Tuesday 04th December,
Room E419, 4th floor, John Dalton East Building, from
1.00-2.00pm.
Long-term Evolution of the East Greenland Landscape: From
Rifts to Glaciers
Friday 30 November 2012
Sunday 25 November 2012
New Units start this week !
Please note that some Rooms have changed since last week.
EG7517 (Air, water and land: science and policy)
Wednesday
1 - 3pm
Rooms E422 (lecture) and E217 (ONLY for those weeks that have a PC Lab)
EG7518 (The Sustainable City)
Wednesday
4 - 6pm
Room E317 (lecture)
The MSc coffee break is now always in room E402 (3 - 4pm)
Thanks
Mark
Please note that some Rooms have changed since last week.
EG7517 (Air, water and land: science and policy)
Wednesday
1 - 3pm
Rooms E422 (lecture) and E217 (ONLY for those weeks that have a PC Lab)
EG7518 (The Sustainable City)
Wednesday
4 - 6pm
Room E317 (lecture)
The MSc coffee break is now always in room E402 (3 - 4pm)
Thanks
Mark
Friday 16 November 2012
EGS Seminar – Tuesday 20th November 2012
Tuesday 20th November, Room E419, 4th floor, John Dalton East Building, from 1.00-2.00pm.
Toasting Plants: How Extreme Winter Warming Events May Reverse the Greening Of the Arctic
Gareth Phoenix, University of Sheffield
The Arctic is experiencing greatest warming in winter and a greater frequency of extreme climatic events, yet the impacts of winter climatic change and extreme events have been little studied. Of considerable concern are extreme winter warming events, during which temperatures increase rapidly causing snow-melt at landscape scales and subsequently exposing ecosystems to unseasonably warm temperatures. Following warming, ambient cold winter temperatures can return rapidly, exposing vegetation and soils to extreme cold due to the absence of the insulating snow layer. Here I’ll report on consistent findings from both a field simulation study and a natural event that show major damage to plant communities occurring at landscape scales resulting from extreme winter warming events. In summary, single week-long winter warming events (both simulated and naturally occurring) resulted in up to 20 times more shoot death in plants and reduced productivity and carbon sequestration. Using satellite date, the extent of damage from a natural event indicated a 26% reduction in NDVI (a proxy for leaf area) over an area of 1424 km2.
With increasing winter temperatures predicted along with a greater frequency of extreme climatic events, these findings suggest major consequences for the productivity and diversity of Arctic ecosystems. Critically, the damage from these winter events is opposite to the shrub expansion and greening of parts of the arctic currently attributed to summer warming. Given that the arctic is warming more in winter than summer, these impacts place a significant challenge in predicting the future of arctic vegetation in a warmer world.
Toasting Plants: How Extreme Winter Warming Events May Reverse the Greening Of the Arctic
Gareth Phoenix, University of Sheffield
The Arctic is experiencing greatest warming in winter and a greater frequency of extreme climatic events, yet the impacts of winter climatic change and extreme events have been little studied. Of considerable concern are extreme winter warming events, during which temperatures increase rapidly causing snow-melt at landscape scales and subsequently exposing ecosystems to unseasonably warm temperatures. Following warming, ambient cold winter temperatures can return rapidly, exposing vegetation and soils to extreme cold due to the absence of the insulating snow layer. Here I’ll report on consistent findings from both a field simulation study and a natural event that show major damage to plant communities occurring at landscape scales resulting from extreme winter warming events. In summary, single week-long winter warming events (both simulated and naturally occurring) resulted in up to 20 times more shoot death in plants and reduced productivity and carbon sequestration. Using satellite date, the extent of damage from a natural event indicated a 26% reduction in NDVI (a proxy for leaf area) over an area of 1424 km2.
With increasing winter temperatures predicted along with a greater frequency of extreme climatic events, these findings suggest major consequences for the productivity and diversity of Arctic ecosystems. Critically, the damage from these winter events is opposite to the shrub expansion and greening of parts of the arctic currently attributed to summer warming. Given that the arctic is warming more in winter than summer, these impacts place a significant challenge in predicting the future of arctic vegetation in a warmer world.
Tuesday 13 November 2012
3pm Coffee Hour VENUE CHANGE
Hi All,
Good news !
The EGS common room has now been emptied and we can use it...so the 3pm coffee break will now be in room E402....just 30 feet down the corridor from the 1-3pm lecture venue....so no need to walk down to the first floor.
I have a kettle...but we are getting a proper water boiler installed - and there will be brand new tables and comfortable chairs arriving in a few weeks time too.
Mark
p.s. PLEASE bring a mug for your coffee/tea
Good news !
The EGS common room has now been emptied and we can use it...so the 3pm coffee break will now be in room E402....just 30 feet down the corridor from the 1-3pm lecture venue....so no need to walk down to the first floor.
I have a kettle...but we are getting a proper water boiler installed - and there will be brand new tables and comfortable chairs arriving in a few weeks time too.
Mark
p.s. PLEASE bring a mug for your coffee/tea
Sunday 11 November 2012
EGS Seminar – Tuesday 13th November 2012
Tuesday 13th November,
Room E419, 4th floor, John Dalton East Building
from 1.00-2.00pm.
from 1.00-2.00pm.
