In the Research Internship, students tackle research problems that have been identified by local, regional, national or international stakeholders, such as governments, firms or organisations. The students work on well-defined assignments within that organisation that challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills in real world settings. The end result of the project is a report, that is presented to the stakeholders at the end of the semester or also communicated to the general public in suitable form.

The aim of the course is for students to become acquainted with the practice of conducting research and build the capacity to do academic research and to come to a scientific product. For doing so, students will actively work together with an academic in one or more key activities such as data collection and/or data analysis and report on this in the shape of a scientific product (e.g. research article, conference paper or scientific product). Developing an individual professional relationship with a highly qualified researcher is also aimed at providing (tacit) experiential knowledge to the student about doing science. The scientific product is judged based on an evaluation form. The end product should show the students capacity to do academic research by explaining the methods for research and the research outcomes based on defendable arguments.

Climate change, human population growth (>8 billion and growing), and globalization among others are having dramatic effects on plant and animal species, their habitats, and ecosystems. One major effect is the loss of biodiversity, with about one million species threatened with extinction. Conservation biology aims to alleviate this loss of biodiversity by understanding the impacts that humans have on biodiversity and drawing from multiple fields including ecology, evolution, economics, and resource management to generate conservation solutions. The goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive view of the principles of conservation biology, the value of biodiversity, the threats to biodiversity, and the approaches to solve conservation issues. Among the topics covered are the history of conservation biology; patterns and processes of biodiversity; environmental economics; conservation ethics; extinction; habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation; climate change; overexploitation; invasive species; disease; conservation genetics; conservation of populations, species, and ecosystems; protected areas; restoration; sustainable development; and future challenges. Links between biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals are shown, e.g., goals 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.

This course aims to give students a broad understanding of scientific visualisation and communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in geographical sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of scientific illustration and visualisation and how it relates to contemporary practice. They will develop an understanding of how the context of image-making changes when using real-world data and scenarios, and relate this to their own practice. Central to this theory and practice will be the ethical considerations when working with data, interpretations and stories that are linked to a variety of stakeholders, from scientists and researchers to local communities. Through a series of workshops and tutorials students will be guided on how to create scientific illustration and visualisation in a range of different media and for diverse audiences. They will be able to critically evaluate their work and that of their peers and explain and justify their decision-making process.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

This course covers the basic elements of environmental economics. The properties of optimal environmental use are examined and the ability or inability of the market system to generate the optimal utilization investigated. Environmental management, i.e. methods for inducing optimal environmental use, are discussed both generally and in the context of particular examples. Finally, various methods for environmental valuation and their use in environmental cost-benefit analysis are discussed.

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

Taught in even-numbered years.

The concept of landscape is critically examined from the viewpoint of human geography. Changes in land use, their causes and consequences for landscape. Special attention will be paid to the landscape impacts of renewable energy. Conflicts due to different interests and/or diverse visions of nature are analysed. The relations between energy projects, tourism and protected areas in Iceland are examined with reference to landscape. How decisions about energy development are made, and to what extent public views are taken into account, is also discussed.

The course includes a field trip in the vicinity of Reykjavík.

In some settings, humans interact with the environment and use natural resources sustainably, but not in others. What explains such differences arising from human-environment interactions is the role of governance. Environmental governance can in its most basic form be understood as a social function centered on efforts to steer or guide the action of humans – being an individual, a small local user groups or the international community – towards desired outcomes and away from outcomes regarded as undesirable (Young, 2013).

This course has a focus on the introduction and understanding of different dimensions of environmental and natural resources governance in the context of sustainability.

It is divided into four interconnected sections:

1. Environmental Governance: The basics. What is governance? The environment as an arena for coordination and conflict. How do we understand actors, their roles and decision making? Power and power relations. Institutions and institutional change. Social-ecological systems. Governance structures. Public goods.
2. International and Domestic Environmental Governance. International environmental governance and institutions, e.g. EU, UN, UN Environment, FAO, World Bank etc. North-South issues. Environmental regimes; ozone, climate change, desertification, etc. Synergies. Introduction to environmental governance in Iceland and how it relates to decision-making with regard to environment and resources. Governance structure, central, local decision-making. Relationship between various levels of governance, parliament, ministries, agencies.
3. Public Responsibility and the Environment. Public participation. How can the public affect decision-making? Domestic and international environmental Non-governmental organizations.
4. Corporate Governance in the sustainability context. This part of the course focuses on corporate governance, such as outlined in the Nasdaq Corporate Governance Guidelines in the context of corporate sustainability. Relevant to the discussion is fiduciary duty, the ESRS Governance Standards (ESRS 1 and 2; ESRS G1), the SDGs 8-10, 12, 13, 17, the UN Global Compact Principle number 10, GRI Universal Standards and 200 Series, the Economic layer canvas, and more.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

In the Research Internship, students tackle research problems that have been identified by local, regional, national or international stakeholders, such as governments, firms or organisations. The students work on well-defined assignments within that organisation that challenge students to apply their knowledge and skills in real world settings. The end result of the project is a report, that is presented to the stakeholders at the end of the semester or also communicated to the general public in suitable form.

