Mathematics with Ocean and Climate Sciences BSc (Hons)

​At its heart, calculus is the study of limits. Many quantities can be expressed as the limiting value of a sequence of approximations, for example the slope of a tangent to a curve, the rate of change of a function, the area under a curve, and so on. Calculus provides us with tools for studying all of these, and more. Many of the ideas can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, but calculus as we now understand it was first developed in the 17th Century, independently by Newton and Leibniz. The modern form presented in this module was fully worked out in the late 19th Century. MATH101 lays the foundation for the use of calculus in more advanced modules on differential equations, differential geometry, theoretical physics, stochastic analysis, and many other topics. It begins from the very basics – the notions of real number, sequence, limit, real function, and continuity – and uses these to give a rigorous treatment of derivatives and integrals for real functions of one real variable.​ ​

This module, the last one of the core modules in Year 1, is built upon the knowledge you gain from MATH101 (Calculus I) in the first semester. The syllabus is conceptually divided into three parts: Part I, relying on your knowledge of infinite series, presents a thorough study of power series (Taylor expansions, binomial theorem); part II begins with a discussion of functions of several variables and then establishes the idea of partial differentiation together with its various applications, including chain rule, total differential, directional derivative, tangent planes, extrema of functions and Taylor expansions; finally, part III is on double integrals and their applications, such as finding centres of mass of thin bodies. Undoubtedly, this module, together with the other two core modules from Semester 1 (MATH101 Calculus I and MATH103 Introduction to linear algebra), forms an integral part of your ability to better understand modules you will be taking in further years of your studies.

Climate, Atmosphere and Oceans provides an understanding of how the climate system operates. The module draws on basic scientific principles to understand how climate has evolved over the history of the planet and how the climate system is operating now. Attention is particularly paid to the structure and circulation of the atmosphere and ocean, and how they both interact. The course emphasises acquiring mechanistic insight and drawing upon order of magnitude calculations. By the end of the module students will understand how the oceans and atmosphere combine to shape Earth’s climate. Students gain quantitative skills by completing a series of coursework exercises and a final exam. Students address the Net Zero carbon goal via group work involving digital storytelling.​

Linear algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning vector spaces and linear mappings between such spaces. It is the study of lines, planes, and subspaces and their intersections using algebra.

Linear algebra first emerged from the study of determinants, which were used to solve systems of linear equations. Determinants were used by Leibniz in 1693, and subsequently, Cramer’s Rule for solving linear systems was devised in 1750. Later, Gauss further developed the theory of solving linear systems by using Gaussian elimination. All these classical themes, in their modern interpretation, are included in the module, which culminates in a detailed study of eigenproblems. A part of the module is devoted to complex numbers which are basically just planar vectors. Linear algebra is central to both pure and applied mathematics. This module is an essential pre-requisite for nearly all modules taught in the Department of Mathematical Sciences.

This module is designed to deliver an introduction to the diversity of marine ecosystems across the globe. Each week during in person lectures you will be introduced to a new ecosystem and will learn about this habitat, specifically the main organisms, key processes, and human threats to each ecosystem described and explored. Central to this module are interactive discussion sessions (workshops) that will build an understanding of how marine ecosystems are expected to respond to the human-induced changes of the anthropocene. During these workshops you will learn to critique a piece of scientific research in small group discussions guided by academics. Your knowledge and understanding will be assessed via open-book online tests, and a group project in which you will create an infographic outlining the threats a particular ecosystem faces.

This module is designed to introduce students to key concepts and skills in ocean and climate sciences, for instance key software tools for data analysis and illustration and fieldwork experience. Students will also develop more generic skills, particularly in communication through essay writing and oral and poster presentations. The module also introduces students to academic integrity and shows students how to access scientific literature and how to use bibliographic software. All students are assigned to a tutorial group with one of the academic staff as their tutor. Teaching is carried out both to the whole year group and also during tutorial group meetings. The module is assessed via a series of coursework assignments.

This module is an introduction to classical (Newtonian) mechanics. It introduces the basic principles like conservation of momentum and energy, and leads to the quantitative description of motions of bodies under simple force systems. It includes angular momentum, rigid body dynamics and moments of inertia.

This module will introduce you to the concept of Earth System interactions as a framework for understanding the causes and consequences of climate change. The module will cover the key features of the earth, atmosphere and ocean, and their interactions. alongside the drivers and consequences for perturbing part of the Earth System. Past, contemporary and projections of climate change will be discussed, as well as the toolkit tools deployed by environmental scientists to detect climate change and show attribute it to be a consequence of human activities. The module will discuss also measures to mitigate against climate change, drawing on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) efforts .