Origin and Importance of Subglacial Basins
Simon Cook, MMU
Closed topographic basins are
common beneath modern glaciers and within deglaciated terrain. Deep basins are
produced by glacial erosion of rock and/or sediment and are known as
‘overdeepenings’. Subglacial basins have an important control on the routing of
water through glaciers, and on the mechanisms and dynamics of ice flow. It is
speculated that, in comparison to ice masses with no subglacial basins, those
with numerous or very large basins may respond vigorously to climatic changes.
In addition, processes of erosion and sediment transfer within overdeepenings
are poorly understood, but it is hypothesised that glacial sediment transfer
(i.e. sediment incorporated on/in the ice itself) will dominate over
glaciofluvial sediment evacuation (i.e. sediment carried within meltwater).
Understanding how sediment is exported from subglacial basins is fundamental to
assessing the depth of glacier-bed overdeepening. This in turn has important
implications for long-term burial of nuclear waste in regions where future
glaciations might excavate such waste through bed overdeepening.
Thursday 8 November 2012
ATTENTION: 2011-12 MSc Dissertation Students
To those of you (from earlier cohorts/years) who have either submitted your MSc dissertation and are awaiting your final result...or those who want confirmation of unit marks and/or resits....please read on......
The Tier 2 Board of Examiners meeting takes place on Monday 12th November. Results of awards/unit marks and resits will be compiled and then distributed by the Programme Office. You will be notified by post within 10-14 days.
PLEASE DO NOT ask your supervisor or any course tutors to divulge marks or final results. It is a serious DISCIPLINARY OFFENCE for any member of academic staff to pass on marks and results to students...so please don't send them emails begging for news or turn up expecting to be leaked information. You will all be notified at the same time via the proper channels. Staff who 'cave in' to students demanding results prematurely risk their jobs !
If your address has changed you must notify us - or your awards letter will go to the address we have on file. Any updates to your address should be sent directly to the EGS Programme Office (egsprog@mmu.ac.uk) and NOT tutors (or me).
Good luck
Mark.
The Tier 2 Board of Examiners meeting takes place on Monday 12th November. Results of awards/unit marks and resits will be compiled and then distributed by the Programme Office. You will be notified by post within 10-14 days.
PLEASE DO NOT ask your supervisor or any course tutors to divulge marks or final results. It is a serious DISCIPLINARY OFFENCE for any member of academic staff to pass on marks and results to students...so please don't send them emails begging for news or turn up expecting to be leaked information. You will all be notified at the same time via the proper channels. Staff who 'cave in' to students demanding results prematurely risk their jobs !
If your address has changed you must notify us - or your awards letter will go to the address we have on file. Any updates to your address should be sent directly to the EGS Programme Office (egsprog@mmu.ac.uk) and NOT tutors (or me).
Good luck
Mark.
Monday 5 November 2012
Coffee Break this week
Hi All,
As you may know, this week is 'activities week' for the undergraduates. This means many of us (staff) are involved in field trips, practicals and other activities. Sadly, because of my own duties - and those of Kosta, we will not be around for the 3pm coffee session this week. You are still welcome to meet at the usual venue - but without the witty and sparkling conversation that Kosta and myself usually provide.
Normal service will be resumed next week.
Thanks
Mark
As you may know, this week is 'activities week' for the undergraduates. This means many of us (staff) are involved in field trips, practicals and other activities. Sadly, because of my own duties - and those of Kosta, we will not be around for the 3pm coffee session this week. You are still welcome to meet at the usual venue - but without the witty and sparkling conversation that Kosta and myself usually provide.
Normal service will be resumed next week.
Thanks
Mark
Thursday 1 November 2012
FREE Sustainable Aviation Short Course
Hi everyone,
During the last week of November we will be holding the annual Sustainable Aviation Short Course in Room E0.05 next to the CATE Offices. You will see from the attached files* that we will be hosting a number of external speakers – all of whom are very good and spin a good story – Different perspectives of sustainable development as applied to the air transport industry.
*Attached Files:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uoe640hbd96aes8/5974%20Sustainable%20aviation%20V2%20%282%29.pdf
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y4zy1mwugts148s/PROGRAMME%20FINAL%20LANDSCAPE%202012%202013.docx
There are places available on the course. Anyone who would like to attend particular days of the short course should contact Tash n.campbell@mmu.ac.uk and register.
Best Regards
Callum
During the last week of November we will be holding the annual Sustainable Aviation Short Course in Room E0.05 next to the CATE Offices. You will see from the attached files* that we will be hosting a number of external speakers – all of whom are very good and spin a good story – Different perspectives of sustainable development as applied to the air transport industry.
*Attached Files:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uoe640hbd96aes8/5974%20Sustainable%20aviation%20V2%20%282%29.pdf
https://www.dropbox.com/s/y4zy1mwugts148s/PROGRAMME%20FINAL%20LANDSCAPE%202012%202013.docx
There are places available on the course. Anyone who would like to attend particular days of the short course should contact Tash n.campbell@mmu.ac.uk and register.
Best Regards
Callum
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