CLEWS courses - all modules with description

Contents

In this module the theoretical basics of data collection in earth system sciences are taught.

In a selected methodology from the fields of laboratory methods, terrain methods or remote sensing (among others), the theoretical knowledge is deepened, practically applied, recorded (including an error analysis).

Qualification goals

 1. Professional competences:
The students...

• are familiar with the scientific-theoretical basics of data collection in the earth system sciences and are able to deal with them critically,
• know the variety of methodologies used in the Earth system sciences to collect data,
• have in-depth theoretical knowledge of one or a few methods from the fields of laboratory methods, terrain methods or remote sensing (among others),
• have basic knowledge of concepts related to safety, ethics in science and responsible use of data.

2. Methodological competences:

Students...

• are able to practically implement one or a few methods of data collection,
• are able to scientifically document methods of data collection (including instructions for error analysis) and to critically examine the documentation of others.

3. Social / personal competences

Students...

• recognise how to engage effectively with a method,
• are able to work together in a team,
• are able to collect data independently and on their own responsibility and to inform about progress and any problems that may arise in a timely and professional manner.

Courses
(type of teaching)

Supplementary exam work (Number, form, scope)

Offered:

SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

Contents

In order to get to know professional practice, the students carry out a guided self-study and a guided internship in the intended subject area of the Master's thesis. This takes place in the university AG or the external institute/unit in which the Master's thesis is also to take place. Guidance and direction are provided in regular consultations with the supervisors. Students prepare recent scientific articles on a weekly basis, the subject matter of which is related to the ClEWS study programme, and present the content within the course in critical discussion. Students are also expected to devise a programme of investigation that could confirm or refute existing studies.

Qualification goals

The students...

• become familiar with recent research progress,
• become familiar with leading scientific journals and the types of articles available. In particular, they understand how scientific knowledge develops,
• first learn to improve their competence in developing counter-hypotheses to existing research and formulating research projects. They should be able to identify weak points of research studies and strengthen their scientific debating skills.

Research training

Contents

The students conduct, under supervision, an independent scientific study or a supervised laboratory experiment in the field of the Master's thesis. Supervision takes place through regular consultations with the supervisor(s).

Qualification goals

The students get to know the research environment in the working groups and laboratories. They learn how different research methods are chosen and applied to current research problems. They also learn how research results are documented and communicated.

1. Subject competences

The students...

• are able to familiarise themselves with the current state of research in a specific subfield of their subject selection,
• work independently on an assigned scientific question.

2. Methodological competences

The students...

• are able to summarise the results of the introductory project in a concise report,
• are able to prepare the results of the introductory project in a presentation and dedicated discussion.

3. Action competences

The students...

• are able to discuss complex physical issues with others,
• develop their own strategies for processing specialist literature, expressing scientific facts and using media effectively.

Courses
(type of teaching)

Offered:

WiSe or SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

Physics (70 %)

Geoecology (30 %)
 

Contents

Derivation and application of the basic equations of the subsystems of the climate system, which include atmospheric dynamics, ocean circulation and ice dynamics.

Qualification goals

The students...

• know how simplifications and approximations are derived and used,
• know which models are to be applied to which climate problem,
• can solve basic models analytically and numerically.
• Module (partial) examinations (number, form, scope, workload in CP):

Exam number
(PULS)

Courses
(type of teaching)

Offered:

WiSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

Contents

History of climate modelling; hierarchy of climate models; 0D and 1D energy balance models; circulation models for atmosphere and ocean; sea ice modelling; biosphere modelling; land ice modelling; model coupling; Earth system models of intermediate complexity; quality control; application examples; analysis of model outputs.

Qualification goals

The students...

• know the basic principles, typical applications, possibilities and limitations of climate models,
• can implement energy balance models and apply them to simple research questions,
• have basic knowledge about models for the different components of the Earth system and about their coupling,
• can analyse outputs of complex models and
• know techniques and principles to ensure good scientific practice in climate modelling.

Courses
(type of teaching)

Offered:

WiSe or SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

Contents

Land use is a key control for many ecological processes. It can replace or profoundly alter natural ecosystems, with significant impacts on habitats, material and energy flows at both the landscape and global scales. Understanding land use, its drivers, actors, consequences as well as possible regulatory measures and their effectiveness is key to solving many human-induced pressures on ecosystem functions and biodiversity and to improving the resilience of ecosystems and landscapes to climate change.

Qualification goals

1. Professional competences

This module enables students to understand the spatio-temporal phenomenon of land use dynamics, its drivers and its impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, ecosystem services and climate. Students learn to analyse and model land use changes and their impacts on ecosystems and biodiversity. The module builds on established land use science, including empirical studies, remote sensing as well as modelling studies, and incorporates principles of ecological science. Students will be able to understand current land use research and develop their own projects working on current environmental issues. In the seminar they will have the opportunity to work individually and in small groups on current land use issues and share their findings with other participants in different formats.

