2023/24 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

SOEE3791 Observing weather and climate: advanced field skills

20 creditsClass Size: 3

Module manager: Ruza Ivanovic
Email: r.ivanovic@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is mutually exclusive with

SOEE3801	Fieldwork and tutorials 3
SOEE5096M	Observing weather and climate: advanced field skills

Module replaces

SOEE3790

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Through this module, learners will become expert in advanced practical environmental field skills for use in research and industry. Students will be supported to design, build and install field instrumentation; generating, analysing and communicating primary data in the context of published findings. The module includes a residential field course and further hands-on practical work upon returning to Leeds, to test scientific hypotheses and draw original conclusions from the results. No pre-requisite knowledge is required.

Objectives

This module takes learners through the complete process of designing and executing a field campaign to ‘observe’ or ‘measure’ the environment; from desk to field and back to desk. Students will work in teams to generate and process physical data using a wide variety of expert research techniques in environmental, atmospheric, ecological and climate sciences, at a theoretical level and through practice in the field. They will select and build their own instrumentation, including establishing live data feeds, and they will analyse the results using a variety of computer-based and analogue methods. Students will interpret their data to draw conclusions concerning the natural structure of the atmosphere, local/regional meteorological and climatological features, and ecological diversity; integrating their results with state-of-the-art knowledge from published literature. The field and independent project work will be supported by world leading research staff from the University of Leeds and National Centre for Atmospheric Sciences. Learning will culminate in two capstone research projects (one during the residential field course, and one following the instrument-building workshops in Leeds).

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Construct an appropriate observation campaign and instrumentation to measure environmental variables
2. Evaluate implicit error/uncertainty within those measurements
3. Draw robust conclusions from primary data
4. Independently research, synthesise and critically analyse existing literature
5. Communicate research findings effectively, including appropriate use of bespoke graphics

Skills outcomes
The module places considerable emphasis on:

- planning, conducting and reporting on investigations, including the use of primary and secondary data;
- acquiring or building and installing appropriate observational instrumentation;
- collecting, recording and analysing data using appropriate research- and industry-standard techniques in the field;
- undertaking field investigations in a responsible and safe manner, paying due attention to risk assessment, rights of access, relevant health and safety regulations, and sensitivity to the impact of investigations on the environment and stakeholders;
- appreciating issues of sample selection, accuracy, precision and uncertainty during collecting, recording and analysis of data in the field;
- analysing, synthesising and summarising information critically, including prior research; preparing, processing, interpreting and presenting data, using appropriate qualitative and quantitative techniques and packages;
- collecting and integrating several lines of evidence to formulate and test hypotheses;
- integrating current state of the art knowledge with conclusions drawn from primary data;
- managing a series of tasks as a team and working within a prescribed timeframe.

The module places moderate emphasis on:

- communicating appropriately to a variety of audiences in written, verbal and graphical form;
- using the Internet critically as a source of information and access point for online tools (e.g. atmospheric models) and data (e.g. climatologies, synoptic charts);
- identifying individual and collective goals and responsibilities and performing in a manner appropriate to these roles;
- recognising and respecting the views and opinions of other team members.

The module places some emphasis on:

- recognising the moral and ethical issues of investigations and appreciating the need for professional codes of conduct;
- receiving and responding to a variety of information sources (eg textual numerical, verbal, graphical);
- solving numerical problems using computer and non-computer based techniques; recognising and using subject-specific theories, paradigms, concepts and principles;
- developing an adaptable and flexible approach to study and work.

Syllabus

This module involves a residential field course and further field work, tutorials and workshops in the Leeds area.

Students will study a selection of atmospheric, environmental, and ecological science topics taken from:

1. Practical weather forecasting using synoptic charts and other data.
2. Profiling of the atmosphere using radiosondes and surface measurements to characterise the stability of the atmosphere, state of the boundary layer, and local meteorology.
3. Conducting in-situ and simulated experiments to examine energy balance processes.
4. Profiling local ecology and links to environmental stressors.

Interpretation and inter-connection of the above activities will be augmented through collection of supplementary data from networked archives and published literature.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Supervision	2	1.00	2.00
Fieldwork	1	8.00	8.00
Fieldwork	1	70.00	70.00
Lecture	1	1.00	1.00
Practical	3	4.00	12.00
Seminar	1	2.00	2.00
Private study hours			105.00
Total Contact hours			95.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

There are many opportunities for learners to receive formative feedback, primarily through the time spent with instructors.

During the residential field course, learners will undertake online research, critical thinking and data analysis activities within their teams, where learners will visualise and interpret their data to answer questions on the science topics in the syllabus. Field instructors, including activity leaders and support staff, will be on-hand throughout to actively mentor learners through their research and learning, check their understanding from their answers to the set questions, and feedback on their practical techniques and analytical work. The residential field course will culminate in learners undertaking a capstone research project under the guidance of the instructors, with the results to be presented orally and graphically in a mini-conference on the final day of the field course. Instructors and peers will ask questions of the presenters, and will issue summary feedback (orally) on performance.

In Leeds, a discursive seminar will give learners the opportunity to express ideas and quiz the instructors, while the instructors will also feedback their assessment of what is expressed in a two-way dialogue. They will attend two tutorials to exchange ideas and receive guidance on interesting literature review topics and how to approach the literature review. During the practical workshops and local field course, instructors will guide learners through the practical steps, providing immediate feedback on technique so that learners develop their skills and have the opportunity to improve. In these sessions, learners will be quizzed informally through discussion on their understanding of the taught material in order to provide useful, immediate feedback for their reports. In these sessions and during the local 1-day field course, instructors will provide the opportunity for learners to discuss their research plans for the independent research project and receive guidance/feedback on their ideas. Instructors will use digital platforms to check in with students throughout the learning journey.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Literature Review	Up to 1,000 words	25.00
Report	Up to 2,500 words	75.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Literature review re-sit format: same format, up to 1,000 word literature review on specifically different but related topic to the original assignment (focus of topic to be agreed with module leader). Report: Re-sits are normally in the same format as the first attempt.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 12/05/2023 11:19:07

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