The aim of the course is for students to become acquainted with the practice of conducting research and build the capacity to do academic research and to come to a scientific product. For doing so, students will actively work together with an academic in one or more key activities such as data collection and/or data analysis and report on this in the shape of a scientific product (e.g. research article, conference paper or scientific product). Developing an individual professional relationship with a highly qualified researcher is also aimed at providing (tacit) experiential knowledge to the student about doing science. The scientific product is judged based on an evaluation form. The end product should show the students capacity to do academic research by explaining the methods for research and the research outcomes based on defendable arguments.

Climate change, human population growth (>8 billion and growing), and globalization among others are having dramatic effects on plant and animal species, their habitats, and ecosystems. One major effect is the loss of biodiversity, with about one million species threatened with extinction. Conservation biology aims to alleviate this loss of biodiversity by understanding the impacts that humans have on biodiversity and drawing from multiple fields including ecology, evolution, economics, and resource management to generate conservation solutions. The goal of this course is to provide students with a comprehensive view of the principles of conservation biology, the value of biodiversity, the threats to biodiversity, and the approaches to solve conservation issues. Among the topics covered are the history of conservation biology; patterns and processes of biodiversity; environmental economics; conservation ethics; extinction; habitat destruction, fragmentation, and degradation; climate change; overexploitation; invasive species; disease; conservation genetics; conservation of populations, species, and ecosystems; protected areas; restoration; sustainable development; and future challenges. Links between biodiversity and the Sustainable Development Goals are shown, e.g., goals 3, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.

This course aims to give students a broad understanding of scientific visualisation and communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in geographical sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of scientific illustration and visualisation and how it relates to contemporary practice. They will develop an understanding of how the context of image-making changes when using real-world data and scenarios, and relate this to their own practice. Central to this theory and practice will be the ethical considerations when working with data, interpretations and stories that are linked to a variety of stakeholders, from scientists and researchers to local communities. Through a series of workshops and tutorials students will be guided on how to create scientific illustration and visualisation in a range of different media and for diverse audiences. They will be able to critically evaluate their work and that of their peers and explain and justify their decision-making process.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The course deals with interconnections between political radicalism, culture, tradition and power. We will focus on contemporary representations of dissent in particular, look at the discourse of democracy and cultural difference, reactions to and criticism of protest in the Western political tradition and dissent in more repressive political systems. The role of intellectuals and writers will be explored as well as the function of artistic expression and design in transforming cultural and social environments. We will also discuss media and social media discourse in connection with an attempt to understand the various and sometimes contradictory objectives of public institutions. A few points of conflict will be discussed that to some extent expose fundamental conflicts in liberal democratic societies such as questions about the wisdom and ignorance of publics, reactions to climate change, inequality and extreme poverty. Finally corruption and power will be discussed as well as social and cultural expression, the possibilities and limitations of freedom of speech, the use and abuse of information, disinformation, secrecy, fake and “fake news”.

This course covers the basic elements of environmental economics. The properties of optimal environmental use are examined and the ability or inability of the market system to generate the optimal utilization investigated. Environmental management, i.e. methods for inducing optimal environmental use, are discussed both generally and in the context of particular examples. Finally, various methods for environmental valuation and their use in environmental cost-benefit analysis are discussed.

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

Taught in even-numbered years.

The concept of landscape is critically examined from the viewpoint of human geography. Changes in land use, their causes and consequences for landscape. Special attention will be paid to the landscape impacts of renewable energy. Conflicts due to different interests and/or diverse visions of nature are analysed. The relations between energy projects, tourism and protected areas in Iceland are examined with reference to landscape. How decisions about energy development are made, and to what extent public views are taken into account, is also discussed.

The course includes a field trip in the vicinity of Reykjavík.

In some settings, humans interact with the environment and use natural resources sustainably, but not in others. What explains such differences arising from human-environment interactions is the role of governance. Environmental governance can in its most basic form be understood as a social function centered on efforts to steer or guide the action of humans – being an individual, a small local user groups or the international community – towards desired outcomes and away from outcomes regarded as undesirable (Young, 2013).

This course has a focus on the introduction and understanding of different dimensions of environmental and natural resources governance in the context of sustainability.

It is divided into four interconnected sections:

1. Environmental Governance: The basics. What is governance? The environment as an arena for coordination and conflict. How do we understand actors, their roles and decision making? Power and power relations. Institutions and institutional change. Social-ecological systems. Governance structures. Public goods.
2. International and Domestic Environmental Governance. International environmental governance and institutions, e.g. EU, UN, UN Environment, FAO, World Bank etc. North-South issues. Environmental regimes; ozone, climate change, desertification, etc. Synergies. Introduction to environmental governance in Iceland and how it relates to decision-making with regard to environment and resources. Governance structure, central, local decision-making. Relationship between various levels of governance, parliament, ministries, agencies.
3. Public Responsibility and the Environment. Public participation. How can the public affect decision-making? Domestic and international environmental Non-governmental organizations.
4. Corporate Governance in the sustainability context. This part of the course focuses on corporate governance, such as outlined in the Nasdaq Corporate Governance Guidelines in the context of corporate sustainability. Relevant to the discussion is fiduciary duty, the ESRS Governance Standards (ESRS 1 and 2; ESRS G1), the SDGs 8-10, 12, 13, 17, the UN Global Compact Principle number 10, GRI Universal Standards and 200 Series, the Economic layer canvas, and more.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

