Environmental Science BSc (Hons): XJTLU 2+2 programme

In this module, BSc Environmental Science students work together on a group project based on data collected in the field. Students take part in a residential field class in a UK location that provides a diverse range of opportunities for data collection on topics such as water quality, flood risk and carbon capture. Students develop skills in data collection, analysis and presentation, focussed real-world environmental issues using industry-relevant techniques and equipment. This module provides ideal preparation for final year individual projects. The module is assessed in via group oral presentation in the style of in industry consultant and an individual written project report in the style of a peer-reviewed scientific journal article.

The module will develop students’ knowledge of careers and employability with a focus on enhancing employability through tutorial-based exercises. In addition, the module provides a range of research skills required for the planning, implementation, analysis and reporting (written and oral) of independent research projects. Practical training will be provided in a range of qualitative and quantitative techniques across a broad range of geographical and environmental science themes. From this, students should develop a critical awareness as to the advantages and disadvantages of research methodologies in particular contexts.

This module provides training in statistics for environmental scientists. We provide training in industry-standard software – R and RStudio – to allow students to explore, present, and analyse data, and we ensure that the practical training is fully supported by explanations of the underlying theory. The practical work is focused on real environmental data. Students will leave with the tools to collect, work with, and present data necessary for scientific writing.

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 explores the concepts and applications of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to solve contemporary questions in spatial ecology. The module involves applied case studies and practical work designed to develop both an understanding of GIS principles and concepts, such as data acquisition, integration and spatial analyses. The hands-on workshops allow students to learn the basic skills before applying them to a real world authentic assessment.

The Earth is subject to a myriad of threats and stresses, ranging from a changing global climate to  unprecedented scales of human impacts on ecosystems, so that a new geological time period, the Anthropocene was created. Placing future change in freshwater and coastal wetlands and lakes into a long-term context is a critical science, and without it, society cannot constrain the ‘natural’ baseline against which future changes could be judged. ​ This module will provide a critical insight into the global changes currently impacting the Earth over decades to millennial timescales. We will introduce a series of contemporary environmental concerns, and teach how we can reconstruct climatic and environmental conditions, the landscapes and vegetation of the past. We will explore a wide variety of archives (lakes, freshwater and coastal wetlands, oceans) and develop an understanding of the key techniques used to trace environmental conditions (physical properties, biogeochemistry, biological indicators). We will assess how the drivers behind these changes will affect future landscapes and ecosystems.

Environmental concerns have become increasingly pressing over the last few decades, covering pollution, resource depletion, loss of biodiversity and poor quality of life. Overarching all these concerns is the global challenge of climate change. We need to find new approaches to our way of life. This module explores the notion of environmental sustainability particularly from the point of view of urban planning. It is taught through lectures and assessed through an exam focusing on the principles and practices of environmental sustainability, and an individual project in which students develop their own imaginative idea for tackling a particular sustainability problem.

The module introduces the principles of geographical information systems and science with a focus on human geography. Examples will be drawn from population geography with components linked to data sources, analysis and visualisation. Students will learn how to use GIS to map population data, to explore social deprivation, geographic inequalities, and commuting patterns, amongst other themes.

The study of catchment hydrology is concerned with water above and below the land surface, its various forms, and its circulation and distribution in time and space within drainage catchments; it is based on fundamental knowledge of the hydrological cycle and its governing factors. Understanding the hydrological cycle is fundamental to physical geography. All life is supported by water and all earth systems incorporate fluxes of water to some extent. The module covers the main hydrological processes operating in drainage catchments in terms of their measurement, operation and controlling factors. The module provide ‘hands-on’ experience of both observing hydrology and modelling hydrological systems, with an emphasis on applied learning, which might be useful in a vocational sense in the future. The module will aim to deliver excellent training in the knowledge required to work in a wide variety of environmentally-facing careers, including those with the EA, Natural England or DEFRA, as well as Environmental Consultancies.

The module explores the basic processes that have helped shape landforms across the world. Module is predominantly focused on glacial, aeolian, and coastal landforms. The module is divided into four components, each composed of four sessions. The module starts with an introduction to how geomorphic processes operate and forces that influence geomorphic change. This includes the magnitude and frequency of events, as well as the time and space scales over which the processes operate, covering glacial, aeolian and coastal geomorphology. The module is delivered through weekly in-person lectures, two days of fieldwork and a formative GIS practical. It is assessed through two pieces of coursework based on the field work and a written exam.

