Changes in Earth's temperature cause changes in the size of the polar ice caps, with corresponding changes in global sea levels as water moves between the oceans and the continental ice sheets. Sea levels are currently rising as a result of present-day increases in global mean temperature and some claim that West Antarctica and Greenland glaciers are melting rapidly. But how are changes in ice and ocean volumes estimated?
Observations of the motions of close-earth satellites and measurements from these satellites to the surface of the Earth enable these changes to be measured and they provide important constraints on the physical properties of the planet and on the physical processes occurring on and within it. Students will learn about several Earth-observing satellite missions and how to derive and interpret results in terms of physical changes on Earth.
Undergraduate students attend joint classes with graduate students but will be assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
On satisfying the requirements of this course, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
1. Understand the Earth's gravity field and the geophysical interpretation of temporal gravity changes;
2. Explain the measurement of sea level variations from tide gauges and satellite altimetry;
3. Compute mass balance estimates of polar regions;
4. Relate the theory and observation of the motion of satellites to the determination of positions on the Earth from satellite tracking data; and
5. Communicate efficiently to a general and expert audience about the science of sea level change
PG Requirements,
1. Understand the Earth's gravity field and the geophysical interpretation of temporal gravity changes;
2. Explain the measurement of sea level variations from tide gauges and satellite altimetry;
3. Compute mass balance estimates of polar regions;
4. Relate the theory and observation of the motion of satellites to the determination of positions on the Earth from satellite tracking data;
5. Communicate efficiently to a general and expert audience about the science of sea level change; and
6. Evaluate gravimetric datasets systematically and interpret results in the context of trends related to regional and global climate change
Indicative Assessment
Assessment will be based on theory exams and practicals.
• Theory exam composed of essay questions to be held at a negotiated time before the mid-semester break (30% LO 1-4).
• Theory exam composed of essay questions to be held at the end of the semester (30% LO 1-4).
• One computer-based assignment involving data analysis (30% LO 1-4).
• One oral presentation to provide a critique of a scientific journal article (10% LO 1-5).
PG Assessment will be based on theory exams and practicals.
• Theory exam composed of essay questions to be held at a negotiated time before the mid-semester break (30% LO 1-4).
• Theory exam composed of essay questions to be held at the end of the semester (30% LO 1-4).
• One computer-based assignment involving data analysis (30% LO 1-4).
• One oral presentation to provide a critique of a scientific journal article (10% LO 1-5).
Additional/different tasks will be included in graduate assignments and examinations, thus distinguishing the undergraduate and graduate assessment.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
A maximum of 39 hours of lectures and 26 hours of laboratory classes including tutorials
Requisite and Incompatibility
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $3444 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2017 | $4590 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3591 | 20 Feb 2017 | 27 Feb 2017 | 31 Mar 2017 | 26 May 2017 | In Person | N/A |