The course mainly deals with the types of natural hazards that are most common in Iceland, with special emphasis on mass movements and their various types, such as avalanches, slush flows and slides, landslides, rock falls and rock slides. Theoretical knowledge of the causes and symptoms of mass movements and the relationship between meteorological factors and changes in their frequency, size and causes are reviewed. The main methods of natural science research on such floods are also described, as well as what can be done to prevent them.

The course is largely based on project work and the students' own contribution. Early in the semester, there will be a study trip where data will be collected that students work on during the semester, write a report and give a talk at the end of the semester.

Emphasis is placed on reading and reviewing reading material on natural hazards and projects based on this. Students will be given reading material on specific events, which they will study, explain in class and discuss.

The course covers the various events and processes that can create natural hazards. The concept of natural hazard is defined and the history of this important field in the various natural sciences is examined. The physical causes and processes of various natural hazards are discussed. Ongoing climate change is discussed as a form of hazard, as well as the links between climate change and various weather- and climate-related events. The role of Icelandic Meteorological Office in research and monitoring of natural hazard is discussed.

One-day fieldtrip to the Southern part of Iceland will be done in beginning of September.

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

This course focuses on wilderness as a social construction as well as their objective existence. The historical and cultural processes that construct the wilderness idea will be discussed. The purpose of protecting the wilderness as well as major conflicts regarding their preservation is considered. Primary planning frameworks and management of wilderness for tourism and outdoor recreation are introduced. The relationship between visitors, resource base and management policies will be analysed. The course starts with a five-day field trip into an Icelandic wilderness area.

Introduction to theories and methods of urban geography and urban design, for the analysis of city life and the urban environment, with emphasis on urban spaces and the street and neighbourhood scale.

The historical development of cities from the beginning of urbanization to the present day. Main subjects dealt with in urban geography and urban design for analysis and policy-making, such as different social groups and residence, employment and transport, sense of place and quality of urban spaces, art and culture in urban spaces, nature in the city, and city branding. Challenges that cities face in our time, such as those related to climate change, sustainability, and emerging technologies.

Lectures, seminars, and project work. Individual and group projects.

The course aims at providing students with an overview of research topics in geography and philosophical positions which influence the work of geographers. The history of geography and its position among academic disciplines is discussed. Major ontological, epistemological and methodological points of departure are compared. Writings of selected scholars are analyzed and critiqued. New developments in physical and human geography are discussed. Students are also trained in designing their own research project.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.                 
• Soil classification and global distribution.         
• Soil erosion and land degradation.             
• Human impact on soils and vegetation        
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Soil quality indicators.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.
• Laboratory practices for assessing soil quality.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

This course has three main objectives. i) that students gain a better understanding of the research process and common methods, ii) that students get training in reading and criticizing existing research, and iii) that students get training in developing research questions with respect to theoretical issues and existing research. Lectures: We discuss concepts and methodologies emphasizing i) the strengths and limitations of various methods, ii) the connections among methodologies, methods, and theoretical issues. Discussion sessions: Students read research articles and discuss research methods in relation to specific sociological topics.

The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

A 7-week intensive course (first 7 weeks of fall term). 

Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.

Occurrence of groundwater, the water content of soil, properties and types of aquifers (porosity, retention, yield, storage coefficients; unconfined, confined, leaky, homogeneous, isotropic aquifers). Principles of groundwater flow. Darcy's law, groundwater potential, potentiometric surface, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, permeability, determination of hydraulic conductivity in homogeneous and anisotropic aquifers, permeability, flow lines and flow nets, refraction of flow lines, steady and unsteady flow in confined, unconfined and leaky aquifers, general flow equations. Groundwater flow to wells, drawdown and recovery caused by pumping wells, determination of aquifer parameters from time-drawdown data, well loss, capacity and efficiency. Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers. Mass transport of solutes by groundwater flow. Quality and pollution of groundwater. Case histories from groundwater studies in Iceland. Numerical models of groundwater flow.   Students carry out an interdisciplinary project on groundwater hydrology and management.

A full semester course – 14 weeks.

a) One week field work at the beginning of autumn term.  Several geophysical methods applied to a practical problem.

b) Geophysical exploration methods and their application in the search for energy resources and minerals. Theoretical basis, instruments, measurement procedures, data processing and interpretation. Seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetics, electrical methods, borehole logging. Practical work includes computations, model experiments.  Interpretation and preparation of report on field work done at beginning of course.

Stress and strain tensors, wave-equations for P- and S-waves. Body waves and guided waves. Seismic waves: P-, S-, Rayleigh- and Love-waves. Free oscillations of the Earth. Seismographs, principles and properties. Sources of earthquakes: Focal mechanisms, seismic moment, magnitude scales, energy, frequency spectrum, intensity. Distribution of earthquakes and depths, geological framework. Seismic waves and the internal structure of the Earth.

