Australia is a country defined by dramatic extremes – our highly variable climate influences virtually every aspect of our lives. So what makes Australia the ‘land of drought and flooding rains’? What are the factors that influenced major bushfires, floods and droughts that have shaped Australian society? How is climate change influencing Australian climate variability and extremes? In this course we provide a foundation for understanding Australian weather, climate and bushfire science. It is designed to lead students into advanced third year courses in climatology, climate change, bushfire science, water resource management and climate change policy. It is also provides a multidisciplinary understanding of climate and bushfire science for students pursuing ecology, environmental science, natural resource management, or sustainability studies.
This course is co-taught with the undergraduate version but is assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Interpret, describe and explain the physical processes that drive weather, climate and bushfire in Australia
- Explain and analyse real-world data to characterise bushfire, flood and drought conditions
- Proficiency in analysing how weather, climate and bushfires vary in location, scale and complexity
- Reflect upon and explain how weather, climate and bushfire extremes are considered in decision making
- Apply multidisciplinary thinking to course topics to understand contemporary challenges
- Reflect upon, synthesise and explain learning outcomes 1-5 from a broad scale, to specific topics/events
Other Information
A laptop is required for each Practical class. Please see the course convenors prior to Week 2 if this will be an issue.
If you do not meet the requisites for this course, it may be possible to receive a permission code. If you are prompted for a permission code on ISIS, please request one online via the following form.
Indicative Assessment
- Climate variability and change essay (1500 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Practical review quiz (covering Weeks 2–6) Multiple choice (10) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Bushfire Behaviour Prediction Report (1500 words) (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
- Graduate research student oral presentation (30) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6]
In response to COVID-19: Please note that Semester 2 Class Summary information (available under the classes tab) is as up to date as possible. Changes to Class Summaries not captured by this publication will be available to enrolled students via Wattle.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the semester including:
- Face-to face component which may consist of 3 x 1 hour lecture per week plus 1 x 2 hour practical.
- Approximately 72 hours of self-study which will include preparation for lectures, presentations and other assessment tasks.
Students are expected to actively participate and contribute towards discussions.
Inherent Requirements
To be determined
Requisite and Incompatibility
Prescribed Texts
The course electronic reading list will be provided at the commencement of semester.
Preliminary Reading
The course electronic reading list will be provided at the commencement of semester.
Specialisations
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $4050 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $5760 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3955 | 24 Feb 2020 | 02 Mar 2020 | 08 May 2020 | 05 Jun 2020 | In Person | View |