The geological record of environmental change
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| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) | |
| Examination | No residential school |
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This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees may vary by country.
Summary
This course explores how we can track environmental change through the geological record. It begins with the sedimentary sequences produced by changes in relative sea level, and the likely role of climatic and tectonic processes in producing these changes. You’ll also examine the greenhouse world of the Cretaceous and its tropical/subtropical marine environments; high latitude terrestrial environments; the effect on the environment of large igneous provinces and meteorite impacts; and the mass extinction event at the end of the period. Finally, the course documents the Ice Age, offering possible explanations for the natural climatic changes during the last 2.6 million years.
Course content
This course comprises three books with associated study guides, DVDs and a home kit of rock specimens.
Book 1, The Sedimentary Record of Sea-Level Change, considers a relatively new development: sequence stratigraphy. This explores the nature of sedimentary sequences produced by changes of relative sea level and the likely roles of climatic and tectonic processes in producing local, regional and global changes. The book takes examples from the geological record, including Carboniferous, Jurassic, Cretaceous and Neogene successions in Europe and the USA.
Book 2, The Cretaceous World, applies the skills in palaeo-environmental interpretation developed in Book 1. It has three parts. The first examines selected tropical/subtropical marine environments; the second high-latitude (but not cold) terrestrial environments; and the third the extent and effect of large igneous provinces and meteorite impacts on Cretaceous environments and the mass extinction event at the end of the period.
Book 3, The Great Ice Age, documents the natural climatic changes that have occurred during the last 2.6 million years and explores possible explanations. Some of the biological effects of the climatic upheavals are examined, including palaeo-ecological changes that affected plants and insects.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from previous studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU. We strongly recommend you to have taken both Our dynamic planet: Earth and life (S279) and Geology (S276) before this course. It is essential that you establish whether or not your background and experience give you a sound basis on which to tackle the course. The Science Faculty has produced a series of Are You Ready For Science? booklets, to help you to decide whether you have the appropriate background knowledge or experience to tackle your chosen course successfully. There are individual booklets for most 30-point and 60-point science courses and for some science residential courses. These can be viewed or printed as a pdf from the Are you ready for science? website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
Qualifications
S369 is an optional course in our
- BSc (Honours) Natural Sciences (B16)
- BA/BSc (Honours) Environmental Studies (B19)
- BSc (Honours) Geosciences (B25)
- BSc (Honours) Environmental Science (B52)
- Diploma in Natural Sciences (D47)
- Diploma in Geosciences (E02)
- MSc in Earth Science (F53)
It can also count towards most of our other degrees at bachelors level, where it can help to weight your degree towards a BSc. We advise you to refer to the relevant qualification descriptions for information on the circumstances in which this course can count towards these qualifications because from time to time the structure and requirements may change.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
You will occasionally be required to observe and interpret small-scale features of rocks in the home kit and on DVD, so good visual acuity and, preferably, the ability to distinguish colours are required to fulfill the learning outcomes. Alternatively, use of a sighted assistant may be appropriate. The course materials are available in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), with the three main texts available on request only from the Disability Resources Team. Components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way. Large print versions of the printed course material can be provided on request. Written transcripts are available for the audio-visual material. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our booklet Meeting your needs which you can download or request from our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
You can also find information about accessible course materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Course materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVDs, home kit, course website (where you can download the assessment and many of the course materials).
You will need
You will need access to the course website at least once a week during the course to download online materials, including the course assignments, and to keep up to date with course news items.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new computer since 2002 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the course material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. We may also be able to offer group tutorials or day schools that you are encouraged, but not obliged, to attend. Where your tutorials are held will depend on the distribution of students taking the course. Some tutorial support may also be available online. Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with the Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You can choose whether to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) on paper or online through the eTMA system. You may want to use the eTMA system for some of your assignments but submit on paper for others. This is entirely your choice.
Assessment is an essential part of the teaching, so you are expected to complete it all. But if you unavoidably miss or do badly in an assignment, some courses allow you a 'substitution score'. In S369 this rule can apply to one of the assignments only. You will be given more information when you begin the course.
Professional recognition
The course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. Download or ask our Student Registration & Enquiry Service for Recognition leaflet 3.8 Scientific Institutions. Geoscience students are currently entitled to apply for Candidate Fellowship of the Geological Society.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in May 2010. From 2011, we expect it to be available once a year, in February.
How to register
To register a place on this course return to the top of the page and use the Click to register button. For more information and advice about registration see OU Study Explained.
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An undergraduate course in Science.
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Student Reviews
At first, I felt I wasn't seeing the wood for the trees. With hindsight,I'd read through sections for an overview, ...
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This was my first Earth Sciences Level 3 course. Although the first sequence stratigraphy module was conceptually difficult I found ...
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