6 EC
Semester 2, periode 5
5131VGEH6Y
| Eigenaar | Bachelor Future Planet Studies |
| Coördinator | dr. A.C. Seijmonsbergen |
| Onderdeel van | Bachelor Future Planet Studies, jaar 1Minor Fysische Geografie, jaar 1 |
| Links | Zichtbare leerlijnen |
Welcome to the Virtual Globe - Environmental Hazards course!
Environmental hazards have a large impact on society, e.g., on our behavior, our food security, our water resources, our climate, and the quality of the landscapes. Environmental hazards can have a huge impact, such as rapid events like volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, floods, landslides, and avalanches, while others are slow, and relate to climate change but can influence our society for long periods, such as desertification, weathering, soil erosion, permafrost melt, and more. The distribution, frequency of occurrence, the impact, and the extent of such hazards are of paramount importance, but often difficult to predict.
To fully understand the distribution, frequency, rate, and impact of earth surface processes, lectures by geo-experts will be offered in the first part of the course, focusing on key earth science landforms and processes, that result from geological and geomorphological (weathering, fluvial, coastal, glacial/periglacial, mass movement, and aeolian) activity. Scientific understanding of the patterns of environmental hazards that were formed in the past, in combination with knowledge of the geomechanical, hydrological, and rheological behavior of subsurface materials and the parameters that determine the rate and extent of environmental hazards, is key to predicting future hazards.
To combat such rapid and slow environmental hazards, we will identify both patterns and processes from satellite imagery and aerial photographs that are available on Google Earth, as well as additional thematic information from historical air photos, and thematic/topographical maps. To fully understand the environmental situations across the globe, we will combine the geological, geomorphological, hydrological, and topographical conditions to reconstruct, analyze, quantify, and evaluate the environmental processes and hazards in a wide diversity of landscapes. For that, we will extract information from the Virtual Globe that will serve as input in process-specific formulas, needed to quantify, e.g., flow velocities of lava flows in volcanic settings, denudation rates in karst landscapes, slope stability analyses in mountains, permafrost melt rates in high latitude areas, and erosion power in river landscapes.
We will study the effects of human interventions in the landscape and their corresponding stabilizing or destabilizing effects, in the light of future land use and land cover scenarios.
To do so, a student team will select an area that will be quantitatively analyzed and evaluated concerning past, current, and future processes and actual and potential environmental hazards. The findings will be documented in a Virtual Globe project.
The VG - Env-H Team
Christopherson & Birkeland: Geosystems - An introduction to Physical Geography, 5th edition - see Canvas modules for exact chapters and pages
Each laptop practical has additional information accompanied on Canvas - see modules section
See Canvas: datasets, quizzes and tutorials will be published
Google Earth Pro, Excel
Scientific calculator needed
The lectures will offer context to the
|
Activiteit |
Aantal activiteiten |
Totaal uren |
|
College |
8 |
16 |
|
Werkcolleges in week 14 t/m 17 |
8 |
16 |
|
Vragenuur in week 19 |
1 |
2 |
|
Proeftentamen vanaf week 17 |
1 |
1 |
| Zelfstudie week 14 t/m 17 en week 19 |
55 |
|
|
Tentamen week 19 |
1 |
2 |
|
Werkcollege week 20 t/m 22 |
3 |
6 |
|
Zelfstudie week 20 t/m 22 |
|
70 |
|
Totaal |
|
168 |
Aanwezigheidseisen opleiding (OER-B):
Aanvullende eisen voor dit vak:
Make sure:
- to attend at least 90% of the practical meetings at Science Park. Less attendance means that the course cannot be finished.
- to be prepared for the practical meetings: read instruction material in advance
- that absence, with valid reason, should be communicated with the responsible teaching assistant (cc. to the coordinator)
| Onderdeel en weging | Details |
|
Eindcijfer | |
|
0.6 (60%) Tentamen digitaal | Moet ≥ 5.5 zijn |
|
0.4 (40%) Project VGEH | Moet ≥ 5.5 zijn |
The weekly tutorials prepare for the digital exam. Each quiz must be passed with a 75% score. Multiple attempts are possible. The weekly tutorials are open a week after they become available during the regular course period. An extyra resit tutorial will be opened before the exam and will be announced on Canvas.
The digital exam is taken in the ANS software. Google Earth Pro will be used, and a scientific calculator is allowed.