The module provides a generic training in manipulating environmental datasets using the industry-standard Matlab software. Skills are provided in reading in data, manipulating and plotting the data, and interpreting the data signals. The assumption is that students have no experience in programming. The module begins with an introduction to Matlab – what it is, what it can do, how to operate it – and then develops a series of programming skills, each week using data collected in the staff’s own research to provide real-world examples of the use of Matlab. The aim is to provide students with sufficient grasp of programming in Matlab to enable its use in subsequent project work, as well as providing the foundations in one of the key tools used in science and industry. The module is assessed by both coursework and a short final exam.

This module provides some of the fundamental skills required for surveying and sampling the ocean, either for research or for commercial environmental surveying work. The module covers the methods and skills used in oceanography for navigation and survey design, the measurement of physical parameters such as temperature, salinity and currents, and the measurement of biogeochemical parameters such as nutrients, phytoplankton and dissolved oxygen. Students are taught the importance of assessing data quality and instrument calibration, metadata and data banking. Laboratory work develops skills in the analyses for key oceanographic parameters (e.g. salinity, chlorophyll, dissolved oxygen and nutrients), and computer laboratories develop skills in sensor calibration, data quality control and data analysis. The module components are all relevant to the subsequent planning and sampling as part of the ENVS349 Sea Practical. Assessment is by two pieces of coursework.

This module aims to develop research and careers skills required by marine biologists, ocean scientists and environmental scientists as they prepare for their final year of study. These aims are achieved through blended learning approach including: interactive tutorials, workshops, and the School of Environmental Sciences careers week. Students will focus on developing skills in critiquing and reading the scientific literature, assessed through a literature review essay. Students will also be introduced to the process of scientific research, learning how to analyse and synthesise real scientific data, create professional display items and write a research report, which is assessed, in standard scientific format. Students will develop knowledge of careers in their field and enhance their employability taking part in an assessment centre exercise and job video interview, which is assessed.

The ocean is a vital part of how Earth’s climate works, absorbing, storing and transporting heat and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Microscopic plants and animals in the ocean, known as the plankton, are key to how the ocean works in Earth’s climate system. From the tropics to the poles, we will look at how the ocean currents and tides are formed and how they control where and how much the plankton grow. Larger plankton are better at removing carbon from the atmosphere to the ocean depths, and we will consider why some regions of the ocean are better at supporting the plankton communities that are most efficient at removing atmospheric carbon dioxide. Processes that we will investigate include the formation of the major ocean gyres and tides, the effects of seasons and weather and how these change at different latitudes, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange between the atmosphere and ocean and the fate of these gases in the sea, the sources of light and nutrients that the plankton need, and the importance of seasonal stratification and turbulence in controlling how and where the plankton can grow. You will learn how to analyse and report on ocean data that we have collected in our research, from the sub-tropical Atlantic to the polar seas. You will use simple computer simulations to investigate how the growth of plankton might change as our climate heats up. We will take a multidisciplinary approach to learning about the ocean, plankton and climate. Whatever your scientific background, we will provide you with the key knowledge of ocean biology, chemistry and physics that you need to understand why a planet needs an ocean in order to support a stable climate. Our teaching uses a combination of lectures, workshops and data analysis laboratories. The module is assessed by 3 pieces of coursework: analysis of data that we have collected during our research expeditions, use of a computer simulation to investigate plankton growth in a warmer climate, and a final quiz to test your knowledge of key concepts.

This module provides an introduction to the subjects of fluid mechanics and electromagnetism, to the various vector integrals, the operators div, grad and curl and the relations between them and to the many applications of vector calculus to physical situations.

Understanding global climate systems is a key challenge for the coming century. However, these are complex systems which we continue to learn more about as research develops. This module covers a variety of topics which will develop students’ ability to understand these systems. Topics include energy balance and transfer processes at the surface, clouds, rain formation, weather forecasting, monsoons, tropical cyclones, weather in the mid latitudes, and the regional climates. The module has a balance between theory, processes, impacts, and hands-on experimentation and data analysis.

Differential equations play a central role in mathematical sciences because they allow us to describe a wide variety of real-world systems and the mathematical techniques encountered in this module are useful to a number of later modules; this is why MATH201 is compulsory for a number of degree programmes. The module will aim to stress the importance of both theory and applications of ordinary differential equations (ODEs) and partial differential equations (PDEs), putting a strong emphasis on problem solving and examples. It has broadly 5 parts and each part contains two types of equations: those that can be solved by specific methods and others that cannot be solved but can only be studied to understand some properties of the underlying equations and their solutions. The main topics are first order ODEs, second order ODEs, systems of ODEs, first-order PDEs and some of the most well-known second-order PDEs, namely the wave, heat and Laplace equations.

This module is concerned with the motion of physical bodies both in everyday situations and in the solar system. To describe motion, acceleration and forces you will need background knowledge of calculus, differentiation, integration and partial derivatives from MATH101 (Calculus I), MATH102 (Calculus II) and MATH103 (Introduction to Linear Algebra). Classical mechanics is important for learning about modern developments such as relativity (MATH326), quantum mechanics (MATH325) and chaos and dynamical systems (MATH322). This module will make you familiar with notions such as energy, force, momentum and angular momentum which lie at the foundations of applied mathematics problems.

Most problems in modern applied mathematics require the use of suitably designed numerical methods. Working exactly, we can often reduce a complicated problem to something more elementary, but this will often lead to integrals that cannot be evaluated using analytical methods or equations that are too complex to be solved by hand. Other problems involve the use of ‘real world’ data, which don’t fit neatly into simple mathematical models. In both cases, we can make further progress using approximate methods. These usually require lengthy iterative processes that are tedious and error prone for humans (even with a calculator), but ideally suited to computers. The first few lectures of this module demonstrate how computer programs can be written to handle calculations of this type automatically. These ideas will be used throughout the module. We then investigate how errors propagate through numerical computations. The focus then shifts to numerical methods for finding roots, approximating integrals and interpolating data. In each case, we will examine the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches, in terms of accuracy and efficiency.

Increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are having a profound impact on our Earth system. This module will introduce students to the fundamental theory behind the global carbon cycle. Students will see how carbon is partitioned between the atmosphere, land and ocean in the contemporary and past Earth system, understand how the ocean stores 50 times more carbon than the atmosphere, and consider the impact of increasing carbon dioxide on the organisms living on land and in the ocean. Teaching is through lectures, workshops focusing on key components of the carbon cycle, and guided reading. Assessment is by two pieces of coursework.

This research-led module aims to promote interest, awareness and understanding of current important research topics within Ocean and Climate Sciences. It also aims to develop generic skills such as team working and communication skills. The module considers recent reports such as the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) and the associated 2019 SROCC (Special Report on Oceans and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate), with students working with one of the lead IPCC authors based in Liverpool. Students will also attend the bi-weekly Ocean and Climate Sciences research seminars that are given by invited national and international experts on a range of subjects related to the marine and climate system. Assessment is by individual oral presentations by students presenting what they have learnt from recent research papers of particular interest to them, and a group presentation on a research topic of current importance (e.g. as highlighted in the latest SROCC report). A final in-person exam is focused around a recent high-impact scientific paper provided to the students.

Measurements made at sea are a key activity in oceanographic research. This module introduces the collection of data and samples including navigation, meteorological parameters, temperature and salinity, currents, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, chlorophyll and plankton. We will use the Field Studies Council Site at Millport in Scotland, where students will gain experience of sampling at sea and use skills developed in the second year to calibrate and analyse their data. Laboratory work, analysing water samples for nutrients and plankton, will take place in Millport and in the Central Teaching Laboratories in Liverpool. The Sea Practical introduces students to the way in which professional ocean scientists work in both research and commercial surveying. It involves collecting data and samples at sea, analysing samples in the laboratory, processing and analysing data using computer software, assessing, and reporting on the data and its quality, and finally presenting the methods, results and interpretation in an accurate and comprehensive report. By following professional ways of working, it provides students with both subject-specific and generic employability skills. Research integrity is an integral component of this module. The module is assessed by a group presentation on components of the data analysis and quality, a record and laboratory book, and a scientific report/paper addressing a key question arising from the data collected off Millport.

This module consists of a two-semester dissertation research project, carried out individually by a student with supervision by a member of academic staff. Projects can be field-, laboratory- or desk-based studies on a predefined project and the student will learn about project design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of results.

Ocean dynamics addresses how the ocean and atmosphere circulate. Fundamental questions are addressed, such as how heat, salt, and dissolved substances are transported, how jets and weather systems emerge on our planet, why there are western boundary currents in the ocean, and how seafloor topography shapes the ocean circulation. Students will improve their understanding of how the ocean and atmosphere behave, including comparing the importance of different physical processes in the climate system. The module is delivered via lectures and formative workshops to gain skills at problem solving. There is significant mathematical content, requiring familiarity with calculus and algebra. The module is assessed through two online tests and an essay.

This module will teach students to write and use simple numerical forward models of environmental systems, including geomorphic, geophysical, oceanographic and ecological models. Successful students will develop important transferrable coding and numeracy skills through a series of lectures, seminars and practical work. The module will be assessed through practical work only, with formative feedback throughout to help develop the necessary skills.

Networks are familiar to us from many real-world systems such as the internet, power grids, transportation and biological networks. The underpinning mathematical concept is called a graph an it is no surprise that the same issues arise in each area, whether this is to identify the most important or influential individuals in the network, or to prevent dynamics on the network (e.g. epidemics) or to make the network robust to the dynamics it supports (e.g. power grids and transportation). In this module, we learn about different classes of networks and how to quantify and describe them including their structures and their nodes. Much of our detailed understanding of networks and their features will come from analysis of idealised random networks which nevertheless are often good representations of those seen in the real world. We will consider real-world biological applications of network theory, in particular focusing on epidemics.