Overview

Glacial and periglacial environments are of major importance for understanding and reconstructing modern and past climatic and environmental change. This course will examine glacial and periglacial processes in modern-day settings and show how this knowledge can be used to reconstruct past glacial and periglacial environments. Examples will be referenced from the British Isles and around the world.

Aims

The unit aims to:

Examine the role of glacial and periglacial processes in wider environmental change

Evaluate processes leading to the development of glacial and periglacial landforms

Explore approaches used to reconstruct past climate and environmental conditions from glacial and periglacial geomorphology

Consider the glacial history of the British Isles and beyond (including international examples) as a means of understanding present-day landscapes and resources.

Syllabus

Introduction

Glaciers and Climate

Glacial erosion, transport and deposition

Glacial geomorphological mapping

Glacial reconstruction

Fieldtrip

Lowland glaciation

Upland glaciation

Periglaciation

Conclusions

Teaching and learning methods

Total: 30 hours

3 : 2 Lecture : Non-lecture ratio

Lectures (18 hours)

Seminars (6 hours)

Field teaching (6 hours)

Knowledge and understanding

Explain the significance of glacial and periglacial processes in global environmental change

Evaluate the processes leading to the development of glacial and periglacial sediments and landforms

Evaluate current understanding of the glacial history of the British Isles and elsewhere around the world

Intellectual skills

Summarise the place of specialised glaciological knowledge within the wider context of global change

Critically evaluate debates and arguments from academic literature

Source and review examples and case studies from published work

Practical skills

Show how a range of methodological techniques can be used to reconstruct changes in past environmental conditions from glacial and periglacial evidence

Demonstrate an ability to reconstruct glaciers from the glacial geomorphological record

Use glacial reconstruction techniques to determine changes in temperature and / or precipitation through time

Transferable skills and personal qualities

Demonstrate an ability to compile a clear and concise report on a practical exercise

Develop written and visual presentation skills

Employ basic spreadsheet datasets and formulae to manipulate numerical data

Assessment methods

Coursework. 2000 words. 67%

Open Book Exam-On Campus. 1.5 hours. 33%

Formative Assessment Task

Reconstruct a glacier and the climate conditions required to sustain that glacier 2 hours In-person during seminar

Recommended reading

Introductory texts (further reading provided each week of the course):

Benn & Evans (2010) Glaciers and glaciation. Arnold: London.

Bennett & Glasser (2009) Glacial geology: ice sheets and landforms. Chichester: Wiley.