Environmental Systems (GEOS2100)

Course overview

Environmental Systems will develop your understanding of the physical environment by focusing on climatic, hydrologic, and geomorphic systems using examples from Australia and internationally. The course starts by exploring global atmospheric circulation and the main weather systems that impact Australia. This knowledge provides context to the subsequent course modules on geomorphic systems in hot and cold climates, the movement of water through the landscape, and coastal processes. The course provides students with knowledge essential for future study of weather and climate, hydrology, and coastal processes. 

The study of climatic, hydrologic and geomorphic systems including coastal that shape the Earth's surface and impact all human activities. Formal lectures are accompanied by practicals designed to introduce students to contemporary field and laboratory measurement techniques that are used extensively in the monitoring and interpretation of Earth surface processes and landforms.

The course provides a foundation for advanced studies of the physical environment (eg. GEOS2101 Climatology & Hydrology; GEOS2103 Geomorphology & Biogeography, ﾠMeteorology which at third year is taught via the research courses SCIE3121/3122) and the physical basis of environmental and resource management (eg.ﾠENVM2200 Resource Management & Environmental Planning; ENVM3200 Coastal Processes & Management; ENVM3201 Catchment Processes and Management).

The prerequisite for this course is GEOS1100 or ERTH1000. If you decide to enrol in GEOS2100 without having successfully competed GEOS1100 or a similar course confirmed as suitable background by the course coordinator, then you may struggle with the course content and its assessment.

Course requirements

Assumed background

Students are assumed to have successfully completed GEOS1100 or similar as determined by the course coordinator before enrolling in this course.

Prerequisites

You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:

GEOS1100

Course contact

Course staff

Timetable

The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.

Additional timetable information

GEOS2100 is taught both by formal lectures and lab/field-based practicals. A field trip may be offered in early May 2025 if minimum enrolments in the course are reached for this activity to proceed.

Attending lectures in person is strongly recommended. There is no absolute guarantee that all lecture recordings will be successful.ﾠ

Aims and outcomes

SCOPE AND PURPOSE OF THE COURSE:

The study of global climate and biogeophysical systems including earth surface processes and landforms. The course provides an introduction to:

i. the principal features of major climatic zones and weather systems of the Australian region; and

ii. landforms and hydrological and geomorphic processes in different settings from topical humid to arid desert regions; and

iii. the relationship of these systems to biota and their spatial patterns.

Learning outcomes

After successfully completing this course you should be able to:

Assessment

Assessment summary

A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.

Assessment details

Practical Program

• In-person

Mode

Activity/ Performance, Written

Category

Practical/ Demonstration

Due date

Students are required to participate in minimum 7 of the 9 scheduled practicals.

Other conditions

Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L05, L07, L08, L09, L10, L12, L13

Task description

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.

Extensions or deferrals are not applicable to this item. The Practical Program allows students to select 7 from 9 practicals to complete if unable to attend every session.

Essay

Mode

Written

Category

Essay/ Critique

Weight

25%

Due date

17/04/2025 2:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific, Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L04, L05, L07, L11, L12, L13

Task description

Submission guidelines

Via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period).

Literature Review (Non field participants)

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation

Weight

25%

Due date

29/05/2025 2:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific, Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L04, L05, L07, L11, L12, L13

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period).

Field Report (Field trip participants only)

Mode

Written

Category

Paper/ Report/ Annotation, Participation/ Student contribution, Practical/ Demonstration

Weight

25%

Due date

29/05/2025 2:00 pm

Other conditions

Student specific.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10, L11, L12, L13

Task description

Submission guidelines

Submit via Turnitin on the course Blackboard site.

Deferral or extension

You may be able to apply for an extension.

The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications

Late submission

A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.

You are required to submit assessable items on time. If you fail to meet the submission deadline for any assessment item, then 10% of the maximum possible mark for the assessment item (assessment ‘marked from’ value) will be deducted as a late penalty for every day (or part day) late after the due date. For example, if you submit your assignment 1 hour late, you will be penalised 10%; if your assignment is 24.5 hours late, you will be penalised 20% (because it is late by one 24-hour period plus part of another 24-hour period).

Examination

• Hurdle

Mode

Written

Category

Examination

Weight

50%

Due date

End of Semester Exam Period

7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025

Other conditions

Student specific, Time limited.

See the conditions definitions

Learning outcomes

L01, L04, L05, L07, L11, L12, L13

Task description

Hurdle requirements

Exam details

Submission guidelines

Deferral or extension

You may be able to defer this exam.

See the Additional assessment information section further below for information relating to extension and deferral applications.

Course grading

Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.

Additional course grading information

Students must obtain at least 45% of the marks on the final exam to pass this course. Additionally, in order to achieve a grade of 5 or above students must attend and complete a minimum of 7 of 9 laboratory/practical sessions.

Supplementary assessment

Supplementary assessment is available for this course.

Should you fail a course with a grade of 3, you may be eligible for supplementary assessment. Refer to my.UQ for information on supplementary assessment and how to apply.

Supplementary assessment provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate you have achieved all the required learning outcomes for a course.

If you apply and are granted supplementary assessment, the type of supplementary assessment set will consider which learning outcome(s) have not been met.

Supplementary assessment can take any form (such as a written report, oral presentation, examination or other appropriate assessment) and may test specific learning outcomes tailored to the individual student, or all learning outcomes.

To receive a passing grade of 3S4, you must obtain a mark of 50% or more on the supplementary assessment.

Additional assessment information

The assessment tasks in this course evaluate students’ abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Students are advised that the use of AI technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.

Assessment Submission

It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the on time, correct and complete submission of all assessment items.

Please ensure you receive and save the submission confirmation for all submitted items, you may be asked to produce this as evidence of your submission.