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.

This module aims to introduce students to the concepts and principles underlying the dynamic interactions within populations and between species within communities. It will draw upon examples taken from across the globe: pressures on fish stocks; use of natural predators for biological control processes; how mutualistic interactions benefit communities, such as coral reefs and leguminous plants. It will also explore how knowledge and understanding of these species and community interactions can help plan for ecological mitigation and restoration. The lectures will be supplemented with on-line resources. Students will begiven guided reading, and regular formative assessment exercises will enable students to evaluate their understanding of the module. The module will be assessed by coursework.

The marine environment presents a particular set of challenges for the organisms which inhabit it and these conditions are constantly changing as a result of human interventions. This module will provide a solid grounding in a number of topics, concepts and issues in the marine environment relating to the physiology and ecology of marine organisms and how they are affected by the activities of humans. Module content will be delivered primarily through interactive lectures supported by computer-based practical exercises and assessed by examination and coursework. Students will be guided to specific sections of textbooks, online resources and scientific papers to shape their learning.

Students are taught how marine systems are changing due to globally increasing water temperatures and increasing carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere, which are affecting the chemistry, physics and ultimately biology of the marine systems at unprecedented rates. These changes are expected to accelerate in the coming decades. Localised anthropogenic stressors such as excess nutrients, plastic debris, trace metals (e.g. mercury, copper), marine heatwaves and/or other emerging contaminants affecting coastal and open ocean waters are covered. Students will gain an understanding of the causes and processes that drive marine pollution issues as well as techniques used to monitor, remediate and/or regulate those issues. Assessment is done through group work, coursework and a final in-person exam.

This module explores the course of human history, examining the interaction of people with the environment, moving through the different stages of human development, from early agrarian based developments in the Neolithic 9000 years ago, through to modern agricultural practices and landscape management. The module uses wide ranging literature and case studies to explore a range of human-environment interactions (fuel, food, water, culture and space), exploring how human activities have modified, and been modified, by their environments, and how sudden changes whether natural or human induced have changed this relationship. This module is of relevance and interest to both social and physical science-based students.

This practical module aims to provide practical experience in many of the techniques and methods currently used to identify and classify plants and animals. This will include microscopic and macroscopic examination of specimens, recognition of the role of museum collections in research, and electronic methods of data analysis and storage. Teaching activities include a combination of field work at Ness Gardens and the World Museum, laboratory sessions, and introductory lectures. The module is continuously assessed with workbooks completed in the practical classes, and a final report which draws on several of the practical classes. 

This module considers the ecology, identification and conservation of birds. It seeks to provide an evidence based understanding of bird conservation through studying bird ecology. Key to this is the ability to identify species and assess how key ecological concepts apply to this group. This course will teach students to integrate avian ecology with population and habitat management practices. It will illustrate the links between management and avian biology, habitat fragmentation, migration, and other ecological concepts. Throughout the module, emphasis is placed on the role of research methods in ornithology and how data gained are used to achieve maximally effective conservation and management. The module is aimed at students studying C100 Biological Science and C300 Zoology. The module will be of interest to students wishing to learn more about birds, including those who wish to pursue a career in ornithology or applied ecology.

Sedimentary successions are the only archive from which we can accurately decode the Earth’s past. Using physical, chemical and biological information we can reconstruct past climates, tectonics and depositional environments. This module teaches the fundamental principles of interpreting sedimentary stratigraphy and develops students’ abilities to recognise sedimentary textures and use them to interpret ancient depositional environments.

This module introduces students to fundamentals of Earth and environmental data science. Students will become familiar with methods used to collate and computationally analyse a variety of Earth Science data. After introducing programming basics, students will then start to write code to analyse and simulate Earth processes that model their datasets. By the end of the module, students are expected to have a broad overview of the ways in which data science is applied in the study of the Earth and environment.

The module is concerned with the fundamental properties and characteristics of slopes and soils, and their relationship with the environment. Through a combination of theory and practical-led teaching, students will learn about slope and soil forming processes and evolution, and apply this knowledge to a number of pure and applied problems relating to slope and soil stability. The module is assessed through a combination of coursework (group report) and examination.

