CLB222 Oceans and Atmosphere

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2025, Gardens Point, Internal

Overview

Oceans make up 70% of the Earth's surface, yet less than 5% of them have been explored. There is therefore still much to learn about the marine environment, marine resources, and management, and how oceans affect atmospheric circulation. This unit takes a bottom-up approach introducing students to the major geological processes and geomorphology features that shape the ocean floor, dynamic sediments, and biology that are sourced and distributed by ocean currents and chemistry, followed by an overview of the factors governing ocean circulation and ocean water properties and finally looking at how oceans affect atmospheric circulation and climate.  The interaction of all these processes has a direct societal impact such as the management of marine resources, including the cultural narratives of the  Great Barrier Reef, infrastructure and food security, and risk mitigation of natural hazards, weather patterns, and climate change.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Explain the significance of tectonic plates, volcanic activity, and erosion in shaping the ocean floor. including natural hazards.
2. Use scientific data to predict the distribution of sediments in the ocean based on ocean currents and environmental factors.
3. Recall the distribution of marine biology, and the factors that influence it, including ocean currents and chemistry for ocean health and marine food sources.
4. Use scientific data to predict the impact of ocean currents and gases on atmospheric circulation and climate.
5. Collect, use and report scientific data from the field.

Content

Learning Approaches

The unit combines lectures, and practicals/workshops to provide both theoretical knowledge and important practical experience with modern marine processes and products. The combination of collaborative investigation in practicals/workshops and individual assessment tasks will allow you to formulate and present marine science concepts and ideas related to a range of scientific disciplines.

Lectures: 2 hours per week for 12 weeks. Active lectures will present fundamental base knowledge that will be explored further in the workshops and field trips.

Practicals or Workshops (including online): 2 hours a week for 12 weeks. These hands-on and online classes will provide experience in the observation and analysis of marine data. A non-compulsory multi-day field trip will be part of the learning experience.

You can expect to spend between 10 - 15 hours per week on average involved in preparing for and attending all scheduled classes, completing assessment tasks, and undertaking your own independent study to consolidate your learning.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Feedback will be provided through the following mechanisms:

• Written and oral feedback will be provided for all assessment items according to each assessment criteria with verbal feedback
• Participation in lectures, workshops, and practicals provides you with the opportunity to receive informal feedback from your tutors and peers and to self-reflect on your progress.
• Appointments to discuss your progress can be made with the unit coordinator can be made at mutually convenient times.

Assessment

Overview

Assessment includes applied scientific work in the laboratory through a portfolio of related practical activities, and a field and laboratory-based project. All work is individually assessed. 

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Portfolio

Progressive practical projects will provide you with
experience in the analysis of the marine environment,
coastal and ocean processes and products.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Report

Report based on data collected on a field activity. This will include collection of field data, data synthesis and analysis.
This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Project (applied)

Atmospheric data collection and analysis.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.

The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Requirements

Nil

Costs

A multi-day field trip may be included in this unit. It is non-compulsory but if you participate there will be individual costs of ~$400-600 related to travel for food and lodging. Some specialist equipment will be provided. Students that do attend will not be disadvantaged in the unit assessments or learning outcomes. 

Resources

Risk Assessment Statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit. You will be made aware of evacuation procedures and assembly areas in the first few lectures. In the event of a fire alarm sounding, or on a lecturer's instruction, you should leave the room and assemble in the designated area which will be indicated to you.

You should be conscious of your health and safety at all times whilst on campus or in the field. During the field trip, there will be walking uneven terrain and exposure to sun and weather. Specific risks in practical classes and fields will be documented for students prior to activity. 

Course Learning Outcomes

ST01 Bachelor of Science

1. Develop a broad, multidisciplinary understanding of science and a specialised, in-depth knowledge of at least one discipline.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Portfolio, Report, Project (applied)
2. Use higher order thinking skills to design, plan, and conduct investigations and evaluate data to address scientific questions and challenges.
   Relates to: ULO2, ULO4, ULO5, Portfolio, Report, Project (applied)
3. Develop and demonstrate key competencies in scientific practices and relevant technologies.
   Relates to: ULO5, Portfolio, Report, Project (applied)
4. Communicate scientific findings, concepts and evidence-based reasoning to diverse audiences using a variety of methods.
   Relates to: ULO5, Portfolio, Report, Project (applied)