Last modified: 23 Jul 2024 10:59
In this course, we will cover how studies of the other planets of the solar system have helped us understand Earth's atmosphere. We will review the fundamental physical and chemical processes in planetary atmospheres, and we will provide an up-to-date overview of modelling, observation methods and missions to study planetary atmospheres.
| Study Type | Postgraduate | Level | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 15 credits (7.5 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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Every measured aspect of a planetary atmosphere can be compared with the corresponding characteristics of the atmosphere of every other planet, including Earth. Discovering how planetary atmospheres are similar and how they are different allows scientists to test their understanding of the processes that shape these environments. Sometimes new observations confirm the predictions of existing models, providing confidence in the current interpretations. Often a surprising result will emerge, which stimulates thought that leads to new insights. In other cases, comparisons have expanded our appreciation of the Earth by placing specific attributes of our planet into a broader context. The familiar characteristics of the Earth's environment result from the actions of the same set of physical processes that have operated to varying degrees on other planets and at other times in history, producing the entire solar system and possibly other solar systems.
The study of planetary atmospheres is at the core of planetary exploration, intending to probe the nature and evolution of the planets and their atmospheres; and we will review past, current and future missions providing information about the atmospheres of the planets. We will study how our solar system planets formed and evolved to their current states. This understanding of our solar system may also enable us to predict exoplanets' properties around other stars.
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Assessment component B Four- page critical review of a peer/reviewed paper provided by teacher. Online submission and online or face-to-face feeedback. Assessment - week 5 of 1st sub-session Feedback - week 7 of 1st sub-session |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse data from space missions |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Integrating diverse scientific information |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understand the fundamental physical and chemical processes in planetary atmospheres |
| Procedural | Apply | Downloading data from space agencies' databases |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Enhance critical thinking and reasoning skills |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 20 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Assessment component A Review of physical and chemical processes of planetary atmospheres. Submitted online before presentation . Individual feedback online. Presentation online or in class Assessment - week 3 of 1st sub-session Feedback - week 4 of 1st sub-session |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse data from space missions |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Integrating diverse scientific information |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understand the fundamental physical and chemical processes in planetary atmospheres |
| Procedural | Apply | Downloading data from space agencies' databases |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Enhance critical thinking and reasoning skills |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 40 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Assessment component C Four-page critical review of a peer/reviewed paper provided by teacher. Online submission and online or face-to-face feeedback Assessment - End of course, so after feedback on first two exercises, whichever is earlier. Feedback - End of course |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Create | Developing integrated histories of the nature and evolution of the planets and their atmospheres |
| Procedural | Create | Enhance visual presentation skills |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Enhance critical thinking and reasoning skills |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Challenge published geological investigations and interpretations against own observations and deductions |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 100 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Original assessment weighting. |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural | Create | Enhance visual presentation skills |
| Conceptual | Understand | Understand the fundamental physical and chemical processes in planetary atmospheres |
| Procedural | Apply | Downloading data from space agencies' databases |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Enhance critical thinking and reasoning skills |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Analyse data from space missions |
| Conceptual | Analyse | Integrating diverse scientific information |
| Procedural | Create | Developing integrated histories of the nature and evolution of the planets and their atmospheres |
| Reflection | Evaluate | Challenge published geological investigations and interpretations against own observations and deductions |
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