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 comprises a series of lectures, seminars and practical classes to facilitate students constructing their own learning in the fields of volcanology and geohazards. Lectures and guided reading present the scientific, societal, economic and political aspects of volcanic hazards within the wider geohazard context. These themes are then explored further through illustrative case studies, guest seminars and practical exercises.

​This module provides students with the opportunity to undertake an independent research project into a topic of the choosing, under the supervision of an allocated member of staff.

This module will introduce students to the nascent field of Geographic Data Science (GDS), a discipline established at the intersection between Geographic Information Science (GIS) and Data Science. The course covers how the modern GIS toolkit can be integrated with Data Science tools to solve practical real-world problems. Core to the set of employable skills to be taught in this course is an introduction to programming tools for GDS in R and Python. The programme of lectures, guided practical classes and independent study illustrate how and why GDS is useful for social science applications.

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.

During this module students will be provided with fully up to date knowledge of how glaciers and ice sheets have behaved in the past; are currently behaving in the present; and will behave in the future. This will be achieved through paired lectures and seminars on different glacial themes, where students will have the opportunity to examine and critique a range of glaciological research techniques that are applied to glacial environments around the world, ranging from valley glaciers to ice sheets. It is intended that this will provide students with a working knowledge of the controls on (and the social and climatic impacts of) past, present and potential future glacier behaviour.

The focus of the module is a field session in the Algarve where students will learn about landscape, land use, vegetation processes, coastal environments in a Mediterranean landscape. The students will carry out research projects in teams that they will have planned in advance. A series of lectures will introduce the physical geography of the region and students will design their own projects under the guidance of staff. The assessment will comprise the project plan, a presentation of the data acquired during the field class and the final project report.

This module aims to provide an integrated perspective on a range of natural hazards, the different levels of impact on human societies, and the mitigation and adaptation strategies adopted before, during and after extreme events. At the end of this module students will have an understanding of the physical processes and societal impacts associated with a range of geophysical and meteorological hazards. The course is delivered in a series of lectures supported by tutorial sessions and is assessed by an exam and coursework assignment.

This module aims to provide understanding of the major types of mineral deposit through a critical assessment of conceptual models of deposit forming processes. There is an emphasis on geochemistry and quantitative methods. Content is delivered through on-line lectures with the aim of understanding: how mineral resources are formed; synthesising their distribution in space and time and evaluating this distribution in relation to overall Earth evolution; considering sustainability and the role of economics and politics. Practical understanding of mineral exploration is achieved through team-based role-playing activities in which students are divided into exploration companies. Each company has a two-stage budget and has to decide how to spend it on sampling, mapping, geochemical analysis, trenching and drilling. Each team presents an interim verbal report on the first stage followed by a second-stage final executive report summarising findings and providing an evaluation of gold resource. Assessment is split between the team exploration project (50%) and a final coursework essay (50%) from a choice of three topics. The team project uses peer assessment to produce individual marks for team members. This module has encouraged many students to follow mineral exploration careers.

This module considers the evolution and response of coastal environments to marine and riverine processes and their variations in relation to past, present and future climate change. Attention is given to physical processes and inter-relationships acting along coastlines and coastal changes in response to sea level rise, variations in storms activity, wave climate and sediment supply. Consideration is also given to coastal management and climate change adaptation and mitigation measures. Topics will be investigated through a combination of lectures, field trips and development of a project aimed at identifying optimum coastal protection schemes for real case studies.

Increasingly recognition of the environmental threats that we all face means that responding to this crisis affects the decisions we all make at a variety of different scales. This module explores the extent to which environmental concerns are taken into account in various decision-making processes involving the public (government), private and third sectors at a variety of different scales, global, European, national and local. The module is assessed by an essay and an open-book exam, which provides students with significant choice to explore those parts of the module they find most interesting.

This module aims to foster a broad understanding of contemporary theory in behavioural ecology, evolutionary biology and ecophysiology, with special reference to the marine environment. We will consider processes that operate at scales from individuals to populations using a theoretical and quantitative practical approach. This module builds on knowledge acquired about techniques, theory and processes in earlier years and provides the opportunity to experience the integration of current research themes in marine biology.

