Earth Sciences

Overview

About

The courses in the Earth Sciences programme of the University of Gothenburg provide depth and diverse possibilities for subject specialisation. The courses also give you extensive experience with new analytical methods and the ability to evaluate and present complex issues within the Earth sciences.

Diverse learning opportunities

As a student of the programme, you will deepen your understanding of our planet through advanced courses and an in-depth research project. Three profile areas help you define your specialization:

• Environmental and applied geology explains and illustrates why different geological materials have specific characteristics, why there are systematic trends in the physical environment, and how this knowledge can be applied in society.

• Bedrock geology focuses on magmatic and metamorphic petrology, geochemistry, economic geology, and geophysics combined with excursions to study the Scandinavian Precambrian bedrock. (For clarification, we don’t offer petroleum geology).

• Physical geography and climatology investigate interactions between climate, society, and terrestrial environments, both natural and urban. Here, knowledge of past climate and natural geography is combined with applied studies of how climate affects humans and the environment.

Our programme also addresses the increasing use of computer-aided mapping in many Earth science research questions by offering advanced courses in Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing tools to increase your skillset and make you more attractive to employers.

Strong research in climate and geology

A strength of our department is the extensive opportunities within climatology, with many of our climate studies involving climate modelling to explain and predict climate change. The paleoclimatology of the planet is studied using dendrochronology in our joint Chinese-Swedish tree-ring laboratory. We also have a strong urban climate group studying how climate affects cities (and vice versa) and how climate change influences city planning. Volvo Cars, located in Gothenburg, has inspired a strong road climate group that studies how driving can be safer by understanding how roads and climate interact.