The course is either tought in a traditional way (lectures, exercises, projects) or as a reading course where the students read textbooks and give a written or oral account of their studies.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to Research Studies and the Scientific Community for M.sc. and Ph.D. students. The scientific community. Ethical, professional and practical information for research students. The research student's rights and responsibilities. Career opportunities. Lab safety and professionalism. Scientific method, conflict of interest and proper scientific conduct. What you can expect and not expect from supervisors. Duties and responsibilities of graduate students. Experimental design and how to write and publish results. Bibliographic software, tables and figure presentation. Techniques for poster and oral presentations. Writing scientific papers. Writing science proposals.

Grant writing and opportunities, cover letters, publishing environment and options. Thesis completion and responsibilities around graduation.

Format. Lectures, practicals, student projects and reviewing. Indvidual and group projects.

The course is run over 11 weeks in the fall.

Climate change is a global issue and one of the more challenging environmental problems of the present and near future. Since 1992 there have been many meetings and agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.

This course will cover the topic of climate change from several angles. Starting with the basic evidence and science behind climate change and modeling of future scenarios, then through impacts and vulnerability to efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Issues such as climate refugees, gender aspects and negotiations are addressed.

Grading is based on a writing assignment, short quiz, course participation and presentations, in addition to group assignments where mitigation, future scenarios and basic processes are examined further. Students taking this course generally have very different backgrounds and you will have a chance to learn about climate change from different viewpoints.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

Introduction to the discipline of spatial planning, key terms and issues, historical development, and governance in spatial planning.

Main focus of the course is on practical methods in spatial planning, especially in the context of plan-making for larger geographical areas, such as cities, municipalities or regions.
Students get to know and train in applying a range of different methods used in spatial planning for collection, analysis, and interpretation of information on the built environment, local community, nature and different interests regarding urban development and land use. Also, methods for developing and presenting planning policies and planning documents.

Lectures, seminars, and project work. Individual and group projects.

The following topics are addressed:

Terrestrial food webs and biological communities above and below ground. The role of organisms and other factors in shaping terrestrial habitats. Relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem processes such as primary production and nutrient dynamics. Effects of individual organism groups and traits, of plants and herbivores in particular, on ecosystem processes, stability and resilience. Effects of climate change and land use on ecosystems with emphasis on northern regions (sub-Arctic and Arctic). The unique characteristics of Icelandic ecosystems. Restoration of degraded and collapsed ecosystems. Main methods in community and ecosystem research.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Tephra fall in substantial quantity can ruin vegetation over large swaths of land. Ash-rich plumes can disrupt aviation on a hemispheric scale as well as cause damage to infrastructure like power lines and fresh-water resources. Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are a common consequence of explosive eruptions and can produce lasting damage to areas in vicinity of volcanoes. Not all of the consequences are negative, ash fall in moderation it can act as a fertilizer for vegetation, sulphur-rich fumes enhance the grape harvest and the ash layers can be very useful as marker layers for correlation and dating of sedimentary sequences across regions.
The principal theme in this course is the ERUPTION, where the emphasis is on (i) shallow conduit processes (i.e., ascent rate, magma degassing and magma discharge) that control magma expansion (±fragmentation) and eruption intensity, (ii) the processes that govern the dispersal of the erupted products (i.e., lava and tephra) and (iii) the volcanic hazards that can be posed by lava flows, tephra fall and gas emissions. This is a seven-week course and is set up such that the first 3-4 weeks will be filled with lectures and discussion sessions on the topics mentioned above. In the latter half of the course the students will be divided into groups of 2-3 students to work on the course project. The project is two-pronged; one part that deals with key eruption parameters and another part aimed at eruption related hazards. Two days in the field will be used to collect information, measurements, and samples of eruption products from a selected area for further analysis in the laboratory. This data and the toolbox VETOOLS will then be used by each group to underpin an assessment of the volcanic hazards in the study area. The results will be turned in as a report set up as an article in an international journal. The expected student workload in this the course is about 150 hours (c.a. 20 hours per credit = hours per week).

Taught in the Spring, block 2, each year. 

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

The course is project orientated; students work independently on projects under the guidance of the teacher. Guidance is primarily on technical and theoretical solutions from the geographical information system (GIS) point of view. Major part of the semester is focused on the students own projects, often in connection with their final thesis (MS or PhD). Student projects can come from any discipline but need to have a GIS perspective that needs to be solved.

Topics: Projections, geographical objects, attributes databases, topology, geographical fields, presentation of GIS data, 3D, Meta data, open source programmes.

There is no exam but evaluation of students is through final report and smaller projects during the semester. In the beginning of the semester students are required to have a description of their project along with an estimation of the geographical information (data) they need to solve it.

Aim: To present the main nature and characteristics of earthquakes and to present the methodology used to assess earthquake impacts. Subject: Seismicity and source models. Earthquake waves and wave propagation. Strong ground motion and attenuation models. Soil amplification. Linear and non-linear response spectra. Mapping of earthquake hazard. Projects and thesis work.

