NIGB21013U Marine Geology: Microplastic Fate, High-Resolution Seismics and Archaeology

Volume 2024/2025
Education

BSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience

Content

In this course, students will have the opportunity to develop and carry out a marine geoscience-based project under guidance of course coordinators. Through individual and group projects, students will be able to i.e., explore marine sedimentary and depositional processes, marine transport processes and morphodynamics in shallow and deep water, the biogeochemistry of the marine environment, palaeoceanography, and climate relations, while developing skills in a suite of marine research methods.

An important element of this interdisciplinary course is ship-based marine geoscientific field studies where students try basic as well as more advanced instrumentation, field measurements and data processing techniques. Ship-based work will be core sampling and acquiring of high resolution seismic data (e.g. Sparker or Chirp III). Ship-based measurements will be one day sailing in inner Danish water either on a research vessel or a Zodiac with the instrumentation depending on the ship-based option.

Aspects of maritime archeology will be introduced from high resolution reflection seismic data. Sediment samples will be analysed in the laboratory over the course period. Attendance in the laboratory for these experiments is mandatory.

Learning Outcome

Knowledge:

  • Marine geomorphology.
  • Marine stratigraphy, marine and nearshore depositional environments.
  • Stratigraphy and architecture of marine landforms.
  • Marine and nearshore geomicrobiology.
  • Dynamic measurements of water column properties.
  • Marine and coastal sediment coring and surface sampling techniques.
  • Shallow seismic techniques and sub-bottom imaging, echo sounder measurements, data processing techniques.

 

Skills:

  • Ability to assess issues related to the management of marine arears as well being trained in the ability to analyse specific problems and scientific relations related to dynamics, sedimentary environments, bottom morphology and stratigraphy in the marine environment.
  • Project development and management.
  • The use of research methods and instrumentation, i.e., seismic devices, eco-sounders, ADCPs, current meters, sediment sampling and coring techniques, geochemical analysis (i.e., spectrophotometric assays), microbial cell quantification and analysis, as commonly applied in marine geoscience studies.
  • The application of data collection and processing techniques, and an understanding of their advantages and disadvantages to address specific scientific questions.

 

Competences

  • The ability to develop and design a research project based on a scientific question.
  • Gain an overview of key methods in marine geoscience to address scientific questions.
  • Data collection and analysis.
  • Communication of a project and it's results in written and oral form.
  • Operating a marine research vessel and on-board research.
Literature

Please see Absalon

Qualifications obtained during the first two years of the BSc programme in Geology-Geoscience or equivalent.
Individual supervision and mentorship in project development, lab work, field work.
Please see Absalon for details of the teaching plan.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Preparation
  • 150
  • Exercises
  • 28
  • Laboratory
  • 28
  • Total
  • 206
Written
Oral
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Written assignment, During course
Oral examination, 20 minutes
Type of assessment details
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 and includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list. The oral exam is without preparation. A combined grade is provided after the oral exam.
Aid
Without aids

All aids allowed when working on the written assignment.

No aids allowed at the oral examination. The students can bring a copy of handed in report.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
No external censorship
Several internal examiners.
Re-exam

Resubmission of written assignment, 20 minutes oral examination. 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 and is without preparation. It includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list. A combined grade is provided after the oral exam.

Criteria for exam assesment

See Learning Outcome.