Course Syllabus

Research Assistant

About the Research:
What factors may have caused the differences in the observed depth-age relationships in Greenland ice core?

Through time, the Greenland Ice Sheet has waxed and waned with the changes in climate. Snow deposited on the surface is gradually turned into ice and moves down and towards the edges of the ice sheet. Today, the ice sheet holds ice deposited during the last glacial cycle, i.e. the last ~100,000 years. By drilling and analyzing ice cores from the Greenland Ice Sheet, it is thus possible to study the climate and the ice sheet conditions during this period. The climate records thus obtained have unique temporal resolution. The deeper down through the ice sheet you go, the older the ice gets, but the exact relationship between depth and age in an ice core differs between locations due to differences in e.g. the amount of snowfall, ice thickness, basal melt rate and ice flow pattern. Several deep ice cores from Greenland have been drilled and analyzed.

In this project, we will focus on the deepest ice cores from GRIP, NGRIP and GISP2. If time allows, data from NEEM and/or Dye-3 could be included as well. We intend to use simple 1D mathematical models of how the ice moves down through the ice sheet to investigate the observed differences in the depth-age relationships in multiple deep ice cores. The models will be constrained by the observed depth-age relationship from the ice cores and used to investigate the possibility of changes in factors like accumulation rate, ice thickness, ice flow or basal properties constituting a possible explanation for the observed differences between the ice-core depth-age relationships, and thus contribute to our general understanding of how the Greenland Ice Sheet reacts to changes in climate and changes in ice dynamics.

Researcher Bio:
Susanne Lilja Buchardt holds a Ph.D. in Glaciology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2009). She has a strong interest in glaciology, climate change, and teaching and has pursued these interests through research at the Centre for Ice and Climate, fieldwork in Greenland and Antarctica, and teaching at the Centre for Ice and Climate and at DIS (since 2013). The focus of her research has been combining simple ice flow models with ice core data and remote sensing data to increase our understanding of the Greenland ice sheet.

Description of role and responsibilities of the Research Assistant

On average you are expected to spend a minimum of 10 hrs per week on the project. The workload may vary over the semester. If you are travelling to do field research in a different location, you may be spending more than average time. 

As research assistant you will:

1. Participate in weekly meetings with your research mentor at a time set collectively at the beginning of the semester (a second time will be blocked off in your calendars to meet in case more time is needed or one is unavailable during the blocked time).
2. Participate in three workshops during the semester:
   1. A seminar on responsible research practices at beginning of the semester: orientation and work in teams on potential ethics issues related to the different research projects
   2. A follow-up to seminar on responsible research practices mid-semester
   3. A final seminar discussing strategies and best practices for effective communication of research, especially to those not in the field
3. Write an assessment of your own strengths and weaknesses in the research process at the beginning of the semester. Revisit at the end of the semester as part of an evaluation of your own participation in, and learning from, the research project.
4. Keep a research journal and/or send weekly emails to your research mentor describing the activities of the week, and outlining goals for the following week.
5. Participate in carrying out the research project. For the FA18 Research Assistant the responsibilities would include finding, reading and discussing published literature in the field to place the current project in a context of past and ongoing research, preparing data sets for use in computer models, adapting and expanding mathematical models to the problem at hand using MatLab software, and if time allows, carry out model simulations and interpreting the results. These tasks will be done in close collaboration with the researcher.The specific responsibilities in a given semester vary depending on the phase of the project and will be set by the research mentor at the beginning of the semester. Be prepared to contribute to tasks that may come up during the semester. Research processes are not always predictable.  
6. Present the relevance of the research and/or findings to peer(s) from other disciplines.
7. Make a final presentation of the research you are involved in orally and/or written, depending on what is agreed with your research mentor.

Learning Objectives

The primary objective is for you to experience the world of scientific research and gain experience that will prepare you for any future career you choose to pursue. By the end of the semester you will grasp the complexities of the research project, and have made your own contribution to the project. You will also have learned to communicate scientific ideas and findings, both orally and in writing, to members from your particular discipline as well as peers from other disciplines.   

More specific learning objectives will differ depending on what phase of the project you will join. The learning objectives for the FA18 research assistant are to:

• Obtain good background knowledge on glaciological concepts
• Gain a thorough understanding of the dynamics and history of the Greenland Ice Sheet
• Actively use mathematical modeling to investigate the Greenland Ice Sheet evolution
• Get hands-on experience with data analysis
• Become familiar with the academic writing style of the field

Readings

The readings will be agreed on with the mentor at the beginning of the semester, and the exact content will differ depending on your background. They will generally consist of scientific papers on ice core interpretation and climate history as well as textbook chapters on mathematical modeling and simple computer coding.

Approach to Mentoring

All DIS research mentors have been trained in mentoring students but their approach to mentoring may differ. Mentoring is about engaging at a different - and often deeper - level than what is typical in the class room. However, mentoring also comes with some degree of ambiguity, which is important for you to be prepared for. The research mentor will work closely with you throughout the semester but part of the training is also for you to use your own judgement, to make assessments and decisions. As part of planning your tasks and responsibilities for the semester together, the research mentor will talk to you about her/his approach to mentoring.

Expectations of the Research Assistant 

The specific expectations of the individual research assistant is agreed at the beginning of the semester. In general, a research assistant is expected to take initiative, take ownership of the project and work independently. Obviously, to be prepared for meetings and be willing to part take in scientific discussions. In cases where more research assistants are involved in the same project, you will be expected to engage in some team-work. Carrying out a research project is not a straight forward and predictable process. This is part of what makes it exciting. It also means that communication is crucial. You are expected to take responsibility for communicating about problems or issues that arise.

Evaluation and grading

All research assistants are assessed on their participation in the seminar on responsible research practices, weekly status reports to the research mentor, self-evaluation and presentation to peers from other disciplines. 

The exact format of evaluation depends on which phase of the project you will join. Generally, there will be 1-3 smaller individual tasks/subprojects during the semester and a larger report/paper at the end of the semester. Your ability to show initiative and work independently will be part of the evaluation irrespective of the project phase.

For the FA18 semester, the overall grade will come from the following:

• Participation (30%): Seminar participation, self-evaluation, presentation to peers from other disciplines, weekly progress updates to mentor, ability to work independently and take initiative to discussions of how to progress when needed.
• Literature study (20%): A short report on background literature relevant to the project topic.
• Model expansion/improvement task (20%): The Research assistant will work with either an expansion or an improvement project to the mathematical model used in the research.
• Final poster/paper/report (30%): The exact format of the final product will depend on how the research progresses during the semester, but it should be a poster presentation and a report or paper.

Your ability to show initiative and work independently (which is not the same as not approaching the researcher with any questions!) will be part of the evaluation irrespective of the project phase.

Academic Regulations  

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

• Course Enrollment and Grading
• Attendance
• Coursework, Exams, and Final Grade Reports

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