruber, Ocean Biogeochemical Dynamics, (2006), Princeton University Press.