Module manager: Ken Carslaw
Email: K.S.Carslaw@leeds.ac.uk
Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable
Year running 2025/26
This module is approved as a discovery module
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing society. In this module, you will discover how and why Earth’s climate has varied over timescales of millions of years to recent decades, and how much of the recent changes can be attributed to human activities. You will learn about the natural processes driving Earth's climate system and evidence in the historical record for the human influence over the industrial period. You will understand the fundamental science of the drivers of climate change, including imbalances in the carbon cycle, effects of greenhouse gases and air pollution. Lectures will also address how scientists use climate models and extensive observations to attribute changes in historical climate, including changes in extreme events, to these drivers. You will learn about the range of possible future climates depending on how society responds, and what options we have to limit temperature increases by adapting our behaviour or deliberately modifying the climate.
1. How climate has varied on the timescale of millions of years to the present day, putting recent climate change in context.
2. Understand the physical and chemical processes that drive climate variability and change.
3. How human activities have altered the climate system on regional and global scales on various time-scales.
4. Understand climate modelling techniques used to understand and predict Earth's climate.
5. The potential impacts of future climate change, such as extreme weather, drought and sea level rise, and the evidence for such changes in the recent historical record.
6. Understand the ways in which future climate change can be altered through mitigation and deliberate modification.
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following learning outcomes relevant to the subject:
SSLO1: Explain how and to what extent Earth’s climate has changed on a range of timescales from millions of years to recent decades.
SSLO2: Quantify using fundamental physical considerations how emissions from human activities have altered Earth’s natural systems and caused a change in global temperature.
SSLO3: Understand how future climate change is predicted using models and how these models are validated against observations.
SSLO4: Recognise common misunderstandings of climate change and provide the correct scientific explanations and quantitative information.
Skills Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the module students will have demonstrated the following skills learning outcomes:
1. SKLO1: Critical thinking: Gather information and perspectives from a range of sources; analyse and interpret to aid understanding and provide concise explanations. Weigh up different arguments and perspectives, using supporting evidence to form opinions and arguments. (Work-ready skills, academic skills).
2. SKLO2: Research and information searching: Access and investigate a variety of sources of information on a subject to provide answers on topic and to help strengthen the quality of academic work. (Work-ready-skills, sustainability skills, academic skills).
3. SKLO3: Scientific language and communication. Communicate effectively in written form to articulate an argument, supported by relevant evidence and adhering to academic convention including vocabulary. Know when, why and how to acknowledge someone else’s work or ideas and to use the appropriate referencing style. (Academic skills, sustainability skills).
4. SKLO4: Systems thinking: Understand how parts of a system work together, analysing complex systems (environmental, economic and social systems and interdependencies across these). (Sustainability skills).
5. SKLO5: Anticipation: Understand and evaluate multiple potential outcomes and visions for the future, considering uncertainties. (Sustainability skills).
Details of the syllabus will be provided on the Minerva organisation (or equivalent) for the module.
| Delivery type | Number | Length hours | Student hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lecture | 14 | 1 | 14 |
| Seminar | 5 | 1 | 5 |
| Private study hours | 81 | ||
| Total Contact hours | 19 | ||
| Total hours (100hr per 10 credits) | 100 | ||
Five consolidation sessions involving a quiz, with immediate verbal feedback. Opportunity to post questions and ask for clarifications of the answers.
| Assessment type | Notes | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Coursework | Coursework | 60 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Coursework) | 60 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
| Exam type | Exam duration | % of formal assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Standard exam (closed essays, MCQs etc) | 1.0 Hrs 0 Mins | 40 |
| Total percentage (Assessment Exams) | 40 | |
Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated
There is no reading list for this module
Last updated: 29/04/2025
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