NIGK21008U Cancelled Geodynamics - Shaping Earth’s Surface
MSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience
The course starts with a review of the evidence of horizontal and vertical motions of Earth’s lithosphere, and continues with a look at the constitutive equations of Earth’s mantle viscous convection, and how one can draw important first-order features of the lithosphere from simple handling of these equations. The course continues with a focus on observations (e.g., gravity anomalies, paleo-altimetry data, etc.) that allow us to infer the shape of Earth’s surface and its possible past development.
The course also features a quantitative, real data-driven project on how isostasy and elasticity of the Earth’s lithosphere determine the support of large topographic features over geological time. Such a project allows students to familiarize themselves with real data set as well as with computational tools (e.g., Matlab, Python) often utilized in the industry.
In addition to geology students, this course will be certainly of interest to students and NBI, since the description of the processes shaping Earth’s surface is done in the context of the laws of physics and thermodynamics. Students in geography may also have an interest in the long-term shape of Earth’s surface, as it provides a context for more specific studies in, among others, geomorphology and sea-level evolution.
Knowledge
- Kinematics and dynamics of Earth’s mantle and lithosphere.
- Plate motions.
- Gravity anomalies.
Skills
- Handle quantitative problems related to mantle/lithosphere dynamics and kinematics.
- Handle large geophysical data sets using computational tools. The overarching goal is to enable students to extract inferences of geological value from the analyses of geophysical data sets by using theory, mathematical/statistical approaches, and computational tools.
Competencies
This course aims at enabling students to understand and study:
- how mantle/lithosphere dynamics at the global scale shape the Earth’s surface over geological time-scales through horizontal (i.e., plate motions) and vertical (i.e., glacial rebound, dynamic topography) movements; and
- the context in which many of the geological processes already seen, or to be seen, in other courses (e.g., basin formation and evolution, geochemistry of the crust, evolution of ocean circulation over geological time-scales, glacial rebound and coastal evolution etc.) occur.
Please see Absalon course page.
- Category
- Hours
- Preparation
- 171
- Exercises
- 35
- Total
- 206
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.
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- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
- Written assignment, During courseOral 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. It includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list. A combined grade is given 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
Re-submission 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. It includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list.
Criteria for exam assesment
See Learing Outcome.
Course information
- Language
- English
- Course code
- NIGK21008U
- Credit
- 7,5 ECTS
- Level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
- 1 block
- Placement
- Block 3
- Schedule
- C
- Course capacity
- 25
The number of places might be reduced if you register in the late-registration period (BSc and MSc) or as a credit or single subject student.
Study board
- Study Board of Geosciences and Management
Contracting department
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinators
- Lars Ole Boldreel (lob@ign.ku.dk)