This course offers students a basic knowledge crisis and their effects on individuals and societies. Topics discussed and skills include the organization of the civil defence and crisis management, with emphasis on the role of the social workers.  The importance of  psychological support is indroduced and first aid and crisis intervention is discussed. Furthermore definitions  of crises, physical and psychological symptoms and PTSD will also be discussed.

Weekly projects where students will be introduced to the following remote sensing fields:

1. Google Earth Engine: Data processing, scripts and interpretation. Thermal data from satellites in connection with volcanology or related fields. Theory of thermal remote sensing. Atmospheric correction methods. Additional project on environmental change, using multispectral data.Two weeks.
2. Remote Sensing with Drones: Legal issues and challenges regarding data collection. Different platforms, sensors and other equipment. Planning data collection in connection with area and resolution. Processing: Mosaic, surface models (3D) and classification. Connection with different field of study, interpretation. Several data types will be tested: Optical, thermal, lidar. Various programs and equipment. Two weeks.
3. Ground Penetrating Radar. Properties and usage of GPR in earth sciences and archaeology. Field trip to collect data and train students in using the equipment. Interpretation of GPR data and merging with other datasets. Drones and field spectroradiometers will be tested in the same field trip. One week.
4. Multi Beam Data. Lecture on properties and usage of MBD for bathymetric charting. Interpretation of MBD in geology. Session in a computer lab where bathymetric data will be used for creating 3D maps. One week.
5. Radar Remote Sensing. Properties of radar data from satellites and how they can be used in environmental sciences and in real time monitoring of the environment. SNAP program will be used, and students can select a project to work on: Flood mapping, pollution monitoring, changes in land elevation. One week.

The students will systematically register their data to a Geographical Information System. Different image processing and GIS methods: Georeferencing, enhancement, classification, calibration, edge detection, change detection, interpolation, 3D analysis, volume calculations and models.

This is a field course that runs in late May  for 12 days (ten days in the field and two days for preparation, finalization and travel to and from).

The theme of the field course is the geology of a ‘hot spot’ situated in a sub-arctic region addressing the sub-themes: volcano-tectonics, magmatism, volcanism, sedimentology, glacial geology and geomorphology in an active volcanic province that periodically has been glaciated, where the interaction of volcanism and climate will be emphasised.

The underpinning aims of this field course are to deploy interactive approaches for training in:

1. Formulating working hypothesis for the area under investigation and set up the approach / methodology by which the hypothesis can be tested in the field within the time frame available.
2. Conducting logging and lithological descriptions of classical volcanic successions featuring range of extrusive, intrusive and sedimentary rocks / deposits as well as extensional and strike-slip tectonics.
3. Analysing landscape of in and outside of an active volcanic terrain and evaluate the role of volcanism versus climate (i.e. glaciation and erosion) in its development.

Glaciers in the world are responding fast to climate change, they are therefore important indicators for assessing changes, but have also impact on the climate system through for example albedo feedback and sea level rise. In this course glaciers will be studied, their distribution in the world, how glacier ice is formed from snow, how they move and respond to climate change.  Focus will be on Icelandic glaciers, their energy and mass balance, interaction of geothermal activity and glaciers in Iceland and reoccurring floods, jökulhlaups, from the main ice cap. During the course students will learn terminology and concepts that will equip them to understand and contribute to discussions of climate change and the role of glaciers in the climate system.  Background in high school physics and math is useful, as numerical  problems concerning temperature, energy budget, mass balance and flow of glaciers will be solved in groups. Glacier measurement techniques will be introduced and at the end of the course ablation stakes will be installed in Sólheimajökull on the south coast of Iceland in a two day fielld excursion. Participation in the field trip is mandatory.

Held in the first half of spring term. Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.
The course covers the details of crustal deformation measurements and models of geodynamic processes. Emphasis is on two space geodetic techniques, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) geodesy and interferometric analysis of synthetic aperture radar images (InSAR), but covers as well as borehole strain, levelling and ground tilt measurement. Theoretical principles as well as practical applications of these techniques are covered. Participants will gain experience in data acquisition, data processing with advanced software packages, and evaluation of error sources and uncertainties. The course covers the role of crustal deformation measurements for exploration of geodynamic processes including plate movements, plate boundary deformation, volcano deformation, earthquake deformation and response to load changes on the surface of the Earth, such as glacio-isostacy. Analytical models of deformation processes are presented and numerical models introduced. Each course participant will carry out an independent project relating to some aspects of crustal deformation data processing, modelling and interpretation of an inferred deformation field in terms of an underlying geodynamic process.

Theory and fundamentals of remote sensing. Electromagnetic radiation, interaction with atmosphere and surface of the Earth. Reflection and emission. Properties of optical, thermal, passive and active microwave images. Overview over other fields of remote sensing: LIDAR, INSAR, multibeam images, GPR and planetary RS.

