This course provides guides you through the functioning of planet Earth, from the distant past to the present. In this degree, carefully selected complementary modules from Physical Geography and Geology are structured to provide students with an understanding of Earth System functioning across a range of space-time scales. This includes knowledge of modern landscape processes, how insights from the modern world allow us to interpret the rock record (and vice-versa), and how the fossil record allows us to understand the patterns of life on Earth today. You will also investigate key contemporary processes and the challenges facing society today by studying topics like climate change, desertification, pollution and water quality. Studying both the past and present will enable you to reflect upon and tackle many of the environmental challenges facing the planet.