For the project and the digital exam, there is an official retake date in July. The resit digital exam is similar to the regular exam. The same project can be used and upgraded for the retake. Tutorials will be reopened two weeks before the official resit date.
| Learning objective | Tutorials Week 1 | Tutorials Week 2 | Tutorials Week 3 | Tutorials Week 4 | Week 6 exam | Project Week 7-9 |
| 1. Can explain the rock cycle, the geomorphological cycle and the hydrological cycle | x | x | x | |||
| 2. Can identify and reconstruct the genesis of main exogenic and endogenic landforms and processes in the context of the landscape | x | x | x | |||
| 3. Can classify igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks | x | x | ||||
| 4. Can apply the mathematical formulas that describe the principles of physical and hydrological processes | x | x | x | |||
| 5. Can quantify the speed, rate, and impact of environmental hazards in the context of a landscape | x | x | x | |||
| 6. Is able to create an environmental hazard impact assessment for a future scenario in the context of land use and land cover change | x | |||||
This course is a merger of two former courses, Virtual Globe (3EC) and 'Natuurrampen' (6EC). The following transition regulations are valid for this year:
- Students who attended 'Natuurrampen' can join the second part (project part) of the new course, during which an assignment is completed to fulfill the requirements of last year's course.
- Students who attended the former course Virtual Globe can join the first part of the new course to fulfill the requirements of last year's course
These students should contact the coordinator of this year's course, Harry Seijmonsbergen, at least a week before the start of the new course, to decide what assignments or projects are mandatory to fulfill the requirements of last year's courses.
Grades of week assignments will be opened after the deadlines. Feedback is automatically provided via Canvas.
The digital exam will be evaluated within 10 working days after which the grades will be announced via Canvas and the solutions of the exam will be published. Students can make an appointment with the coordinators/responsible assistants to review their work.
The project outcome can be reviewed through the feedback Rubrik form. If necessary, the students can make an appointment with the coordinators/responsible teaching assistants for additional feedback.
The four graded week assignments will be individually assessed, feedback is automatically provided via Canvas. The digital exam is an individual, graded activity. The project is a team effort of two students and will be graded as a team, exceptions are possible.
Dit vak hanteert de algemene 'Fraude- en plagiaatregeling' van de UvA. Hier wordt nauwkeurig op gecontroleerd. Bij verdenking van fraude of plagiaat wordt de examencommissie van de opleiding ingeschakeld. Zie de Fraude- en plagiaatregeling van de UvA: http://student.uva.nl
| Weeknummer + algemeen onderwerp | Inhoud (overzicht) | Studiestof - zie details op Canvas |
| 14. Introduction and volcanism |
1. Course set-up, logistics 2. Volcanic processes and landforms and materials. Rheology / rate of lava flows |
1. Lecture 2. Lecture, Handout
|
| 15. Weathering and rocks |
1. Weathering processes and landforms - chemical / physical, landscape denudation related to karst 2. Identification of rocks - practical |
1. Lecture, Handout 2. Lecture, Handout |
| 16. Rivers and glaciers |
1. Fluvial processes and landforms - erosion speed, Hjullstrom curve, gully and canyon formation 2. Glacial and periglacial processes and landforms - mass balances, GLOFs, methane release |
1. Lecture, Handout 2. Lecture, Handout |
| 17. Mass movements and coasts |
1. Mass movement processes and landforms, slope stability and safety factor analysis 2. Coastal processes and landforms, costal erosion, wave action and sedimentation |
1. Lecture, Handout 2. Lecture, Handout |
| 18. No education activities | ||
| 19. Digital exam | Week 14 t/m 18 - see also Canvas announcements | Study materials from weeks 14 to18 |
| 20. Project Environmental hazards | Select topic via Canvas | First part of the course + scientific literature |
| 21. Project Environmental hazards | Select topic via Canvas | First part of the course + scientific literature |
| 22. Project Environmental hazards | Select topic via Canvas | First part of the course + scientific literature |
Not applicable
We vinden het belangrijk dat je je op de UvA en bij Future Planet Studies veilig voelt. Krijg je onverhoopt te maken met ongewenst gedrag of voel je je onveilig, dan kun je terecht bij verschillende personen. Je melding wordt altijd vertrouwelijk behandeld. Kijk op onze website voor meer informatie over waar en bij wie je terecht kunt.
It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.
Vanaf 2013-2014 hebben we ervoor gekozen om d.m.v. onderstaande tabel de studenten meer inzicht te geven in de kwaliteitszorg. Daarom nemen we een korte weergave van de studentenevaluatie op en de daaruit voortvloeiende acties ter verbetering van het vak.