Entry requirements

Dynamic Geosystems, 10 credits, or Climate Variations, 5 credits. Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6.

Learning outcomes

On completion of the course, the student should be able to:

• explain the basic physical principles in glaciology and glacial geology
• assess the impact of climate on glacier mass balance, movement and extent through indirect and direct feedback mechanisms
• draw conclusions about how today's glaciers in various regions are affected and will be affected by climate variability and its impact on future sea level changes
• apply glaciological hypotheses on the intreaction with the geosphere and the processes that mobilize, transport and deposit sediment and form the glacial landscape
• explain and examine glaciological methods that used in research today

Content

The course will review different topics within glaciology and glacial geology, such as glacial mass balance and energy balance, glacial mechanics and dynamics, glacial hydrology, glacial thermodynamics and temperature distribution, external and internal feedback mechanisms between glaciers and the surrounding environment, the effects of climate change and resulting sea level changes, ice cores as climate archives and climate history through the last glacial period, conditions for the existence and change of inland glaciers over time, glacial landforms and landform processes, glaciological methods and current issues.

Instruction

Teaching is conducted in the form of lectures, seminars, computer exercises and project work. Attendance in seminars, computer exercises and project work is obligatory.

Assessment

The course is graded based on a written examination (7 credits), exercises and seminars (5 credits), and project work (3 credits).

If there are special reasons for doing so, an examiner may make an exception from the method of assessment indicated and allow a student to be assessed by another method. An example of special reasons might be a certificate regarding special pedagogical support from the disability coordinator of the university.