Develop a greater appreciation for how the air, water, land, and life formed and have interacted over the last 4.5 billion years.
Our Earth: Its Climate, History, and Processes
Offered By
University of Manchester
Syllabus - What you will learn from this course
Week
1Building Blocks of Earth’s Climate System
15 videos (Total 98 min), 7 readings, 1 quiz
15 videos
Video 1.0: Introduction and Philosophy7m
Video 1.1: How does science work?6m
Optional Video: How do scientific papers get published?10m
Video 1.2: Introduction to the Earth's climate system8m
Video 1.3: How do we measure geologic time?9m
Video 1.4: Geological Time Scale Song2m
Video 1.5: Minerals and Rocks2m
Video 1.5.1: Igneous Rock3m
Video 1.5.2: Sedimentary Rock6m
Video 1.5.3: Metamorphic Rock5m
Video 1.6: Using radioactivity to date rocks - Dr. Ray Burgess7m
Video 1.7: Using stable isotopes to understand Earth processes - Dr. Ray Burgess6m
Video 1.8: How do we know how old the Earth is?5m
Video 1.9: What are those rocks doing lying around?10m
7 readings
Course Guide10m
Grading & Logistics10m
Building Blocks of Earth’s Climate System10m
Google Earth Tour 110m
Activity 1: Introduction10m
Eloquent Science10m
Our Earth 001 Course Book10m
1 practice exercise
Assessment 120m
Week
2Formation, evolution, and processes of the solid Earth
14 videos (Total 107 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
14 videos
Video 2.1.2: Why is the Moon important to life on earth? - Dr. Katherine Joy 3m
Video 2.2: What came before plate tectonics?5m
Video 2.3: How did plate tectonics get discovered?6m
Video 2.4.1: The Earth's magnetic field7m
Video 2.4.2: The magnetic poles flip? You're kidding me, right?6m
Video 2.5: How earthquakes happen14m
Video 2.6.1: What's inside the Earth?6m
Video 2.6.2: How do we know about the insides of the Earth?6m
Video 2.7: How do the plates move?3m
Video 2.8: How does magma form?11m
Video 2.9: How were the Himalaya formed?7m
Video 2.10: Supercontinent Pangaea9m
Video 2.11: The supercontinent cycle4m
2 readings
Formation, evolution, and processes of the solid Earth10m
Google Earth Tour 2 and 310m
1 practice exercise
Assessment 220m
Week
3Water in Earth’s Climate System: Oceans, Atmosphere, and Cryosphere
14 videos (Total 124 min), 5 readings, 1 quiz
14 videos
Video 3.1.2: Are the Oceans in Steady State?13m
Video 3.2.1: How the oceans work - Dr. Gregory Lane-Serff9m
Video 3.2.2: The oceanic conveyor belt - Dr. Gregory Lane-Serff12m
Video 3.3.1: What is the Atmosphere Made Of?6m
Video 3.3.2: What Controls the Temperature Profile of the Atmosphere?5m
Video 3.3.3: Three Radiation Laws4m
Video 3.3.4: What if the Earth had no Atmosphere?7m
Video 3.4.1: How does the Atmosphere Work?9m
Video 3.4.2: How do the Jet Streams Control the Weather?7m
Video 3.5: Extratropical cyclones8m
Video 3.6: The Rise and Fall of Ice on Earth12m
Video 3.7: How do Glaciers Control the Height of Mountains? – Dr. Simon Brocklehurst10m
Video 3.8: Why the Arctic is Crucial to Earth's Climate - Dr. Bart Van Dongen and Dr. Robert Sparks 7m
5 readings
Water in Earth’s Climate System: Oceans, Atmosphere, and Cryosphere10m
Google Earth Tour 410m
Activity 2: Further Exploration10m
The Thinking Persons’ Guide to Climate Change10m
The shaping of storm tracks by mountains and ocean dynamics10m
1 practice exercise
Assessment 320m
Week
4Life, and its Effect on Earth’s Climate System
17 videos (Total 116 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz
17 videos
Video 4.3.1 The Formation of Organic Molecules and the Tree of Life13m
Video 4.1: The Earth's primitive atmosphere10m
Video 4.2: Fossils6m
Video 4.4.1: Welcome to The Manchester Museum - Prof. Phil Manning54s
Video 4.4.2: Apex Chert and Stromatolites - Prof. Phil Manning 3m
Video 4.4.3: Ediacaran Fauna - Prof. Phil Manning 5m
Video 4.5.1: How Oxygen Changed the Earth Forever11m
Video 4.5.2: The Arrival of Multicellular Life and the Cambrian Explosion11m
Video 4.6.1: How Plants and Animals Came Onshore - Dr. Victoria Egerton7m
Video 4.6.2: Colonization of Land3m
Video 4.7.1: Devonian: From Fish to Tetrapod - Prof. Phil Manning7m
Video 4.7.2: Carboniferous - Prof. Phil Manning2m
Video 4.7.3: Jurassic Coast - Prof. Phil Manning3m
Video 4.7.4: Dinosaurs - Prof. Phil Manning 4m
Video 4.7.5: Chemical Fossils - Prof. Phil Manning 4m
Video 4.8: Controls on Life on Earth: Mass Extinctions12m
2 readings
Life, and its Effect on Earth’s Climate System10m
Google Earth Tour 510m
1 practice exercise
Assessment 420m
4.6
28 Reviews75%
got a tangible career benefit from this course
50%
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Top Reviews
By SS•Mar 22nd 2018
It was a really nice, and interesting course, which will definitely help me in my career. Thanks University of Manchester!
By JQ•Dec 6th 2017
A great course with some interesting and educational concepts. I really enjoyed this course. Thanks so much.
Instructors
Prof. David M. Schultz
Professor of Synoptic MeteorologySchool of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
Dr Rochelle Taylor
Postdoctoral Research AssociateSchool of Earth, Atmospheric & Environmental Sciences
Dr Jonathan Fairman
Postdoctoral Research AssociateSchool of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences
About University of Manchester
Tracing its roots back to 1824, the University of Manchester is home to almost 40,000 students. The University has three Nobel laureates among its current staff – more than any other British university - and a total of 25 Nobel laureates have come from our past and present students and staff. We have three main goals: to undertake world-class research; to deliver an outstanding learning and student experience; and to be socially responsible.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
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Is financial aid available?
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