Projekter indenfor Klima & Miljø

Projektkataloget er en samling af forslag til studenterprojekter. Skal du snart i gang med dit bachelorprojekt, et projektarbejde eller specialet, kan du finde inspiration i projektforslagene nedenfor.

Du kan læse mere om dette forskningsområde på Institut for Geosciences hjemmeside. Her kan du, under de enkelte forskningsgrupper, også finde kontaktoplysninger på de forskere som arbejder indenfor dette forskningsområde, hvis du selv har en idé til et forskningsprojekt eller interesserer dig for et bestemt emne.

Sedimentologi og stratigrafi

Microplastic pollution in Denmark

Assessing the distribution and extent of microplastic content in danish rivers and coast, and their link to the nature of the host sediment. Fieldwork: core sampling. Lab work: microplastic separation, grain size analyses.

Level: Best for MSc, but can also be adjusted for BSc 

Evolution of continental weathering during an early Jurassic global warming event

During the early Toarcian (180 Myr ago), a volcanic-induced global warming occurred that lead to catastrophic environmental changes and a  mass extinction event. Excess nutrients delivery to the ocean by continental weathering is thought to be one of the main driver of this event. This project aims to investigate in details the timing and modality of continental weathering change during this event by analysis elemental ratio changes (such as Ti/Al, Zr/Rb, Si/Al) in a proximal-to-distal transect across the Central High Atlas Basin in Morocco. The analyses will be done by handheld XRF measurements.

Level: Can be either BSc or individual project (5-10 ECTS

Evidence for short-term ice age development and glacio-eustatism during the Mesozoic (the Bajocian and Valanginian cases study)

Finding evidence for coeval global cooling and sea-level fall (and vice-versa) during these two time intervals. Lab analyses: stable oxygen and carbon isotope analyses, XRF analyses .

Level: Best for MSc, but can also be adjusted for BSc 

Forward stratigraphic modeling of the Aalenian – Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) of the Errachidia Platform (Morocco)

Understand what control the stratigraphic architecture of these middle Jurassic deposits: Eustatic sea-level, subsidence or sediment supply. Use of the DionisosFlow© computer model. 

Level: Best for MSc, but can also be adjusted for BSc 

Using GoogleEarth in geosciences: Are river bars scaled with channels width?

Geometric analysis and comparison of rivers and rivers bars dimensions using aerial pictures from GoogleEarth. 

Level: B.Sc

Geofysik

Geophysical mapping in Trundholm Mose (where Solvognen was found)

Trundholm Mose is a key archeological site in Denmark. In this project, we will use geophysical methods to map the subsurface to understand the paleolandscape and search for archeological signatures.

The project involves field data collection, data processing, inversion, and interpretation. The possible geophysical methods to be employed are: tTEM, tMAG, ERT, and GCM. 

Level: all

TEM-IP monitoring of contamination remediation

Geophysical methods can be used to map contamination in the subsurface as well as remediation, which is a process used for cleaning up contamination sites. 

In this project, the student will work with novel TEM-IP monitoring data to understand its benefits and limitations when applied in remediation projects. 

Level: all

Vejleder

Anders Vest Christiansen

Jordbund, grundvandskemi, palæolandskab/-økologi og arkæologi

Biomarkers of mammalian presence and environmental change in Denmark

Shallow sediment cores from Denmark and the surrounding areas have great potential for uncovering the environmental context for human and other mammalian presence at archaeological sites. Generate organic geochemistry records to understand dispersal pathways and environmental drivers over thousands of years.

Level: MSc

Et grønnere Arktis: Naturligt forekommende kvælstof i et varmere Grønland 

Kortlægning af naturligt forekommende kvælstof i jord og vand i Zackenberg/Daneborg området i Nordøst Grønland, bl.a. vha. laboratorie undersøgelser af hvordan lave koncentrationer af naturlig N påvirker økosystemerne i fremtidens varmere Arktis. I samarbejde med Biosc.-AU.  

Niveau: MSc

Mennesker og landskaber 

Undersøgelser af paleo-landskaber til bedre forståelse af Holocæn og fortidens mennesker. Lokaliteter kan fx være i Danmark, Grønland, Jordan eller Afrika.  Eksempler er, 1) modellere paleo-landskabet omkring Ribe i Vikingetiden, for at forstå præcist hvor landets første kirke, Ansgar’s, og hvor vikingerne (uopdagede) havn lå, og 2) kategorisere ring-volde i landskabet, som med kunstig intelligens er identificeret i højdemodeller fra N Europa og N Amerika (ringborge, meteorkratere, pingoer, etc). I samarbejde med Arkæologi-AU. 