2. Methodological skills

Data analysis and modelling will be an important competence of the module and students will thus further deepen their methodological skills. In the individual exercises during the seminar, students will practice their problem solving and analysis skills. They will learn about current data analysis and modelling methods.

3. Social skills

Students will improve their collaboration and communication skills in the highly interactive formats (problem-based learning; open discussion). Working in small groups during the exercises will improve their ability to analyse, explain and argue clearly on a given, often controversial topic.

4. Personal competences

Students will improve their ability to understand and interpret scientific results from different formats and sources. They will also acquire the knowledge of available resources to address current issues related to land use change.

Courses
(type of teaching)

566493

566494

One examination of the following forms:

• Oral examination, 30 minutes or
• Seminar paper, 10 pages

Offered:

WiSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

 Contents

1. The use of models in earth, environmental and hydrosciences is ubiquitous. They are used for both scientific analysis and operational prediction. Each model is embedded in a modelling process, starting from the abstraction of the real system, the determination of parameters, the quantification of uncertainties, the formulation of objective functions, etc. In this course, the main elements of such a modelling process will be discussed and their adaptation to different models of Earth, environmental and hydro systems will be discussed.
2. Lectures will go hand in hand with practical exercises using software to implement the modelling process (e.g. www.safetoolbox.info).
3. Students will be able to focus both as a group (in a flipped classroom) and individually (through a term paper) on specific elements of interest. 

Qualification goals

1. Subject competences

Students will be familiar with the main elements of the modelling process.

2. Methodological competences

The students...

• will be able to select and adapt these main elements to their specific models and their complexity,
• will become familiar with the theoretical basis of these elements and be able to develop a modelling process for their model,
• will be able to use selected software to implement the modelling process, including Global Sensitivity Analysis to understand and quantify uncertainties.

Courses
(type of teaching)

566513

566514

One examination of the following forms:

• Term paper, 20 pages or
•  Presentation, 20 minutes

Offered:

WiSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

Contents

• Introduction: the oceans
• Basic equations of ocean dynamics
• Boundary conditions
• Geostrophic currents
• Planetary boundary layers
• Barotropic circulation
• Baroclinic currents
• General circulation of a baroclinic ocean with bottom topography
• Vorticity conservation

Qualification goals

1. Technical competences
Students understand the basic physical equations and forcings of ocean circulation as well as analytical approximate solutions that can be used to explain the basic structure of global ocean currents.

2. Methodological competences
The students are able to recognise the dominant terms of the Navier-Stokes equation for different problems and to derive analytical solutions for them.

Courses
(type of teaching)

527393

527394

One examination of the following forms:

Oral examination, 30 minutes or

Term paper, 20 pages

Offered:

WiSe or SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit:

The students

• have in-depth knowledge of environmental economics and know the current state of research in this field
• have mastered the methods for the theoretical and empirical analysis of environmental economic models
• can deal with current environmental economic issues with the help of economic theories and assess economic policy measures in a well-founded manner
• can independently work on and solve problems in the field of environmental economics.

Courses
(type of teaching)

419402

419403

419404

One examination of the following forms:

Written exam, 90 minutes or

Term paper, 20-25 pages or

Portfolio examination, 20 minutes oral presentation [25%] with 12 to 15 pages paper [75%]

Offered:

WiSe or SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

none

Teaching unit:

Contents

• Introduction to risk research: concepts and methods of risk analysis and risk management.
• In-depth insights into various natural hazard processes (storms, floods, heat waves, droughts, mass movements, earthquakes, volcanism, etc.), potential impacts as well as approaches to risk reduction
• Human influences on hazards and risks
• Testing, evaluation and development of learning games in the areas of disaster risk reduction, risk governance and risk communication
   

Qualification goals
The students...

• are familiar with important terms and concepts of risk research,
• have a deeper understanding of various geohazards, potential impacts and their causes as well as approaches to risk reduction,
• are able to present, discuss and reflect on current literature to the seminar audience,
• can abstract complex issues, e.g. in the form of learning games/game rules, and apply them to problems in risk management and communication in a solution-oriented manner.

Courses
(type of teaching)

Supplementary exam work (Number, form, scope)

566483

566484

One examination of the following forms:

Oral examination, 30 minutes or

Term paper, 20 pages

Offered:

SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

none

Teaching unit:

Contents

The students carry out a small introductory research project. The topic usually corresponds to the topic of the Master's thesis. Within the framework of this project, the student takes part in the specialist seminar of the research group.

Qualification goals

The students...

• deal with the state of the art of research in the selected subfield,
• are able to conduct studies in the direction of the formulated research objectives,
• can formulate the results of the study in a report,
• can present and discuss research results.

Competences

Working with scientific literature, acquiring and evaluating methods, applying

Courses
(type of teaching)

Offered:

WiSe and SoSe

Prerequisite for taking the module:

Teaching unit: