AG-325
Glaciology (10 ECTS)

Required previous knowledge/specific course requirements:
Students should have a background in glaciology, physical geography and/or geology. Students should be enrolled as master students at a university.

Learning outcome:

Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of glaciological processes, exemplified by Svalbard. They should gain a special understanding of the response of glaciers to climate change. Students will obtain instruction and experience in glaciological fieldwork in a series of field excursions to local glaciers.

Academic content:
The course is a systematic survey of modern research into glacial processes, and the response of glaciers and ice sheets to climate change. Lectures will cover recent changes to arctic glaciers, the principles of mass balance measurement and modelling, glacier hydrology, glacier motion and dynamics, surges, calving and numerical modelling. Students will also have the opportunity to present talks on their own research projects. Discussions will concentrate on identifying the critical questions for future glaciological research, and how procedures might be devised to address these questions.

Teaching methods and activities:
The course is run combination with AG-825. The course will have a theoretical part with lectures and seminars, and a practical part with computer-based exercises, excursions and fieldwork. The practical part will allow students to see and study glacial phenomena discussed in the lectures, and will introduce them to glaciological field methods. There will be field excursions to englacial caves (meltwater conduits), calving glaciers and surging glaciers, and the students will be introduced to on-going research projects. The fieldwork and excursions may be subject to changes, depending upon the weather conditions.

Total lecture hours: 30 hours.
Exercise hours (obligatory): 20 hours.
Fieldwork or field excursion (obligatory): 4 days

Compulsory assignment:
Exercises, fieldwork and field excursions.

Assessment:

All assessments must be fulfilled in order to receive a final grade.

Application deadline: 15. October 2012.