Niveau: BSc og MSc

Strontium i det moderne vandmiljø og dets betydning for arkæologiske undersøgelser

Undersøgelse af strontium isotop variationen i uberørte og landbrugspåvirkede områder i Danmark og hvilken betydning denne har for arkæologiske tolkninger. 

Niveau: BSc og MSc

Kvartær- og glacialgeologi

Time-transgressive variability of subglacial processes as recorded in till properties 

Level: B.Sc., M.Sc. or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Geological signature of sediment deformation by glaciers based on experimental work    

Level: B.Sc., M.Sc. or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Vejleder

Jan Piotrowski

Subglacial landforms and processes from high-resolution LiDAR imagery and GIS analysis

Level: B.Sc., M.Sc. or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Vejleder

Jan Piotrowski

Geostatistical modeling of tunnel valleys. 

Simulate tunnel valleys and potentially use the model to map subsurface tunnel valleys from airborne EM data. 

Level: B.Sc., M.Sc. or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Interpretation of Quaternary stratigraphy from near-surface geophysics

In this project, you use results from a high-resolution tTEM survey to  explore the signature of glaciations on the near-surface in Denmark.  You compare resistivity from sampled sediments to the tTEM results, construct a detailed geological model for the distribution of deposits, and interpret past glacial sedimentary environments and deformational processes in the area.

Level: BSc or MSc

Kvartær- og glacialgeologi; erosionsprocesser; havniveaumodellering

Bestemmelse af erosionsrater og istidshistorie ved brug af kosmogene isotoper (Numerisk studium)  

Niveau: MSc

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Determining erosion rates and ice history using cosmogenic nuclides (numerical study) 

Level: M.Sc

Analyse af klimatrends i iskerneboringer og marine kerner over de sidste ca. 500.000 år. Projektet vil bl.a. undersøge hvilken rolle CO2 har spillet under istider og mellemistider.

Niveau: MSc

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Analyses of glacial-interglacial climate trends during the last ca. 500 kyr. The project will investigate the role of CO2 during glacial and interglacial periods.

Level: M.Sc.

Bestemmelse af erosionsrater og landskabsudvikling i Marokko ud fra forekomsten af kosmogene isotoper i prøve fra forskellige steder i landskabet.

Constraining erosion rates and landscape evolution processes in Marocco based on modelling of cosmogenic nuclide inventories.

Niveau: BMSc

Ice sheet extent in Siberia during the last glacial cycle

A numerical study examining ice volumes in Siberia during the last glacial cycle, constrained by already dated moraines, with implications for global sea level. You will be using output from a global climate model to set up a mass balance model for mountainous regions in Siberia and subsequently run an ice sheet model to explore ice sheet extent and ice volume for the region.

Level: M.Sc. project

Ice sheet extent and volume in Scandinavia during past glacial cycles

A numerical study examining ice volumes and in Scandinavia during past glacial cycles, with implications for global sea level. You will be using existing numerical tools to reconstruct past ice sheet extent and volume in Scandinavia, considering also glacio-isostatic effects related to different Earth structure models.  

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work

Passive margin landscapes Scandinavia versus East Greenland (or Namibia)

A numerical study examining passive margin landscapes in Scandinavia in comparison with similar landscapes either in Greenland or in Namibia. You will be using digital elevation models and existing numerical toolboxes to examine the geomorphology of passive margins – to infer the origin of the landscapes.

Level: B.Sc. or individual (5-10 ECTS) project work/M.Sc. project

Effekten af erosion og aflejring på glacial-isostasi og havniveauet i Grønland og Arktis i Kvartæret. Programmering i MATLAB samt anvendelse af en global havniveaukode eller regional flexural isostatic model. 

Niveau: MSc

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The effects of erosion and deposition on glacial isostasy and sea level in Greenland and the broader Arctic in the Quaternary. Programming in MATLAB and the use of a global sea level model or a regional flexural isostatic model. 

Level: M.Sc

Isskjoldsmodellering af Indlandsisen i Grønland med PISM. Hvordan påvirker ‘den lille istid’ simuleringer af fremtidens indlandsis?

Niveau: MSc

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Ice-sheet modeling fo the Greenland ice sheet using PISM. How does ‘the little ice age’ affect future simulations of the Greenland ice sheet?

Level: M.Sc

Havniveauet i Danmark under forrige mellemistid. I projektet vil der bl.a. skulle anvendes GIS, borings data og data fra modellering af havniveau. 