Data collection, remote sensing systems and platforms: aircraft and spacecraft. Geometric resolution, spectral resolution, signal strength, time resolution. History of remote sensing in the 20th and the 21st centuries.

Image processing and interpretation. Rectification, enhancement, supervised and unsupervised classification, data merging, change detection, GPS, modelling.

Environmental monitoring and application of remote sensing data in geography, geology and biology. Environmental monitoring systems due to rapid and long time changes, natural hazards, events and cartography. Real time data acquisition and processing.

Lectures, discussion sessions and weekly projects on obtaining, analysing and interpreting remote sensing data. Geographical Information Systems (ArcGIS, Quantum GIS) and Images processing software. Independent research project on remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

The course mainly deals with the types of natural hazards that are most common in Iceland, with special emphasis on mass movements and their various types, such as avalanches, slush flows and slides, landslides, rock falls and rock slides. Theoretical knowledge of the causes and symptoms of mass movements and the relationship between meteorological factors and changes in their frequency, size and causes are reviewed. The main methods of natural science research on such floods are also described, as well as what can be done to prevent them.

The course is largely based on project work and the students' own contribution. Early in the semester, there will be a study trip where data will be collected that students work on during the semester, write a report and give a talk at the end of the semester.

Emphasis is placed on reading and reviewing reading material on natural hazards and projects based on this. Students will be given reading material on specific events, which they will study, explain in class and discuss.

The course covers the various events and processes that can create natural hazards. The concept of natural hazard is defined and the history of this important field in the various natural sciences is examined. The physical causes and processes of various natural hazards are discussed. Ongoing climate change is discussed as a form of hazard, as well as the links between climate change and various weather- and climate-related events. The role of Icelandic Meteorological Office in research and monitoring of natural hazard is discussed.

One-day fieldtrip to the Southern part of Iceland will be done in beginning of September.

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

This course focuses on wilderness as a social construction as well as their objective existence. The historical and cultural processes that construct the wilderness idea will be discussed. The purpose of protecting the wilderness as well as major conflicts regarding their preservation is considered. Primary planning frameworks and management of wilderness for tourism and outdoor recreation are introduced. The relationship between visitors, resource base and management policies will be analysed. The course starts with a five-day field trip into an Icelandic wilderness area.

Introduction to theories and methods of urban geography and urban design, for the analysis of city life and the urban environment, with emphasis on urban spaces and the street and neighbourhood scale.

The historical development of cities from the beginning of urbanization to the present day. Main subjects dealt with in urban geography and urban design for analysis and policy-making, such as different social groups and residence, employment and transport, sense of place and quality of urban spaces, art and culture in urban spaces, nature in the city, and city branding. Challenges that cities face in our time, such as those related to climate change, sustainability, and emerging technologies.

Lectures, seminars, and project work. Individual and group projects.

The course aims at providing students with an overview of research topics in geography and philosophical positions which influence the work of geographers. The history of geography and its position among academic disciplines is discussed. Major ontological, epistemological and methodological points of departure are compared. Writings of selected scholars are analyzed and critiqued. New developments in physical and human geography are discussed. Students are also trained in designing their own research project.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.                 
• Soil classification and global distribution.         
• Soil erosion and land degradation.             
• Human impact on soils and vegetation        
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Soil quality indicators.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.
• Laboratory practices for assessing soil quality.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

This course has three main objectives. i) that students gain a better understanding of the research process and common methods, ii) that students get training in reading and criticizing existing research, and iii) that students get training in developing research questions with respect to theoretical issues and existing research. Lectures: We discuss concepts and methodologies emphasizing i) the strengths and limitations of various methods, ii) the connections among methodologies, methods, and theoretical issues. Discussion sessions: Students read research articles and discuss research methods in relation to specific sociological topics.

The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

A 7-week intensive course (first 7 weeks of fall term). 

Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.

Occurrence of groundwater, the water content of soil, properties and types of aquifers (porosity, retention, yield, storage coefficients; unconfined, confined, leaky, homogeneous, isotropic aquifers). Principles of groundwater flow. Darcy's law, groundwater potential, potentiometric surface, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, permeability, determination of hydraulic conductivity in homogeneous and anisotropic aquifers, permeability, flow lines and flow nets, refraction of flow lines, steady and unsteady flow in confined, unconfined and leaky aquifers, general flow equations. Groundwater flow to wells, drawdown and recovery caused by pumping wells, determination of aquifer parameters from time-drawdown data, well loss, capacity and efficiency. Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers. Mass transport of solutes by groundwater flow. Quality and pollution of groundwater. Case histories from groundwater studies in Iceland. Numerical models of groundwater flow.   Students carry out an interdisciplinary project on groundwater hydrology and management.

A full semester course – 14 weeks.

a) One week field work at the beginning of autumn term.  Several geophysical methods applied to a practical problem.

b) Geophysical exploration methods and their application in the search for energy resources and minerals. Theoretical basis, instruments, measurement procedures, data processing and interpretation. Seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetics, electrical methods, borehole logging. Practical work includes computations, model experiments.  Interpretation and preparation of report on field work done at beginning of course.

