The Global Environment

This subject is an introduction to Geoscience, Geography, Climate and Environmental Science. It provides an overview of the processes controlling the formation and evolution of our global environment. We begin by exploring the layered structure of the Earth, both solid and fluid constituent properties, and the importance of the orbital characteristics in controlling changes in the global climate. The evolution of the major physical features and landscapes of the Earth, including minerals, volcanoes, rivers, oceans and coastlines, are described in terms of plate tectonics and sea-level changes. The nature of widely occurring, important processes are studied, such as weathering, erosion and the transport of sediments. Natural chemical and energy cycles are highlighted. Causes of biogeographic patterns in plants and animals are explored at several different time scales. Human impacts on and benefits from global environments are illustrated, using fire and natural resources as examples. The circulation and interactions of the atmosphere and ocean are also examined, including descriptions of the Earth’s present climate, the hydrological cycle, and past and future climate change.