In this module, students will first be introduced to the Earth System and human interventions in the Earth System, including the
exploitation of natural resources and greenhouse-gas emissions that caused climate change, and the societal challenge of moving
towards a carbon-neutral world. Through three narratives, students will study through which processes and on what temporal and
spatial scales the different Earth system components interact.
The first story line is named Solid Earth & Resources and looks at the deep level dynamic processes that make the Earth a unique
body in the solar system. These processes will be outlined in terms of the plate tectonic theory which provides a unified
framework for the evolution of the solid Earth. We will examine how these processes have evolved through time and how they
have been responsible for the distribution of the continents and the formation of mountain belts, volcanoes and the evolution of
our natural resources.
The second story line is named the Climate System, in which students will gain a basic understanding of the Earths energy
budget and the natural and anthropogenic influences on past (paleo-)climates and our current and future climate. They will be
familiarized with the carbon cycle and study the role of the global atmospheric and oceanic circulation in setting climate zones
and weather.
The third story line is named Source to Sink and starts at mountains and follows the pathway of water and sediment towards the
river, delta and coastal-oceanic basins. Along the way we will investigate formation of sediment, the water cycle, formation of
stratigraphy, vegetation and land use changes, and how all this is affected by the past and current climate and weather.
Finally, students will appraise and reflect on the societal and ethical implications of past or future human interventions related to
resources and the climate of the Earth System. After completing this module, students will be able to:
Analyse the different components of the Earth system and the processes and time and spatial scales on which the different
components of the Earth system interact.
Examine the processes that generate and deplete the availability of natural resources.
Distinguish the processes that play a role in the Earth's energy (im)balance and calculate their impact on climate.
Identify the processes that underlie impacts of anthropogenic activities on the Earth System.
Reflect on social and ethical implications of human interventions in the Earth System.
