600-201 Physical Environment

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Earth Sciences: The Global Environment (625-101) or Environmental Change (121-171); Biology (600-141 and 600-142); Chemistry (610-141 and 610-142) or (610-161 and 610-162) (or before 1998, 610-121 and 610-122); Geology (625-102) and 100-level statistics would be an advantage.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

Students completing this subject should understand the underlying scientific principles and processes of climate, water, soils and landforms that have a major influence on the biological environment. The content of the subject includes matter and energy transfers, energy systems, the Earth's energy balance, atmospheric circulation and climate, soil formation, distribution of soil types, processes that determine soil properties and behaviour, reactions of infiltrating water and solutes, biogeochemical cycles, surface hydrology, including flow behaviour and erodibility of streams, ground water occurrence and processes, forms of recharge and discharge, and oceanic circulation, tide and wave behaviour.

Assessment

3 hour written examination; and reports on the excursion and practical sessions.