Niveau: MSc og BSc

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Sea level in Denmark during the last interglacial. Using GIS, well data, and output from a global sea-level model.

Level: M.Sc og B.Sc

Isskjoldsmodellering i Grønland potentielt med kobling til ændringer i globalt havniveau 

Niveau: MSc

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Modelling of the Greenland ice sheet with a potential coupling to global sea level 

Level: M.Sc

Geostatististisk modellering af sediment tykkelse ved Grønland ud fra seismiske profiler.

Niveau: MSc

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Geostatistical modeling of sediment thicknesses around Greenland using seismic profiles. 

Level: M.SC

Palæoklima/palæoceanografi

Human presence in Doggerland

Doggerland, the land that once connected Britain and Central Europe, was the home to hunter-gatherers thousands of years ago. Through studies of seismics and organic biomarkers from sediment underneath the North Sea, we will uncover the mysterious history of these Mesolithic people.

Level: MSc

Age model development for Quaternary climate and environmental records of the Sahel in Africa

Leaf wax biomarker isotope data from a marine sediment core off the coast of Ghana provides information about precipitation cycles and the associated vegetation changes of the Western Sahel region. Establishing an age model for the record is crucial for understanding climate drivers and feedbacks. Methods will include data analysis, computational techniques, and literature review.

Level: BSc

Vejleder

Rachel Lupien

Cyclicity, trends, and variance: Climate cycles in Northwestern Africa throughout the Cenozoic

Snapshots of high-resolution leaf wax biomarker isotope data throughout the last 24 million years tell us about how terrestrial climate variability responded to changing boundary conditions, including global temperatures, ice volume, grassland expansion, and the onset of the Sahara Desert. Apply statistical and time series analysss to existing datasets in order to tease out the changes in variability, periodicity, and means through time.

Level: BSc or BSc project

Vejleder

Rachel Lupien

Analysis of lake sediment cores to reconstruct recent human and climate impacts

Several projects are available in collaboration with the Department of Ecoscience. Sediment cores that cover the last ~200 years to ~ 1000 years are available from lakes in Denmark, Greenland and the UK. Methods may include the analysis of biological components of the sediments (e.g. aquatic plant remains, ostracods, zooplankton) and/or chemical analyses (e.g. stable isotopes, trace elements) to inform on lake biodiversity changes through time and/or climate.

Level: Can be adjusted to fit BSc, MSc, or 10 ECTS projects

Hvad styrer ændringer i klima og havstrømme? / What controls changes in climate and ocean current variability?

En række projekter indenfor dette overordnede emne er mulige. Projekterne er baseret på analyser af udviklingen af klima og havstrømme gennem sen Weichsel og Holocæn baseret på analyser af marine sedimentkerner; analysemetoder kan inkludere mikropalæontologi, sedimentologi og/eller geokemi.  

Potentielle geografiske undersøgelsesområder: Grønland, Island, Caribien, Azoerne. 

Niveau: Kan være enten MSc, BSc eller individuelt 5-10 ECTS projektarbejde

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Several projects within this overall topic are available. The projects are based on analyses of the evolution of climate and ocean currents in the late Weichsel and Holocene. The studies will be based on analyses of marine sediment cores; methods of analysis may include micropaleontology, sedimentology and/or geochemistry. 

Potential geographical study areas: Greenland, Iceland, the Caribbean, the Azores. 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Vejleder

Christof Pearce and/or Marit-Solveig Seidenkrantz with colleagues from the Department of Ecoscience.

Er afsmeltningen af Grønlands indlandsis styret af havcirkulationen? / Is the melting of the Greenland ice sheet driven by ocean circulation?

Analyser af marine sedimentkerner ud for Øst eller Vestgrønland for at vurdere ændringer i havcirkulationen og sammenholde disse med ændringer i afsmeltningen af Grønlandske indlandsis.  Analysemetoder kan inkludere mikropalæontologi, sedimentologi og/eller geokemi. 

Niveau: Kan være enten MSc, BSc eller individuelt 5-10 ECTS projektarbejde

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Analyses of marine sediment cores off East or West Greenland to investigate changes in ocean circulation and to compare these with changes in the melting of Greenland inland ice. Methods of analysis may include micropaleontology, sedimentology and / or geochemistry.

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Hvad styrer dannelsen og styrken af Golfstrømmen? / What controls the formation and strength of the Gulf Stream?

Fokus er her på det Caribiske Hav og den Mexicanske Golf, som er kildeområdet for Golfstrømmen. Analyse af mikropalæontologi, sedimentologi og/eller geokemi i en marin sedimentkerne skal undersøge, hvordan havstrømme fra den sydlige halvkugle og den centrale Atlanterhav påvirker transporten af varmt vand med Golfstrømmen mod nord. 

