Course Syllabus

Climate, Glaciers, and Human Impact

Semester & Location:	Spring 2025 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Core Course - 3 credits
Core Course Study Tours:	Odsherred, Denmark and Iceland
Major Disciplines:	Biology, Environmental Science, and Geology
Prerequisite:	One course in environmental or earth science at university level. One year of physics or chemistry at university level is recommended.
Faculty Members:	Sebastian Zastruzny  Current students use Canvas Inbox
Time & Place:	Mondays and Thursdays 10:05-11:25, Classroom F24-403

Description of Course

In this course we will study the main mechanisms governing climate change in the past, the present, and the future. We will take a dive into how landscapes are formed, models are working, and how humans development has been influenced by the climate.
Only by understanding the geological past, with its climate variability with the underlying causes and mechanisms, we can evaluate the current conditions, evaluate the anthropogenic contribution, and eventually assess the future climate and its impact's.

We will illustrate many of the concepts based on research in Iceland, where our study tour goes to. Here we will explore the glaciers and hike on an outlet glacier and experience first-hand the impacts of climate change. We will look at volcanoes as they play an important role in both in the formation of Iceland, as well as in the global climate Additionally they provide a potential solution for the reduction of greenhouse gases (geothermal activity), and allow for a relaxing swim in the outdoor thermal pools. In Iceland we will experience the local culture and language, delve into the history of Iceland and investigate the links between changes in climate and in society in the past.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course students should be able to:

• Understand the core concepts of Earth’s processes, such as the energy balance, the hydrological cycle and the carbon balance.
• Derive how a landscapes are formed, with a particular focus on peri-glacial landscape elements.
• Discuss the quality of climate proxies, historic data series, and the uncertainty of model simulations.
• Identify and outline important climate feedbacks
• Apply the notion of time scales when discussing the effects of different climate phenomena
• Identify and explain a selection of climate change causes
• Have a general understanding of the methods applied in paleoclimatology, (proxies and dating methods), climate modelling (uncertainty and calibration)
• Discuss climate conditions as a key factor in the evolution of modern civilization
• Understand how volcanoes are working, how they contribute to the climate and are harnessed for energy production (geothermal energy)
• Create arguments in both oral, and written form, to explain the concept of climate change, landscpae formation and human impact.

Equipment

Students enrolling in this class must bring the following with them to be properly equipped for the activities during the course integrated study tours

• Water proof outer layer (rain jacket and rain pants)
• Water proof footwear suitable for light hiking (e.g. hiking boots)
• Warm clothes (layers) suitable for outdoor activities in all kinds of weather in Denmark and Iceland

Faculty

Sebastian Zastruzny

PhD (Geography-Geosciences, University of Copenhagen). Educated in permafrost dynamics at the Centre for Permafrost, IGN. Research on permafrost cores, water samples, climate data series, process based modelling, and effects of future climate change. Conducted fieldwork and taught field courses in Greenland and Denmark multiple times.

Readings

All textbooks and readings will be provided by DIS. Textbooks are to be retrieved from book pick-up during the arrivals workshop. The readings for each class are listed in the course calendar and come from the required texts. The abbreviations used in the course calendar events are given in parentheses below.

Main textbooks:

Grotzinger, J., & Jordan, T. H. (2014) Understanding Earth. (UE)

• Reconstructing Geologic History from the Stratigraphic Record p196-200
• Measuring Absolute Time with Isotopic Clocks p207-209
• Components of the Climate System p408-413
• The Greenhouse Effect p413-416
• Climate Variation p416-423
• The Carbon Cycle p423-428
• The Geologic Cycling of Water p470-477
• The Hydrology of Groundwater p477-482
• Consequences of Climate Change p662-665

William F. Ruddiman: Earth’s Climate Past and Future, 3rd edition, 2013 (EC)

• Components of the Climate System p8-10
• Climate Forcing / Responses / Time/ Rates p10-17
• Incoming Solar Radiation p20-21
• Receipt and Storage of Solar Heat p21-28
• Earths Biosphere p48-51
• Climate Archives, Dating, and Resolution p56-69
• Climate Models p69-76
• Carbon Exchange between.... p84 – 91
• Box 4.1 the Organic Carbon subcycle
• Rock Exposure and ... p113-119
• Climate and Human Evolution p318-332

