Course content

This course deals with the processes that shape the Earth’s surface. These processes are associated with water flow (fluvial processes), glaciers (glacial processes), frozen ground (periglacial processes) and slopes (gravitational processes). Emphasis is placed on how these processes modify the land surface in alpine and polar regions.

Learning outcome

After completing this course, you are able to

  • describe and explain the physical processes that form the landscape, especially in cold regions
  • understand?the glacier mass balance, dynamics and hydrology and how glaciers shape a landscape
  • explain how the material is transported both by fluvial and gravitational/slope processes
  • analyze temperature variations in the ground and discuss their impact on landscapes
  • reflect on the processes of landscape evolution
  • quantify and evaluate processes related to the topics above through numerical calculations and mapping

Admission to the course

Students who are admitted to study programmes at UiO must each semester register which courses and exams they wish to sign up for?in Studentweb.

There is normally a capacity of 15 students on the course. If there are more applicants, the applicants will be ranked after the following categories:

  1. Students admitted to one of the following programme options in the bachelor's programme Geology and Geography (prioritized order):
  2. Students admitted to the following programme:
  3. Students admitted to the following programme:
  4. Students admitted to the following programme:

  5. Exchange students on an agreement with (in prioritized order):

    • a) The Department of Geosciences

    • b) The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MN)

    • c) The University of Oslo

  6. Other students

Applicants will be ranked by the number of ECTS credits within each category:?all applicants within category 1 are ranked before applicants in category 2. If there are space limitations in the course, available places will be given to students selected randomly among those with the same amount of ECTS credits.

Special admission requirements

In addition to fulfilling the Higher Education Entrance Qualification, applicants have to meet the following special admission requirements:

  • Mathematics R1 (or Mathematics S1 and S2)

And in addition one of these:

  • Mathematics R2
  • Physics (1+2)
  • Chemistry (1+2)
  • Biology (1+2)
  • Information technology (1+2)
  • Geosciences (1+2)
  • Technology and theories of research (1+2)

Mathematics R2 was a requirement up until and including the study year 2021/2022, as part of a trial arrangement. From and including the study year 2022/2023, Mathematics R2 is no longer a requirement.

The special admission requirements may also be covered by equivalent studies from Norwegian upper secondary school or by other equivalent studies (in Norwegian).

Formal prerequisite knowledge

The course includes a compulsory field course and excursions. A health-and-safety course for safety in the field must be passed before you can go on these:

Overlapping courses

Teaching

Lectures and exercises are equivalent to 6 hours per week.

A total of four reports from the exercises must be submitted and approved in order to sit the final exam.

There is a mandatory field course of 3-4 days, and two mandatory 1-day excursions, one in February or March collecting snow data, and one in May. The field activities are conducted together with the course GEO2330 – Hydrology. A field report must be written from the field course that counts towards the final grade.

Attendance at the first lecture is compulsory. Students who fail to meet are considered to have withdrawn from the course unless they have previously given notice to the Student administration (studieinfo@geo.uio.no).

We reserve the right to change the teaching?form and examination of the course in semesters where 5 or fewer students have been admitted.

As?the?teaching involves laboratory and/or fieldwork, you should consider taking out a separate travel and personal risk insurance.?Read about your insurance cover as a student.

General information about excursions at the Department?of Geosciences

Cost of taking the course

Participation in the excursion is mandatory. The excursion has a fee of NOK 150 per night.

Examination

  • A total of four reports from the exercises must be approved in order to sit the final exam.
  • The course includes a mandatory field course and two mandatory excursions that must be completed and approved before you sit the final exam.
  • Report from field course counts 50% towards the final grade.
  • The final written examination counts 50% towards the final grade.
  • Both the report from the field course and the final written examination must be passed separately in order to pass the course.

When writing your exercises make sure to familiarize yourself with the?rules for use of sources and citations.?Breach of these rules may lead to suspicion of?attempted cheating.

Mandatory assignments are valid for 5 semesters starting from the semester they were approved the first time.

It is possible to take the exam up to 3 times. If you?withdraw from the exam?after the deadline or during the exam, this will be counted as an examination attempt.

It will also be counted as 1 of the 3 attempts to sit the exam for this course if you sit the exam for one of the following courses:

Examination support material

Approved calculator

Language of examination

You may write your examination paper in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Grading scale

Grades are awarded on a scale from A to F, where A is the best grade and F?is a fail. Read more about?the grading system.

Resit an examination

Students who can document a valid reason for absence from the regular examination are?offered a postponed examination at the beginning of the next semester.

Re-scheduled examinations are not offered to students who withdraw during, or did not pass, the original examination.

More about examinations at UiO

You will find further guides and resources at the web page on examinations at UiO.

Last updated from FS (Common Student System) Dec. 22, 2024 7:53:24 AM

Facts about this course

Level
Bachelor
Credits
10
Teaching
Spring
Examination
Spring
Teaching language
Norwegian (English on request)

Contact

Department of Geosciences