NIGB21018U Quantitative Problem-Solving in Geosciences

Volume 2025/2026
Education

BSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience

Content

The course begins by refreshing some important quantitative tools (e.g., derivatives, integrals, regression, etc.) and focuses for the most part on quantitative problem-solving in the context of various geoscientific topics. These include crustal isostasy, fluid flow dynamics, Earth and planetary gravity fields, seismicity, plate tectonics, radioactive decay, ocean biogeochemical dynamics, coastal erosion, etc.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Crustal isostasy.
  • Planetary gravitation.
  • Seismicity and plate motions.
  • Radioactive decay.
  • Fluid dynamics.

 

Skills:

  • Pose and handle quantitative problems related to the geoscientific topics above.
  • Learn to set up quantitative problems in order to i) make geoscientific inferences from quantitative data and ii) obtain theoretical results that can be applied to other problems of geoscientific interest.

 

Competences:

This course aims at enabling students to understand the ways in which a problem of geoscientific interest can be set up quantitatively and solved using various mathematical tools. This aims at enabling students to gain confidence in setting up larger quantitative problems through the use of computers, while keeping control of the quantitative aspects involved. The course also provides a quantitative context in which many of the geological processes already seen, or to be seen, in other courses occur.

See Absalon

It is recommended that students are familiar with the geoscientific topics covered in blocks 1-2 of the first year of the BSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience (Planet Earth, Grundvand og rumlig data, Palæontologi, Mineralogi).
Class lectures, class exercises, homework assignments.
Since the exam format is a 4-hr written assignment, this course features a 3-hr trial-exam and feedback to students around the half-course point.
This course contains elements that fall into the categories of Quantitative methods, Statistics.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Lectures
  • 21
  • Preparation
  • 160
  • Theory exercises
  • 21
  • Exam
  • 4
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Collective
Continuous feedback during the course of the semester

Continuous feedback is provided to students during the course - this is based primarily on the exercise sessions, and is done in the form of a collective feedback to the group of students during class time, as well as individual feedback during meetings for questions.

Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
On-site written exam, 4 hours under invigilation
Aid
Only certain aids allowed (see description below)

Calculator

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Re-exam

Same as the ordinary exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome