CEG2102 : Environmental Systems and Quantification
- Offered for Year: 2022/23
- Module Leader(s): Dr Nathan Forsythe
- Lecturer: Professor Thomas Curtis
- Owning School: Engineering
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
| Semester 1 Credit Value: | 10 |
| ECTS Credits: | 5.0 |
Aims
The aim of this course is to equip students with a conceptual grasp of the fundamental elements of environmental systems and processes at a variety of scales in a rapidly changing world. The environmental systems include the water cycle, geochemical cycles and ecological processes. The course aims to enable students to attend more detailed modules on hydrology, environmental engineering and sustainability within the context of a sound understanding of the Earth’s fundamental cycles and processes.
Students will also learn skills required for characterization, instrumentation and quantification of environmental systems in situations relevant to civil engineers. The course will relate to the digital theme of the civil engineering syllabus, addressing data acquisition technologies, informatics and quantification methods to create environmental metrics.
Civil Engineering involves interventions in and interactions with environmental systems at a range of scales. This module will train students about hydrological and geochemical cycles and ecological processes both as abstract components of the Earth’s systems and as “forces of power in Nature” that engineers comprehend, characterise and engineer. The module will start with an introduction of the Earth’s ‘grand cycles’, (water, carbon, nutrients etc.) and will develop understanding of how human intervention has modified these cycles and the consequences for climate and natural resources. The course will then focus upon climate change pressures and the environmental cycles and spatial scales of most relevance to civil engineers. Thus, in the hydrological cycle you will be introduced to analysis of the quantity and quality of water as it moves through the climate system and through catchments including soil, hillslopes, groundwater and rivers. You will learn how to measure and quantify components of the water balance, rainfall, evaporation and runoff in catchment systems. You will learn key concepts, methods and terminology in current use in Civil Engineering and Environmental Management. We will use the carbon and nitrogen cycles as exemplars of geochemical cycling and use them to illustrate key concepts driving both the earth system and engineered biological systems. We will teach you how to instrument the environment, both spatially and temporally, and hence quantify key elements within the elemental cycles in both the lab and the field. These cycles are mediated by ecological processes at a variety of scales. You will get an engineer’s eye view of these processes at a macro and microscale and learn how key ecological concepts can be used in engineering design.
Outline Of Syllabus
Introduction to the Earth’s systems
The operating limits of the earth
Health and Safety of quantification
Hydrological Cycle and Climate Change
Rainfall, Evaporation, Soil Water and Groundwater
Rivers, Runoff, Floods SuDS and NBS
Hydroecology
Generic concepts in ecology Microbial ecology and kinetics Pathogen ecology Carbon Cycle
Organic water pollution Nitrogen cycle Eutrophication Persistent pollutants
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 18 | 1:00 | 18:00 | PIP Lectures or Online Synchronous |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 16:00 | 16:00 | Lab report based on field work and Lab exercise. Determining Ouseburn catchment metrics |
| Guided Independent Study | Assessment preparation and completion | 1 | 20:00 | 20:00 | Revision for exam |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Practical | 4 | 3:00 | 12:00 | National Green Infrastucture Facility / Environmental lab / flow gauging / visit to the Great Park |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 12 | 2:00 | 24:00 | Self-taught materials, videos and small informatic exercises to underpin quantification method |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Includes background reading/reading lecture notes for a full understanding of material |
| Total | 100:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
Introductory concepts to be taught through stimulating lectures that also contain solid engineering content including theoretical knowledge and basic calculations. Fieldwork, sampling and subsequent laboratory work is used to back up the concepts add local case study in pollution and flooding that must be written up.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Written Examination | 120 | 1 | A | 60 | Unseen written assessment |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical/lab report | 1 | M | 40 | Report of up to 20 pages |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Introductory concepts tested through examination of knowledge and basic calculations to be backed up by fieldwork, lab work and quantification methods using informatic tools that must be written up.
Semester 1 Study Abroad students would be required to submit an essay. This environmental systems essay will require the student to call upon the course material, using examples and case studies. Students will be expected to compose coherent arguments about water and chemical cycling relevant to Civil Engineering. Diagrams, maps and pollution. The essay would be up to a 10-12 page Word document.
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- CEG2102's Timetable