Stress and strain tensors, wave-equations for P- and S-waves. Body waves and guided waves. Seismic waves: P-, S-, Rayleigh- and Love-waves. Free oscillations of the Earth. Seismographs, principles and properties. Sources of earthquakes: Focal mechanisms, seismic moment, magnitude scales, energy, frequency spectrum, intensity. Distribution of earthquakes and depths, geological framework. Seismic waves and the internal structure of the Earth.

The course is either tought in a traditional way (lectures, exercises, projects) or as a reading course where the students read textbooks and give a written or oral account of their studies.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to Research Studies and the Scientific Community for M.sc. and Ph.D. students. The scientific community. Ethical, professional and practical information for research students. The research student's rights and responsibilities. Career opportunities. Lab safety and professionalism. Scientific method, conflict of interest and proper scientific conduct. What you can expect and not expect from supervisors. Duties and responsibilities of graduate students. Experimental design and how to write and publish results. Bibliographic software, tables and figure presentation. Techniques for poster and oral presentations. Writing scientific papers. Writing science proposals.

Grant writing and opportunities, cover letters, publishing environment and options. Thesis completion and responsibilities around graduation.

Format. Lectures, practicals, student projects and reviewing. Indvidual and group projects.

The course is run over 11 weeks in the fall.

Climate change is a global issue and one of the more challenging environmental problems of the present and near future. Since 1992 there have been many meetings and agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.

This course will cover the topic of climate change from several angles. Starting with the basic evidence and science behind climate change and modeling of future scenarios, then through impacts and vulnerability to efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Issues such as climate refugees, gender aspects and negotiations are addressed.

Grading is based on a writing assignment, short quiz, course participation and presentations, in addition to group assignments where mitigation, future scenarios and basic processes are examined further. Students taking this course generally have very different backgrounds and you will have a chance to learn about climate change from different viewpoints.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

Introduction to the discipline of spatial planning, key terms and issues, historical development, and governance in spatial planning.

Main focus of the course is on practical methods in spatial planning, especially in the context of plan-making for larger geographical areas, such as cities, municipalities or regions.
Students get to know and train in applying a range of different methods used in spatial planning for collection, analysis, and interpretation of information on the built environment, local community, nature and different interests regarding urban development and land use. Also, methods for developing and presenting planning policies and planning documents.

Lectures, seminars, and project work. Individual and group projects.

The following topics are addressed:

Terrestrial food webs and biological communities above and below ground. The role of organisms and other factors in shaping terrestrial habitats. Relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem processes such as primary production and nutrient dynamics. Effects of individual organism groups and traits, of plants and herbivores in particular, on ecosystem processes, stability and resilience. Effects of climate change and land use on ecosystems with emphasis on northern regions (sub-Arctic and Arctic). The unique characteristics of Icelandic ecosystems. Restoration of degraded and collapsed ecosystems. Main methods in community and ecosystem research.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Tephra fall in substantial quantity can ruin vegetation over large swaths of land. Ash-rich plumes can disrupt aviation on a hemispheric scale as well as cause damage to infrastructure like power lines and fresh-water resources. Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are a common consequence of explosive eruptions and can produce lasting damage to areas in vicinity of volcanoes. Not all of the consequences are negative, ash fall in moderation it can act as a fertilizer for vegetation, sulphur-rich fumes enhance the grape harvest and the ash layers can be very useful as marker layers for correlation and dating of sedimentary sequences across regions.
The principal theme in this course is the ERUPTION, where the emphasis is on (i) shallow conduit processes (i.e., ascent rate, magma degassing and magma discharge) that control magma expansion (±fragmentation) and eruption intensity, (ii) the processes that govern the dispersal of the erupted products (i.e., lava and tephra) and (iii) the volcanic hazards that can be posed by lava flows, tephra fall and gas emissions. This is a seven-week course and is set up such that the first 3-4 weeks will be filled with lectures and discussion sessions on the topics mentioned above. In the latter half of the course the students will be divided into groups of 2-3 students to work on the course project. The project is two-pronged; one part that deals with key eruption parameters and another part aimed at eruption related hazards. Two days in the field will be used to collect information, measurements, and samples of eruption products from a selected area for further analysis in the laboratory. This data and the toolbox VETOOLS will then be used by each group to underpin an assessment of the volcanic hazards in the study area. The results will be turned in as a report set up as an article in an international journal. The expected student workload in this the course is about 150 hours (c.a. 20 hours per credit = hours per week).

Taught in the Spring, block 2, each year. 

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

The course is project orientated; students work independently on projects under the guidance of the teacher. Guidance is primarily on technical and theoretical solutions from the geographical information system (GIS) point of view. Major part of the semester is focused on the students own projects, often in connection with their final thesis (MS or PhD). Student projects can come from any discipline but need to have a GIS perspective that needs to be solved.

Topics: Projections, geographical objects, attributes databases, topology, geographical fields, presentation of GIS data, 3D, Meta data, open source programmes.

There is no exam but evaluation of students is through final report and smaller projects during the semester. In the beginning of the semester students are required to have a description of their project along with an estimation of the geographical information (data) they need to solve it.

