Open and recently completed theses in our group
Open topics for Bachelor and Master thesis in our group
We continuously offer opportunities for Bachelor and Master theses in our group. Just get in touch with us!
| Level | Project title | Project description | Skills | Main supervisor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MSc | DEMs from Planetscope images - a new resource for multitemporal digital elevation data? | Our institute has access to high-resolution (~3 m) PlanetScope images. Over 200 satellites from this mission overfly a given location almost daily, providing slightly different view geometries. This should enable us to generate multi-temporal digital elevation models and detect vertical changes with time. We will use Agisoft Metashape, a stereophotogrammetry software, to build DEMs for sites with discernible changes, such as large landslides or lake drainage events, in order to explore the suitability of this new resource for digital terrain analysis. | Digital relief analysis using GIS, Agisoft Metashape, basic understanding in stereophotogrammetry | Georg Veh |
| BSc/ MSc | Rock avalanches vs. outburst floods: catastrophic disturbance of the Taku River, Alaska | In December 2020, a catastrophic rock avalanche descended from a steep cliff onto the Taku River in British Columbia, Canada, causing widespread devastation to the adjacent floodplain: https://blogs.agu.org/landslideblog/2020/12/29/taku-river-landslide-1/. We obtained drone imagery of this landslide (58.711474°, -133.402596°) to quantify its volume and runout, and to analyse its impact on the river downstream using satellite image time series. We will then compare the geomorphic impact of this 'one-off' event with that of frequent glacial lake outburst floods, which occur annually along the Taku River. | GIS for digital mapping and relief analysis, Agisoft Metashape | Georg Veh |
| BSc/ MSc | How useful are LiDAR scanners in Apple iPads for geoscientific applications? | Our group owns Apple iPads (5th generation) that come with a mini-built in LiDAR sensor. Unlike traditional terrestrial laser scanners, these mobile devices allow users to freely move around objects and collect high-density point clouds. Several apps have been developed to quickly post-process these data into meshes, allowing users to do more detailed analysis of digital surfaces. Yet, what is the resolution and quality that we can attain with these sensors? In this project, we will measure several objects of increasing complexity, from simple soil pits to broad-leaf trees, to systematically evaluate the accuracy of these LiDAR data. | LiDAR (e.g. using software such as CloudCompare and several apps available in the AppStore) | Georg Veh |
| MSc | What can ice thickness data tell us the emergence of future glacier lakes? | Gridded ice thickness data are a popular tool to infer the location and size of future lakes. If we subtract the estimated ice thickness from the current topography, this might show us where water could be trapped in glacial overdeepenings. Yet, how reliably are those estimates of ice thickness, if we compare them to the 'true' size of lakes that have recently formed in deglaciated landscapes? In this project, we will align georeferenced bathymetric maps with published data on ice thickness to see how well the two datasets match. | Mostly GIS (georeferencing, digitisation, cut-and-fill operations) | Georg Veh |
| MSc | Where do we find world's largest glacier lake outburst floods? | In past years, we have worked on creating a global database of glacier lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Initial assessments led us to assume that the largest GLOFs occur where glaciers form thick ice dams. Alaska and Patagonia stood out in this database - but what about Greenland, where ice volumes are orders of magnitudes greater than elsewhere? We will integrate a recent sample of published GLOFs in Greenland into our database to see how much this region stands out in the global population of GLOFs. | Excel (database maintainance); GIS and remote sensing (manual mapping of lakes); R (trend analysis) | Georg Veh |
| MSc | Forest destruction by glacier lake outburst floods | GLOFs are famous for their societal impacts and destruction of infrastructure. In addition, these floodwaves may easily wipe out dense forests, contributing to rapid export and burial of organic carbon. Quantification of these processes is limited given the sparse availability of high-quality surface models obtained before and after GLOFs. Here, we have the rare opportunity to explore the role of unique, high-quality LiDAR data in automatically quantifying biomass loss and burial following recent GLOFs in Alaska. | LiDAR (using for example the R interface LidR: https://www.r-lidar.com/lidr) | Georg Veh |
Recently completed Bachelor and Master thesis in our group
This is a selection of recently completed Bachelor and Master theses in our group.
| Level | Project title | Year |
|---|---|---|
| MSc | Analyse und zeitliche Entwicklung von Waldbränden in Chile von 2002 bis 2020 | 2026 |
| BSc | Trends von Gletscherseeausbruchfluten zwischen 1970 und 2024 in den Anden | 2025 |
| BSc | Sedimenteinträge in den Tarr Inlet (1972-2025): GIS-gestützte geostatistische Analyse bathymetrischer Daten und die Rolle der Gletscherschmelze | 2025 |
| BSc | Einfluss der Gletscherseebildung auf die Morphologie gletschergespeister Flüsse in Alaska | 2025 |
| MSc | The Effects of Precipitation, Temperature and Glacier Cover on Delta Dynamics in Alaska between 1983 and 2023 | 2025 |
| BSc | Ausbruchsmuster moränen-gedämmter Gletscherseen: Eine GIS-gestützte Analyse und statistische Quantifizierung geomorphologischer Veränderungen entlang der Abflussflächen | 2025 |
| MSc | Effiziente Extraktionsmethoden von Biomarkern aus Pflanzen und Sedimenten für paläoklimatische Analysen | 2025 |
| BSc | Exploring Environmental Controls on 10Be-derived Denudation Rates in Southern Chile | 2025 |
| BSc | Gletscherseen und deren Gefährdungspotenzial für den Tourismus der Inside Passage, Südost Alaska | 2025 |
| MSc | Landslide density modeling for Far Western Nepal over 25 years using CHIRPS precipitation data | 2025 |
| MSc | Does High-Resolution Downscaling Improve the Accuracy of Global Flood Model Inundation Estimates? An Analysis Across Biomes | 2025 |
| MSc | Evaluating the performance of low-cost BC sensors for air pollution measurements | 2025 |
| BSc | Beurteilung potentieller Schäden an Infrastruktur und Umwelt durch Gletscherseeausbrüche in Alaska | 2025 |
| BSc | Rapid delta growth in Lituya Bay | 2025 |
| MSc | Distinguishing Glacial Lake Outburst Floods and Seasonal High Flow Floods: A hydrograph-based Analysis of Streamflow Data from six ice-dammed Lakes in Alaska | 2025 |
| BSc | Untersuchung von Ausbruchsintervallen eisgedämmter Seen in Patagonien | 2025 |
| BSc | Zeitliche Entwicklung von Eisrandseeausbrüchen am Bering Gletscher in Alaska | 2024 |
| MSc | Unveiling the Controls of Outburst Floods of Surge Induced Ice-dammed Lakes in the Karakoram | 2024 |