Students

ENVS3102 – Urban Climate and Air Quality

2025 – Session 1, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Raelene Sheppard
raelene.sheppard@mq.edu.au
By appointment
Lecturer
Vladimir Strezov
vladimir.strezov@mq.edu.au
By appointment
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above including ENVS1017
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

More than half of the world's population lives in urban areas, and virtually all countries are becoming increasingly urbanised. Australia is one of the most urbanised countries in the world, with about 90% of our pollution living in urban areas. For these reasons, urban climate and air quality are extremely important, directly influencing the health and wellbeing of billions of people around the world. This unit explores urban climate and air quality through detailed study of interactions between the atmosphere and the Earth's surface in the relatively thin veneer of air that we live in known as the planetary boundary layer. The unit will be of interest to all students in science and engineering and more generally any student with an interest in the environment, and provides knowledge and skills that will be of value for a range of careers and employers, ranging from environmental consultancy and local and state government, to private industry.

Learning in this unit enhances student understanding of global challenges identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) Good Health and Well Being; Sustainable Cities and Communities; Climate Action

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: describe urban climate and air quality, including the physical, chemical and biological processes operating to produce or change the state of the urban atmosphere.
  • ULO2: demonstrate knowledge and conceptual understanding of the dispersive capabilities of the atmospheric environment near the surface of the earth, how pollutants emitted into the atmospheric environment move and interact with the surface.
  • ULO3: examine and integrate scientific information from various primary and secondary sources.
  • ULO4: apply practical knowledge to undertake analysis of climate and air quality data.
  • ULO5: demonstrate practical laboratory and field based skills associated with typical measurement problems in the field of climate science.

General Assessment Information

Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must achieve a total mark equal to or greater than 50%.

We strongly encourage all students to actively participate in all learning activities. Regular engagement is crucial for your success in this unit, as these activities provide opportunities to deepen your understanding of the material, collaborate with peers, and receive valuable feedback from instructors, to assist in completing the unit assessments. Your active participation not only enhances your own learning experience but also contributes to a vibrant and dynamic learning environment for everyone.

Assessment Criteria

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria, and these criteria (e.g. in a rubric) will be made available when the assessment tasks are released to you on iLearn. 

Submission of Assessments

All assessments must be submitted online through Turnitin unless otherwise indicated. Links for the submission of each assessment will be provided on iLearn. Please do not submit your assessments via email or in hard copy.

Marking of Assessments

Written assessments will be marked through Turnitin with marks and feedback provided through GradeMark. All assessment grades will be available in Gradebook on iLearn.

We aim to return your assessment grades and feedback within three weeks of the assessment due date and before the next assignment is due. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn when your marks and feedback are available for viewing.

Late Assessment Submission Penalty 

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.

For any late submission of time-sensitive tasks, such as scheduled tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, and/or scheduled practical assessments/labs, please apply for Special Consideration. 

Assessments where Late Submissions will be accepted:

Literature review – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

Scientific report – YES, Standard Late Penalty applies

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through https://connect.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Scientific report 20% No 11:55pm Sunday 27th April
Quizzes 60% No In Practical class Weeks 4, 7, 10 and 12
Literature review 20% No 11:55pm Sunday 8th June

Scientific report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: 11:55pm Sunday 27th April
Weighting: 20%

 

Scientific report of urban climate and air quality topic.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe urban climate and air quality, including the physical, chemical and biological processes operating to produce or change the state of the urban atmosphere.
  • apply practical knowledge to undertake analysis of climate and air quality data.

Quizzes

Assessment Type 1: Quiz/Test
Indicative Time on Task 2: 20 hours
Due: In Practical class Weeks 4, 7, 10 and 12
Weighting: 60%

 

Four quizzes throughout the session.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe urban climate and air quality, including the physical, chemical and biological processes operating to produce or change the state of the urban atmosphere.
  • demonstrate knowledge and conceptual understanding of the dispersive capabilities of the atmospheric environment near the surface of the earth, how pollutants emitted into the atmospheric environment move and interact with the surface.
  • examine and integrate scientific information from various primary and secondary sources.
  • apply practical knowledge to undertake analysis of climate and air quality data.
  • demonstrate practical laboratory and field based skills associated with typical measurement problems in the field of climate science.

Literature review

Assessment Type 1: Literature review
Indicative Time on Task 2: 19 hours
Due: 11:55pm Sunday 8th June
Weighting: 20%

 

Literature review of urban climate and air quality topic.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • describe urban climate and air quality, including the physical, chemical and biological processes operating to produce or change the state of the urban atmosphere.
  • examine and integrate scientific information from various primary and secondary sources.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors can either be placed on the iLearn discussion board or sent to ENVS3102@mq.edu.au from your university email address.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Changes from Previous Offering

We value student feedback to be able to continually improve the way we offer our units. As such we encourage students to provide constructive feedback via student surveys, to the teaching staff directly, or via the FSE Student Experience & Feedback link in the iLearn page

Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook