This subject covers the landscape and climate history of the earth, emphasising the changes that have occurred in Australia and highlighting the last 2 million years. The causes and effects of climate change are discussed, with detailed consideration of current climate change due to rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. The landscape is shaped by both surface processes (rivers, waves and wind) and tectonic influences (volcanoes and earthquakes), and these are discussed along with the fundamental concepts of weathering, stratigraphy, deposition and erosion. The subject also deals with the impacts of climate and landscape change on the evolution of vegetated landscapes across the globe, in particular the role of fire in shaping major ecosystems of the Australian continent and how Aboriginals affected the megafauna and forests. The excursion integrates different aspects of the lecture material to develop a landscape, climate and vegetation history of the Geelong region.
