NIGK17006U Introduction to Arctic Geoscience

Volume 2017/2018
Content

The target group is students who have to work in an Arctic country or areas with arctic conditions - or just have a general interest in the area. This course is aimed at students with no prior knowledge of the Arctic region, at an introductory level that should be useful for students from Biology, as well as Geography-Geoscience, Geology-GeoScience, Biology-Biotechnology, Natural Resources, Anthropology, Archaeology and Political Science.

The topics of the course are based on the scientific research carried out at Geocenter Copenhagen and will focus on the changing climate and its effect on sensitive areas such as the Arctic. This course will help you understand what is happening in the Arctic both in the past, present and in the future. The course covers a wide range of topics within geosciences such as climatology, glaciology, geomorphology, ecology and biogeochemical cycles to provide a better understanding of the changes occurring in the Arctic and potential feedbacks to the global climate.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

Basic terminology of geomorphic, cryospheric, and sedimentological processes and their linkages in an Arctic ecosystem.

Potentials and limitations of the various abiotic processes in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

 

Skills:

At the end of the course, the student is expected to be able to:

Evaluate the effects of climate change on various terrestrial and aquatic processes.

Account for the changes in arctic climate in past, present and future.

Structure a written assignment displaying an understanding of the scientific background for a climate related problem.

 

Competences:

Analyze, assess and apply results, methods, theory and data in connection with Arctic Geoscience in a changing climate.

Identify the potentials and limitations of the various processes in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Be able to apply the relevant scientific terminologies correctly

Present the results of an analysis or exercise in a well-structured, logical, coherent and scientifically correct form.

Provide qualified contributions to discussions on various processes in Arctic ecosystems.

See Absalon for a list of course literature.

Teaching and learning is research-based, and will highlight areas, which the academic staff, their collaborators, and the professionals, are actively engaged in. The form of teaching is theory exercises combined with ad hoc lectures.
This course is part of the arctic coursework at UCPH. See more at arctic.ku.dk.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 30
  • Preparation
  • 161
  • Theory exercises
  • 15
  • Total
  • 206
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, Ongoing preparation throughout the course
Oral examination, 20 minutes
The written assignment is prepared during the course and must be handed in prior to the exam week. The oral exam uses the written assignment as its point of departure. It includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list. The part-examinations are not weighted and a combined grade is given after the oral exam.
Aid
Without aids
Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners.
Re-exam
 

Identical to ordinary exam.

The student has the following options:

Is the quality of the written assignment not acceptable, the student can choose to either hand in a new or revised report.

Is the quality of the written assignment acceptable, the student can choose to either hand in a revised report or resubmit the original report from the ordinary exam.

The written assignment must be handed in prior to the re-examination week. The oral exam uses the written assignment as its point of departure. It includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list.

Criteria for exam assesment

Please see learning outcome.