121-458 Australian Quaternary Environments

Formerly available as 121-358/121-032. Students who have completed 121-358 or 121-032 are not eligible to enrol in this subject. This subject is run as a 10-day intensive field trip, usually to either Tasmania or Queensland. A quota applies. Students should contact the SAGES Office for further details. All BSc students, except those enrolled in the BA/BSc combined course and the BASc course, can only receive 25 points science credit at the 300-level for this subject.

Students taking this subject must have already completed 37.5 points at second/third year, including at least one of: 121-025 Biodiversity, 121-018 Geomorphology, 600-201 Physical Environment, 621-221 Geological Methods, 606-204 Plant Ecology, 654-204 Animal Ecology, 107-007 Prehistoric Archaeology, 107-005 Archaeology of Western Asia.

The Quaternary encompasses the past 2.5 million years of earth and human history. In this subject students will encounter topics such as climate changes, dating methods, glacial/interglacial cycles, sea level changes and associated biotic responses, palynology, the effects of hunter-gatherers on the environment, Quaternary geomorphology, and the development of modern landscapes. On completion of the subject students should be familiar with aspect of the Quaternary such as the major forces which have driven environmental change; the processes which operated to shape physical landscapes; the nature of anthropogenic impacts on landscapes. Students should acquire field and laboratory skills in palaeoenvironmental methods; in Quaternary geomorphological methods; and methods to analyse and reconstruct past environments.

An assignment of 4000 words for 3rd year, 5000 words for 4th year, and a field report and exercises totalling 4000 words for 3rd year, 5000 words for 4th year. Students must attend at least 80% of scheduled practical classes to be eligible to pass this subject.