Other scientific publications

• Belart, J. M., Magnússon, E., Berthier, E., Gunnlaugsson, Á. Þ., Pálsson, F., Aðalgeirsdóttir, G., ... & Björnsson, H. (2020). Mass balance of 14 Icelandic glaciers, 1945–2017: spatial variations and links with climate. Frontiers in Earth Science, 8, 163.
• Brander, M., & Davis, G. (2012). Greenhouse gases, CO2, CO2e, and carbon: What do all these terms mean. Econometrica, White Papers.Christiansen, H. H., Sigsgaard, C., Humlum, O., Rasch, M., & Hansen, B. U. (2008). Permafrost and periglacial geomorphology at Zackenberg. Advances in Ecological Research, 40, 151-174.
• Cogley, J.G., Hock, R., Rasmussen, B., Arendt, A., Bauder, A., Braithwaite, R.J., Jansson, P., Kaser, G., Moller, M., Nicholson, L., & Zemp, M. Glossary of Glacier Mass Balance and related terms. Paris: IHP-VII Technical Documents in Hydrology No. 86, IACS Contribution No. 2, UNESCO-IHP. 124 (2011).
• Dearing, J. A. (2006). Climate-human-environment interactions: resolving our past. Climate of the Past, 2(2), 187-203.
• Edwards, P. N. (2011). History of climate modeling. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Climate Change, 2(1), 128-139.
• Giorgi, F. (2019). Thirty years of regional climate modeling: where are we and where are we going next?. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 124(11), 5696-5723.
• Guðmundsdóttir, H., Carton, W., Busch, H., & Ramasar, V. (2018). Modernist dreams and green sagas: The neoliberal politics of Iceland's renewable energy economy. Environment and Planning E: Nature and Space, 1(4), 579-601.
• Haywood, A. M., Valdes, P. J., Aze, T., Barlow, N., Burke, A., Dolan, A. M., ... & Voss, J. (2019). What can Palaeoclimate Modelling do for you?. Earth Systems and Environment, 3, 1-18.
• Houmark-Nielsen, M. (2011). Pleistocene glaciations in Denmark: a closer look at chronology, ice dynamics and landforms. In Developments in quaternary sciences (Vol. 15, pp. 47-58). Elsevier.
• Ingólfsson, Ó., Benediktsson, Í. Ö., Schomacker, A., Kjær, K. H., Brynjólfsson, S., Jónsson, S. A., ... & Johnson, M. D. (2016). Glacial geological studies of surge-type glaciers in Iceland—Research status and future challenges. Earth-Science Reviews, 152, 37-69.
• Jakobsson, S. P. (1966). The Grimsnés Lavas SW-Iceland. Náttúrufraedistofnun Íslands/Museum rerum naturalium Reyknavikensis.
• Kaufman, D., McKay, N., Routson, C., Erb, M., Dätwyler, C., Sommer, P. S., ... & Davis, B. (2020). Holocene global mean surface temperature, a multi-method reconstruction approach. Scientific data, 7(1), 201.
• Marcott, S. A., Shakun, J. D., Clark, P. U., & Mix, A. C. (2013). A reconstruction of regional and global temperature for the past 11,300 years. science, 339(6124), 1198-1201.
• Raworth, K. (2017). A Doughnut for the Anthropocene: humanity's compass in the 21st century. The lancet planetary health, 1(2), e48-e49.
• Refsgaard, J. C., & Henriksen, H. J. (2004). Modelling guidelines––terminology and guiding principles. Advances in Water Resources, 27(1), 71-82.
• Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K., Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S., Lambin, E. F., ... & Foley, J. A. (2009). A safe operating space for humanity. nature, 461(7263), 472-475.
• Schmidt, M. W., & Hertzberg, J. E. (2011). Abrupt Climate Change.
• Schuur, E. A., Abbott, B. W., Commane, R., Ernakovich, J., Euskirchen, E., Hugelius, G., ... & Turetsky, M. (2022). Permafrost and climate change: carbon cycle feedbacks from the warming Arctic. Annual Review
• Sigtryggsdóttir, F. G. (2016). Hydropower dams in the Land of Ice and Fire. In Proceedings of the 17th Nordic Geotechnical Meeting.
• Stephens, G. L., Li, J., Wild, M., Clayson, C. A., Loeb, N., Kato, S., ... & Andrews, T. (2012). An update on Earth's energy balance in light of the latest global observations. Nature Geoscience, 5(10), 691-696.
• Xu, C., Kohler, T. A., Lenton, T. M., Svenning, J. C., & Scheffer, M. (2020). Future of the human climate niche. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(21), 11350-11355.

