| Code | Faculty | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 02240074 | Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences | Department: Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology |
| Credits | Duration | NQF level |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum duration of study: 1 year | Total credits: 135 | NQF level: 08 |
Note: Additional modules may be required in order to reach the desired level of competency
Minimum credits: 135
Fundamental credits: 10
Core credits: 95
Elective credits : 30
Additional information:
Appropriate honours modules from the other disciplines in the Department or Faculty may be taken on approval by the Honours coordinator or Head of Department.
Module content:
The module introduces students to planning, research design, scientific reading, writing and presentation as required for meteorological research.
Module content:
Fundamentals of seasonal forecasting. The El Niño/Southern Oscillation. Empirical orthogonal functions. Canonical correlation analysis. Empirical forecast models practical. Sea-surface temperature models. Fully coupled and two-tiered general circulation modelling. Dynamical and empherical downscaling techniques. Significance testing using Monte Carlo techniques. Modelling pitfalls. User application forecasting. Projections of decadal and multi dacadal climate anomalies.
Module content:
Initial atmospheric state, observation network, data assimilation, initialization, parameterisation, post-processing. Ensemble methods, probability forecasting, forecast verification. Global circulation models, limited-area and mesoscale models, variable resolution models, dispersion models. Seamless prediction. Practical applications.
Module content:
Basic principles and characteristics of weather radar including doppler and dual-polarization radars. Weather radar equation. Interpretation of radar reflectivity and velocity data. Introduction to mesoscale meteorology. Surface mesoscale features, atmospheric instability and severe storm classification. Analysis of convective storms and associated hazards.
Module content:
Concepts related to climate and climate change. Definitions, classification and factors influencing climate. Causes and impacts of climate change. Perceptions of climate change and climate change communication. Basic principles of climate modelling.
Module content:
Introduction to the philosophy of scientific research. Hypothesis testing. Reporting of scientific research. Identification of an appropriate research project. Compilation of a research proposal. Literature survey. Acquisition and manipulation of information. Introduction to innovative strategy and research management. Preparation of a research report (or paper). Presentation of research findings.
Module content:
The principles of experimental design as required for the selection of an appropriate research design. Identification of the design limitations and the impact thereof on the research hypotheses and the statistical methods. Identification and application of the appropriate statistical methods needed. Interpreting of statistical results and translating these results to the biological context.
Module content:
The aim of this module is to understand the principles and processes behind environmental assessments. The module will give an overview of the history of assessments, compare assessment processes internationally, evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches, provide an overview of the South African regulatory context and the environmental authorisation process.
Module content:
A self-study module on an aspect or aspects of geographical or environmental science selected in consultation with the head of the department from: (a) themes not covered in existing options; or (b) educational subjects.
Module content:
The module provides a critical review of the structures and paradigms in which the geographical and environmental sciences are practised. Particular reference is made to the development and impact of paradigms and the interdependence of systems within space and time.
Module content:
This module focuses on processes and applications of geomorphology. Topics that may be studied include: soil erosion and conservation, weathering, geomorphic response to environmental change, slope processes and geomorphological hazards. The module includes practical fieldwork and field assessments.
Module content:
The main themes of the module include: overview of global urbanisation theories and processes; urban morphology and change; the administrative structure and functions of African cities and; the quality of urban life in the developing world.
Module content:
Study themes include past environmental change, causes and consequences of human-induced environmental change and South Africa and climate change.
Module content:
Advanced topics in geospatial data management, such as data quality, data acquisition and management, standards, spatial data infrastructure (SDI) and legislation.
Module content:
A special topic in Geoinformatics linked to research specialisation in the department and/or visiting lecturers. For example, research trends and advances in a specific topic or field of specialisation in Geoinformatics.The module is presented in the form of guided advanced readings, seminars and/or discussion sessions.
Module content:
Advanced topics in GIS application, such as principal component analysis, multi-criteria evaluation and other geospatial analysis methods, and their application relating to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Module content:
Advanced topics in spatial databases, such as computational geometry, spatial data indexing and query processing, and using the web and mobile technologies for accessing, delivering and presenting geospatial data and services.
Module content:
The aim of the module is to provide knowledge and understanding of image analysis and information extraction methods in remote sensing. The emphasis is on equipping students with knowledge and skills necessary to process imagery to extract diverse biophysical and geospatial information. The course gives insight into the possibilities and limitations of the application of modern remote sensing/image acquisition systems for Earth and atmosphere research purposes at different levels of detail.
Module content:
Atmospheric oscillations: Linear perturbation theory (shallow water gravity waves, inertia gravity waves, Rossby waves). Baroclinic instability. Two-layer model. Energetics of Baroclinic waves. Zonally averaged circulation. Angular momentum budget. Lorenz energy cycle. Programming in metereology.
Module content:
Introduction to, and the importance of the boundary layer. Structure of the boundary layer. Transfer of heat (molecular and turbulent). Impacts of the turbulent nature of the boundary layer on the dynamics of atmospheric motions. Closure and boundary layer parameterisation. Applications to air pollution dispersion.
Module content:
Use physical and dynamical reasoning to explain the formation, evolution, and characteristics of synoptic-scale weather systems in the sub-tropics, and assess the limitations of theories and conceptual models concerning these weather systems. Use real-time or historic data, including satellite and radar data, to prepare analyses and basic forecasts. Communicate user-specific weather forecasts.
Module content:
Tropospheric atmospheric composition in southern Africa, with a particular focus on air quality. Specific topics are: air pollution and atmospheric chemistry; linkages between meteorology and air pollution; impacts of air pollution on health and ecosystems; links of atmospheric composition to biogeochemical processes. Modelling and measuring atmospheric composition. Linkages between air pollution and climate change.
Module content:
Scaling and interpretation of equations of motion for mesoscale processes. The role of stability and other trigger actions on initial cloud formation and the evolution of clouds. Shallow and deep convective processes. Tropical and mid-latitude cloud generation processes and characteristics. Cloud splitting. Parameterisation of radiation and heat in atmospheric models. Microphysics parameterisations in numerical models.
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