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.

Our pathway to a carbon neutral world relies upon our ability to develop new technologies and improve established technologies. Earth Scientists will play a major role in this energy revolution from sourcing raw materials for solar cells and batteries to sequestering carbon dioxide in rock units deep beneath the Earth’s surface. This module provides a background to the GeoEnergy sector, with particular focus on fluid flow through geological structures and rock units. The broad aim of the module is to provide students with the appropriate level of knowledge and skillset to be able to evaluate and manage hydrocarbon reservoirs, including carbon dioxide sequestration, and geothermal systems.

This module examines climate change impacts on humans and ecosystems. The module is designed to give the student a good overview of the strength and weaknesses of climate modelling approaches. Elements of the global carbon cycle are discussed.

Fluvial processes are found all over the world and are some of the most important in sculpting the Earth’s surface and producing landforms. This module examines fundamental concepts and recent ideas relating to fluvial geomorphology, building on study throughout your educational career. A key point about studying fluvial environments is to understand how the system functions, its links and interactions. It is important to look at all the main components of the system, to understand the dynamics and controls on water and sediment flux and how these produce different types of landforms. The amounts of water and sediment can vary with the environmental conditions and thus study of the drivers of these systems such as climate and human activities and how they have changed over time is essential for being able to interpret the current landscape. Understanding of the present functioning of fluvial systems is essential for any environmental management since rain and runoff are ubiquitous and floods are a major natural hazard.

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.

The module aims to demonstrate and explore how both human and physical geographers can combine expertise to work at the intersections of human-environment interactions and environmental humanities. Emphasising the importance of interdisciplinarity, students are introduced to a variety of research areas, such as health studies, data sciences, and climatology to examine the variety of cross-disciplinary and collective approaches to studying environmental science. Through group tutorials, students develop a group project based on their shared interests, culminating in a group presentation and individual essay as part of their assessment.

This module looks at the cycling of carbon and greenhouse gases, and how their emissions drive climatic warming, via a range of different topics. These include ecosystems (e.g. peatlands, freshwaters), societal change (e.g. how did Covid 19 affect carbon emissions?), greenhouse gas accounting and policy (e.g. Net Zero, Representative Concentration Pathways), and Negative Emissions Technologies (e.g. enhanced weathering, direct air capture). By drawing together this diverse range of topics the module will equip students with a broad knowledge of why the climate is warming, and how this warming might be reversed. The module will involve both individual and group work, workshops, group presentations/debates, and engagement with the most current scientific literature and social media and science communication. Students taking this module must be willing to engage in quantitative analyses of carbon and nutrient cycling and its importance to climate mitigation strategies.

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 module looks at long term evolutionary patterns and the links between the evolution of life, climate and environmental change. Building on the basics of palaeontology, it covers topics and ideas that are used day-to-day by professional palaeontologists. The course deals with evolutionary theory and its place in palaeontology, as the student learns how to read and construct evolutionary hypotheses, and describe and understand patterns in the fossil record. In addition, the module will explore key events in the history of life on Earth, using exceptionally preserved faunas to illustrate the evolution of the flora and fauna. The module is delivered through lectures and practical sessions. The practicals are designed to run alongside and support the lecture material, giving the student the opportunity to understand the module content more deeply. Students are required to undertake a group project that brings together much of the course material into a coherent whole.

This module uses research-led teaching to explore current thinking in conservation biology;

The module explores patterns of biodiversity and encourages students to critically evaluate the evidence supporting alternative explanations for the extinctions or demise of many animal and plant species;

It also enables students to critically evaluate different approaches to conserving biodiversity;

The module is taught via lectures and student led seminars, in the form of debates. To support independent learning, students will also be guided to sections of specific textbooks and expected to follow up references, primary and secondary sources, listed by staff.

This module will examine a range of key topics in contemporary ecology, by experts in their fields.

At a 3rd year level it will place into a real context material covered at a more general level in associated modules in levels 4 and 5.

Three main topics, of global importance, will be explored: community ecology, disease ecology, and macroecology.

To offer an authentic approach to evaluation, the module will be assessed by continuous assessment – reports on specific issues with no final exam.