Readings and Assignments:
Topics will be introduced in class to lay the foundations for the understanding of a topic. Each class has accompanying reading material allowing the students to follow up on the material covered in the classroom and to gain a deeper understanding.

Topics covered in class will further be internalized by home assignments that require studying the reading material to write short papers, answer to questions or prepare a presentation. Some of those assignments include posting in the Canvas course discussion forum on the DIS Canvas course page.

Course Structure:

The course is structured into four segments: Introduction to the topics, scientific basics of climate science, dynamics encountered on Iceland, and the human impact of changing climate.
The plan of topics and assignments is found below, and readings etc. are updated on the Canvas course pages. Assigned readings and other details on the meetings are subject to change but will be updated online with as much notice as possible.

Field studies/study tours/core course week

Core Course Week and Study Tours
Core Course week and study tours are an integrated part of the core course as we take the classroom on the road and see how theory presented in the classroom is translated to practice in the field. You will travel with your classmates and DIS faculty/staff on two study tours; a short study tour to Odsherred during Core Course Week and a long study tour to Iceland later in the semester.

Expectations for study tours

• Participate in all activities
• Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
• Respect the destination, the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
• Represent yourself, your home university, and DIS in a positive light

While on a program study tour, DIS will provide hostel/hotel accommodation, transportation to/from the destination(s), approx. 2 meals per day and entrances, guides, and visits relevant to your area of study or the destination. You will receive a more detailed itinerary prior to departure.

Travel policies
You are required to travel with your group to the destination. If you have to deviate from the group travel plans, you need approval from the program director and the study tours office.

Core course week
Short study tour to Odsherred: This three-day short tour will take you to Odsherred (Western Zealand) to see how glaciers during the last ice age helped shape the current landscape in northwest Zealand. You will explore the Odsherred Geopark, drill sediment cores to investigate past climate in the area, learn about local flora and fauna, and be immersed culturally through various cultural experiences and cuisine.

Student presentations at DIS: The IPCC special reports

Visit to the cloudburst construction site at Kalvebod Brygge, HOFOR, Copenhagen: Here we will introduce and explore how Copenhagen is adapting to increased cloudburst and what demands for infrastructure exist.

Long study tour to Iceland
During this week-long stay in Reykjavik and Southern Iceland, students will explore a diversity of amazing land- and icescapes. The activities include a glacier walk and a visit to an ice tunnel that has been dug into the Langjökull Glacier. We will visit research institutions in Reykjavik where local experts will tell us about their research on the past, present and future state of the Icelandic glaciers and ice caps. We will also visit a geothermal power plant, visit areas of high geothermal activity and relax in the geothermally heated outdoor swimming pools. We will travel along the south coast of Iceland to enjoy the landscapes shaped by glaciers and volcanoes. Furthermore, we will investigate the links between climate, volcanoes and the settlement and history of Iceland.

Evaluation

To be eligible for a passing grade in this class you must complete all of the assigned work. The overall grade will come from the following: 

Grading: 
25%: 3 online quizzes during the semester
Multiple choice questions and short text questions covering the topics covered in class. Each of the tests will be announced at least a week in advance and can completed within three days at any location.

5%: Odsherred Field Journal

Short report (2000-4000 words) written in groups of three students reporting on the visited stops of the excursion to Odsherred and a short section covering the theories linked to the visits. The report must be passed to be eligible for a passing grade in the class.

20%: Iceland Field Journal
Medium report (5000-7000 words) written in groups of three students reporting on the visited stops of the excursion to Iceland and a short section covering the theories linked to the visits. The report will graded based on scientific correctness, completeness of requirements and presentation.

25%: Final exam
Oral exam (12min) where two core topics of the course are explained that are chosen at random. More information will follow later during the course.

25%: Participation and Canvas Contribution
We expect and encourage active participation both in class and on the field trips. Active participation consists of

• contributing to discussions in class and field
• working on the assignments
• giving presentations
• joining on exercises
• contribution to the discussions on the Canvas course discussion forum

Academic Regulations

Use of laptops or phones in class: Focused and constructive contribution in class discussions is encouraged and expected. Laptops, phones and other portable electronic devices can be used for taking notes if in silent mode, but please refrain from writing or checking e-mail and text messages, browsing, or using social networks during class hours. During student presentations and group work, we kindly ask you to turn off or put away electronic devices.

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org