GE4-302 Geohazards for land-use planning

Innhald og oppbygging

The course provides the students with insights into different kinds of geohazards including landslides, avalanches, floods, tsunamis and earthquakes. The main focus is on gravitational mass movements, and the students will gain a broad understanding of landslides, rock falls, debris flows, quick clay slides and snow avalanches. Examples of these phenomena are investigated further during practical exercises. An important part of the training aims to enable the students to recognize and understand the potential danger of geohazards in a given area, followed by an evaluation of the need for mitigation measures and the potential in risk reduction for different types of measures.

Læringsutbytte

Knowledge:

Students gain knowledge about:

- the processes that create landslides, avalanches, flooding, tsunamis and earthquakes, and how they interplay and propagate.

- different types of landslides and avalanches, the slide processes and trigger mechanisms.

- how climate change can affect the frequency and extent of flooding, landslides and avalanches.

- how geohazards can affect infrastructure and people.

 

Skills:

Students will able to:

- understand the content of reports and articles dealing with geohazards.

- conduct basic assessments of the potential danger and extent of landslides and avalanches, based on the analysis of maps, databases, available reports and numerical models.

 

General qualifications:

Students will be able to:

- communicate with geologists and the general public about geohazards.

- identify and specify potential geohazard zones that should be assessed by geologists before land is used for infrastructure projects or housing.

Undervisnings- og læringsformer

Lessons, assignments, project work and excursions.

Excursions:

- Two days in the field at different locations in Sogn/Nordfjord, where students investigate rock fall deposits, debris flow channels, snow avalanche fans, flood damage and unstable/slide-prone slopes.

- At least one day in the field to visit and investigate case study areas for the project work.

Obligatorisk læringsaktivitet

- Approved reports from the following assignments: Tsunamis, Earthquakes, Slides and Floods.

- Approved excursion and associated field reports.

- Oral presentation of the project.

The project consists of a case study of an area potentially subjected to one or more types of geohazards. Students work together in groups. The following should be presented from the project: Geographic and geological framework of the area, information extracted from existing maps, databases and available reports, field observations, risk evaluation and suggested mitigation measures.

Vurderingsform

Individual 4 hrs written exam

Grading A-F

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