Turnitin

All written assessment must be submitted via the appropriate Turnitin submission portal, which can be found within the Blackboard site. You are responsible for ensuring that your submission is complete. It is wise to re-enter the Turnitin portal and confirm that your submission is there and that it has not been altered during the submission process.

By submitting work through Turnitin you are deemed to have accepted the following declaration “I certify that this assignment is my own work and has not been submitted, either previously or concurrently, in whole or in part, to this University or any other educational institution, for marking or assessment”.

In the case of a Blackboard outage, please contact the Course Coordinator as soon as possible to confirm the outage with ITS.

Assessment/Attendance

Please notify your Course Coordinator as soon as you become aware of any issue that may affect your ability to meet the assessment/attendance requirements of the course. The ﾠmy.UQﾠ website and the Electronic Course Profile (ECP) for your course also provide information about your course requirements, the rules associated with your courses and services offered by the University.

A note for repeating students in this course

Any student who enrols in a course must not be given exemption or partial credit from their previous attempt(s) for any individual piece of assessment.ﾠInstead, the student must successfully complete all of the learning activities and assessment items within the study period of enrolment (PPL Assessment - Procedures).

If the same assessment item is set from one year to the next, repeating students are allowed to submit the same work they submitted in previous attempts at the course. Where possible SENV recommends that you use the feedback you received in your last attempt to improve parts of the item where you lost marks. Resubmission of an altered or unaltered assessment item by a repeating student (where the same assessment has been set) will not be considered as self-plagiarism.

Applications for Extensions to Assessment Due Dates

Extension requests are submitted online via my.UQ – applying for an extension. Extension requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with extension requests, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons, may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Requests for an extension to an assessment due date must be submitted through your my.UQ portal and you must provide documentation of your circumstances, as soon as it becomes evident that an extension is needed. Your application must be submitted on or before the assessment item's due date and time.
• Applications for extension can take time to be processed so you should continue to work on your assessment item while awaiting a decision. We recommend that you submit any completed work by the due date, and this will be marked if your application is not approved. Should your application be approved, then you will be able to resubmit by the agreed revised due date.
• If an extension is approved, you will be notified via your my.UQ portal and the new date and time for submission provided. It is important that you check the revised date as it may differ from the date that you requested.
• If the basis of the application is a medical condition, applications should be accompanied by a medical certificate dated prior to the assignment due date. If you are unable to provide documentation to support your application by the due date and time you must still submit your application on time and attach a written statement (Word document) outlining why you cannot provide the documentation. You must then upload the documentation to the portal within 24 hours.
• If an extension is being sought on the basis of exceptional circumstances, it must be accompanied by supporting documentation (eg. Statutory declaration).
• For extensions based on a SAP you may be granted a maximum of 7 days (if no earlier maximum timeframe applies). See the Extension or Deferral availability section of each assessment for timeframes. Your SAP is all that is required as documentation to support your application. However, additional extension requests for the assessment item will require the submission of additional supporting documentation e.g., a medical certificate. All extension requests must be received by the assessment due date and time.
• An extension for an assessment item due within the teaching period in which the course is offered, must not exceed four weeks in total. If you are incapacitated for a period exceeding four weeks of the teaching period, you are advised to apply for Removal of Course.
• If you have been ill or unable to attend class for more than 4 weeks, you are advised to carefully consider whether you are capable of successfully completing your courses this semester. You might be eligible to withdraw without academic penalty - seek advice from the Faculty that administers your program.
• Students may be asked to submit evidence of work completed to date. Lack of adequate progress on your assessment item may result in an extension being denied.
• There are no provisions for exemption from an assessment item within UQ rules. If you are unable to submit an assessment piece then, under special circumstances, you may be granted an exemption, but may be required to submit alternative assessment to ensure all learning outcomes are met.

Applications to defer an exam

In certain circumstances you can apply to take a deferred examination for in-semester and end-of-semester exams. You'll need to demonstrate through supporting documentation how unavoidable circumstances prevented you from sitting your exam. If you can’t, you can apply for a one-off discretionary deferred exam.

Deferred Exam requests are submitted online via mySi-net. Requests received in any other way will not be approved. Additional details associated with deferred examinations, including acceptable and unacceptable reasons may be found at my.UQ.

Please note:

• Applications can be submitted no later than 5 calendar days after the date of the original exam.
• There are no provisions to defer a deferred exam. You need to be available to sit your deferred examination.
• Your deferred examination request(s) must have a status of "submitted" in mySI-net to be assessed.
• All applications for deferred in-semester examinations are assessed by the relevant school. Applications for deferred end-of-semester examinations are assessed by the Academic Services Division.
• You’ll receive an email to your student email account when the status of your application is updated.
• If you have a medical condition, mental health condition or disability and require alternative arrangements for your deferred exam you’ll need to complete the online alternative exam arrangements through my.UQ. This is in addition to your deferred examinations request. You need to submit this request on the same day as your request for a deferred exam or supplementary assessment. Contact Student Services if you need assistance completing your alternative exam arrangements request.

Learning resources

You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.

Library resources

Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.

Additional learning resources information

Lecture notes will be provided via the GEOS2100 Blackboard site and Echo 360 in addition to updates on course activities and resources including the delivery of GEOS2100 practicals. In 2025, LearnX additions to practicals are designed to provide an opportunity for students to better prepare for practicals before they commence. All students are strongly encouraged to attend all lectures. If you decide not to attend lectures, then this will most likely result in less favourable learning outcomes. Staff may also decide NOT to record lectures if attendance at lectures declines to an unacceptable level - consider yourself informed.

Additional costs

Learning activities

The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.

Policies and procedures

University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:

• Student Code of Conduct Policy
• Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
• Assessment Procedure
• Examinations Procedure
• Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure

Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.