Niveau: Kan være enten MSc, BSc eller individuelt 5-10 ECTS projektarbejde 

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Focus here is on the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, which are the source areas of the Gulf Stream. Analysis of micropaleontology, sedimentology and / or geochemistry in the marine sediment core have the purpose of investigating, how ocean current from the Southern Hemisphere and the central Atlantic impact the transport of warm water towards the north via the Gulf Stream. 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Changes in polar water outflow and sea ice variability along the NE Greenland shelf

Studying changes in polar water outflow from the Arctic Ocean and the relationship to subsurface Atlantic Water flux to the NE Greenland shelf based on analyses of mikropalæontology, sedimentology and/or geochemistry n marine sediment cores from the shelf of NE Greenland. 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Developing radiocarbon-based age models of marine sediment cores

Establishing age models of marine sediment cores as a background for palaeoclimatic reconstructions. 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Tværfaglig maringeologi og geoarkæologi: Flere projekter fokuseret på integreret analyse og tolkning af marine sedimentkerner og shallow-seismiske data.

Several cross-disciplinary marine geology and geoarchaeology projects: Integrated interpretation of sediment cores and shallow seismic data.

Integrated analyses and interpretation of marine sediment cores and shallow seismic. Potential study areas: Denmark (e.g., Vejle Fjord, Aarhus Bay), NW Greenland (data from the BIOS2019 cruise) or NE Greenland (data from the NorthGreen2017 cruise). 

See further detail projects below (in section on reflection seismic). 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Research projects directly related to the course “Oceans and Climate”

  • Volcanic age markers (tephrochronology) of the last glacial period in North Atlantic sediment core GC03 

  • Mineralogical analyses (XRD + microscopy) as provenance tool for reconstructing glacial ice rafting patterns 

  • North Atlantic surface ocean dynamics during DO cycles 

  •       Ocean circulation: planktonic foraminiferal analyses 

  •       Sea ice variability: organic biomarkers 

  • Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Kalø Vig and Aarhus Bay (possible as double project in collaboration with Bioscience) 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Traces of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in marine sediments of the Labrador Sea

The investigations will be based on laser diffraction grain size analysis and X-ray diffraction mineralogy of marine sediment cores. It will also be possible to include foraminiferal analyses. 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

AI-based segmentation of CT scans of trace fossils

At the bottom of sea, benthic invertebrates live on and inside marine sediments. As they mix up sediments and thereby influence the burial of carbon and recycling of nutrients, the leave behind traces of burrows and other structures. With modern CT scanning techniques, we can visualize these structures as small density changes, and by training AI segmentation models, they can be quickly classified and parameterized. In this project you will combine image processing and AI models to answer research questions in paleoclimatology. We have various cores and datasets available, both from Danish waters and from the Arctic. 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work

Variability of Pacific-Arctic flow through the Bering Strait during the Holocene

(diatoms, microscopy, stable isotopes)  

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

CT scanning of sediment cores to reconstruct past glacial activity 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Late Quaternary stratigraphy of the northern Baffin Bay 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Biomarker-based reconstructions of sea ice conditions and ocean productivity in the Holocene (various locations around Greenland and in Arctic Ocean)  

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Isdækket i Sverige under de sidste istider

Monte-Carlo-modellering af kosmogene isotoper i glaciale afleringer.

Niveau: BSc

Kan man bestemme isdækket under den sidste istid i Grønland med den kosmogene isotop 14C?

Niveau: Bsc og MSc

Isens udbredelse i Sibirien under den sidste isti.

Niveau: Bsc og MSc

Erosionrater på Jordens overflade

Et globalt studium af 10Be og 26Al

Niveau: MSc

Remote sensing

Measuring greenhouse gas emission with drones, ballons and satellites 

Together with a number of public and private partner, I am doing a number of projects on greenhouse gas emissions. These projects include developing a infrared hyperspectral imager, analysing satellite observations from Copernicus satellites and running atmospheric circulations models.

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Preparation of the Máni mission: Using image recognition to guide on objects on the Moon

In the project you will use machine learning techniques to identify objects in images that can be used to guide the satellite. The developed algorithms can eventually be tested on the DISCO-2 satellite that is plan for launch in June 2025.

Level: Can be either MSc or BSc

Preparation of the Máni mission: Verifying the photogrammetry and reflectance techniques using a drone

In this project you will use a small drone to verify the kind of observations that Máni will do on ground. A suitable site will be selected for this in Danmark. The project will include making observations with the drone and analysing them.

