School: Science

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

  • Unit Title

    Physical Environments
  • Unit Code

    SCI1192
  • Year

    2025
  • Enrolment Period

    1
  • Version

    2
  • Credit Points

    15
  • Full Year Unit

    N
  • Mode of Delivery

    On Campus
  • Unit Coordinator

    Dr Quinton BURNHAM

Description

This unit adopts an earth system science approach towards examining the origin and nature of physical environments. It examines interactions between subsystems including the biosphere, and the formation of key terrestrial, marine and freshwater ecosystems.

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

  1. Describe the different components of the biophysical environment and their interconnections
  2. Identify the nature of cycles, their dynamics, feedback processes, and the movement of matter and energy in earth systems
  3. Find and use reliable and accurate sources of information relating to the physical environment
  4. Discuss the effects of global change on the earth system
  5. Integrate relevant information to achieve a holistic understanding of the earth system

Unit Content

  1. Pathways in the hydrological cycle: water as a universal solvent; surface and subsurface water, flow, storage; water erosion and aggradation processes; land and sea ice in the earth system; glaciation, movement and change; ocean basins, circulation, wave motion, tides and changing sea levels.
  2. Earth system science: types of systems, closed vs open systems; cycles and feedback within and between earth systems; internal and external energy sources; states and flux of earth's matter.
  3. Human interaction with the earth subsystems: resource use and reuse; non-renewable resources; systems perspective of anthropogenic change, impacts and global change.
  4. Physical and biotic subsystem interaction: formation of biomes and ecosystems; energy and matter exchange between open systems; material cycling and basic principles of biogeochemical cycling.
  5. Composition and internal structure of the earth: common minerals, rocks; the tectonic cycle; volcanic and seismic activity; weathering processes, regolith cycle and development of landscapes.
  6. Evolution of the atmosphere: composition and physics; wind and weather systems; global circulation, regional and local weather systems; past and present climate systems; changes in climate and feedbacks.

Learning Experience

Students will attend on campus classes as well as engage in learning activities through ECU's LMS

JoondalupMount LawleySouth West (Bunbury)
Semester 110 x 3 hour labNot Offered10 x 3 hour lab
Semester 113 x 2 hour lectureNot Offered13 x 2 hour lecture

For more information see the Semester Timetable

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit comprises of six modules, each which focuses on a key component of the Earth's biophysical environment (the earth system, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere and anthroposphere). For each module, students engage with theory through lectures, readings, and hands-on laboratory work.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

ON CAMPUS
TypeDescriptionValue
AssignmentQuizzes20%
Laboratory WorkPractical tests and/or laboratory reports40%
ExaminationEnd of Semester Examination40%

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

Assessment

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. Informal vivas may be conducted as part of an assessment task, where staff require further information to confirm the learning outcomes have been met. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant School Progression Panel.

Academic Integrity

Integrity is a core value at Edith Cowan University, and it is expected that ECU students complete their assessment tasks honestly and with acknowledgement of other people's work as well as any generative artificial intelligence tools that may have been used. This means that assessment tasks must be completed individually (unless it is an authorised group assessment task) and any sources used must be referenced.

Breaches of academic integrity can include:

Plagiarism

Copying the words, ideas or creative works of other people or generative artificial intelligence tools, without referencing in accordance with stated University requirements. Students need to seek approval from the Unit Coordinator within the first week of study if they intend to use some of their previous work in an assessment task (self-plagiarism).

Unauthorised collaboration (collusion)

Working with other students and submitting the same or substantially similar work or portions of work when an individual submission was required. This includes students knowingly providing others with copies of their own work to use in the same or similar assessment task(s).

Contract cheating

Organising a friend, a family member, another student or an external person or organisation (e.g. through an online website) to complete or substantially edit or refine part or all of an assessment task(s) on their behalf.

Cheating in an exam

Using or having access to unauthorised materials in an exam or test.

Serious outcomes may be imposed if a student is found to have committed one of these breaches, up to and including expulsion from the University for repeated or serious acts.

ECU's policies and more information about academic integrity can be found on the student academic integrity website.

All commencing ECU students are required to complete the Academic Integrity Module.

Assessment Extension

In some circumstances, Students may apply to their Unit Coordinator to extend the due date of their Assessment Task(s) in accordance with ECU's Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000001386.

Special Consideration

Students may apply for Special Consideration in respect of a final unit grade, where their achievement was affected by Exceptional Circumstances as set out in the Assessment, Examination and Moderation Procedures - for more information visit https://askus2.ecu.edu.au/s/article/000003318.

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