Level: Can be either MSc or BSc

  

Deciphering the history of the Moon

This project will analyse how photogrammetry and reflectance techniques can by use to decipher the history of the Moon by analysing the topography and composition of volcanic regions, studying the impact history and map faults and ridges to understand past tectonic processes. 

Level: Can be either MSc or BSc

Evaluating the geothermal potential using satellites

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work  

Using machine learning to improve climate models 

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Analysing geological methane emission using satellites  

Level: MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Measuring melting rates of glacier in Greenland with DISCO-2  

The DISCO-2 satellite is plan for launch in June 2025 and there are a list of possible geoscientific projects to do with it. One of them focusing on using photogrammetry to measure melting rates of glacier

Level: Can be either MSc or BSc

Projects in collaboration with space startups (ESA BIC) 

Level: MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Using remote sensing and machine learning to evaluate if it is safe to swim during Smukfest

As many other lakes in Denmark, Skanderborg lake each year see blooms of cyanobacteria that make swimming unhealthy. The project will combine machine learning to predict blooms of cyanobacteri.

Level: Can be either MSc, BSc or individual (5-10 ECTS ) project work 

Refleksionsseismik

2D Seismic interpretation of the Northwest African Continental Margin

In this project you will work with high-resolution seismic data and constrain it with legacy DSDP drill hole data from the Northwest African continental margin to reconstruct the paleo-climatic, -oceanographic and environmental conditions

Level: BSc /MSc

Sediment waves offshore Northwest Africa

In this project you will work with multibeam bathymetry data and possibly also sub-bottom profiler data to investigate sediment waves on the Northwest African continental margin.

You have the chance to learn mbsystem, an open-source software for multibeam data processing.

Software: Kingdom, ArcGIS

Level: BSc

Human presence in Doggerland

Doggerland, the land that once connected Britain and Central Europe, was the home to hunter-gatherers thousands of years ago. Through studies of seismics and organic biomarkers from sediment underneath the North Sea, we will uncover the mysterious history of these Mesolithic people.

Level: MSc

Submerged paleolandscapes in the North Sea

Fluvial landscape reconstruction using high-resolution seismo-acoustic data. Assessment of implications for archaeology and human occupations in Doggerland Collaboration with Moesgaard Museum, GEUS Marine Geology and Bradford University.

Level: Both BSc and MSc

Where is the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) in the Danish North Sea?

While the LGM extent across onshore Denmark is well known (i.e. the main stationary line), we only have limited information of the continuation into the offshore regions in the Danish North Sea. In this project, you will investigate the possible LGM extent by mapping potential ice-marginal structures, such as glaciotectonic complexes and tunnel valleys, using high-resolution seismo-acoustic data and link your new observations with ice sheet models from the North Sea and known LGM extent in the British sector 

Level: Best for MSc but can also be adjusted for BSc

Glaciotectonic complexes in the North Sea

The North Sea hosts a number of glaciotectonic complexes that each tell a story of past glacial dynamics. So far, little effort has been given to compare and combine the information from the various complexes. In this project, you will focus on a single glaciotectonic complex using high-resolution seismic data and attempt to link these to the general ice-dynamics in the North Sea. 

Collaboration with GEUS Groundwater and Quaternary Geology Mapping 

Level: Best for MSc

Glacial dynamics and sedimentation processes on the West Greenland shelf

Processing of multibeam bathymetry data from the West Greenland shelf with the aim of investigating glacial dynamics and sedimentation processes. The project also includes interpretation of sub-bottom profiler data in the same area and can further be linked with sediment core analyses 

Collaboration with Paleoceanography and Paleoclimate Group 

Level: Best for MSc but can also be adjusted for BSc

Cross-disciplinary marine geology

Integrated analysis and interpretation of high-resolution seismo-acoustic data and sediment cores. Potential study areas include: Denmark (Vejle Fjord and Aarhus Bay), West Greenland Shelf, Northeast Greenland Shelfdiatom 

Collaboration with Paleoceanography and Paleoclimate Group

Level: Both BSc and MSc

Temperaturfelt

Det varisiske fordyb i Danmark med udgangspunkt i brønden Terne-1 i Kattegat. Data: temperaturer, vitrinit reflektans. 

Niveau: BSc/MSc

Lithospheric Organic Carbon (L.O.C.)

Carbon capture and storage

Level: BSc and MSc

Vejleder

Hamed Sanei

Biochar.

Level: BSc and MSc

Vejleder

Hamed Sanei