Aim: To present the main nature and characteristics of earthquakes and to present the methodology used to assess earthquake impacts. Subject: Seismicity and source models. Earthquake waves and wave propagation. Strong ground motion and attenuation models. Soil amplification. Linear and non-linear response spectra. Mapping of earthquake hazard. Projects and thesis work.

This course offers students a basic knowledge crisis and their effects on individuals and societies. Topics discussed and skills include the organization of the civil defence and crisis management, with emphasis on the role of the social workers.  The importance of  psychological support is indroduced and first aid and crisis intervention is discussed. Furthermore definitions  of crises, physical and psychological symptoms and PTSD will also be discussed.

Weekly projects where students will be introduced to the following remote sensing fields:

1. Google Earth Engine: Data processing, scripts and interpretation. Thermal data from satellites in connection with volcanology or related fields. Theory of thermal remote sensing. Atmospheric correction methods. Additional project on environmental change, using multispectral data.Two weeks.
2. Remote Sensing with Drones: Legal issues and challenges regarding data collection. Different platforms, sensors and other equipment. Planning data collection in connection with area and resolution. Processing: Mosaic, surface models (3D) and classification. Connection with different field of study, interpretation. Several data types will be tested: Optical, thermal, lidar. Various programs and equipment. Two weeks.
3. Ground Penetrating Radar. Properties and usage of GPR in earth sciences and archaeology. Field trip to collect data and train students in using the equipment. Interpretation of GPR data and merging with other datasets. Drones and field spectroradiometers will be tested in the same field trip. One week.
4. Multi Beam Data. Lecture on properties and usage of MBD for bathymetric charting. Interpretation of MBD in geology. Session in a computer lab where bathymetric data will be used for creating 3D maps. One week.
5. Radar Remote Sensing. Properties of radar data from satellites and how they can be used in environmental sciences and in real time monitoring of the environment. SNAP program will be used, and students can select a project to work on: Flood mapping, pollution monitoring, changes in land elevation. One week.

The students will systematically register their data to a Geographical Information System. Different image processing and GIS methods: Georeferencing, enhancement, classification, calibration, edge detection, change detection, interpolation, 3D analysis, volume calculations and models.

This is a field course that runs in late May  for 12 days (ten days in the field and two days for preparation, finalization and travel to and from).

The theme of the field course is the geology of a ‘hot spot’ situated in a sub-arctic region addressing the sub-themes: volcano-tectonics, magmatism, volcanism, sedimentology, glacial geology and geomorphology in an active volcanic province that periodically has been glaciated, where the interaction of volcanism and climate will be emphasised.

The underpinning aims of this field course are to deploy interactive approaches for training in:

1. Formulating working hypothesis for the area under investigation and set up the approach / methodology by which the hypothesis can be tested in the field within the time frame available.
2. Conducting logging and lithological descriptions of classical volcanic successions featuring range of extrusive, intrusive and sedimentary rocks / deposits as well as extensional and strike-slip tectonics.
3. Analysing landscape of in and outside of an active volcanic terrain and evaluate the role of volcanism versus climate (i.e. glaciation and erosion) in its development.

Glaciers in the world are responding fast to climate change, they are therefore important indicators for assessing changes, but have also impact on the climate system through for example albedo feedback and sea level rise. In this course glaciers will be studied, their distribution in the world, how glacier ice is formed from snow, how they move and respond to climate change.  Focus will be on Icelandic glaciers, their energy and mass balance, interaction of geothermal activity and glaciers in Iceland and reoccurring floods, jökulhlaups, from the main ice cap. During the course students will learn terminology and concepts that will equip them to understand and contribute to discussions of climate change and the role of glaciers in the climate system.  Background in high school physics and math is useful, as numerical  problems concerning temperature, energy budget, mass balance and flow of glaciers will be solved in groups. Glacier measurement techniques will be introduced and at the end of the course ablation stakes will be installed in Sólheimajökull on the south coast of Iceland in a two day fielld excursion. Participation in the field trip is mandatory.

Held in the first half of spring term. Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.
The course covers the details of crustal deformation measurements and models of geodynamic processes. Emphasis is on two space geodetic techniques, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) geodesy and interferometric analysis of synthetic aperture radar images (InSAR), but covers as well as borehole strain, levelling and ground tilt measurement. Theoretical principles as well as practical applications of these techniques are covered. Participants will gain experience in data acquisition, data processing with advanced software packages, and evaluation of error sources and uncertainties. The course covers the role of crustal deformation measurements for exploration of geodynamic processes including plate movements, plate boundary deformation, volcano deformation, earthquake deformation and response to load changes on the surface of the Earth, such as glacio-isostacy. Analytical models of deformation processes are presented and numerical models introduced. Each course participant will carry out an independent project relating to some aspects of crustal deformation data processing, modelling and interpretation of an inferred deformation field in terms of an underlying geodynamic process.

Theory and fundamentals of remote sensing. Electromagnetic radiation, interaction with atmosphere and surface of the Earth. Reflection and emission. Properties of optical, thermal, passive and active microwave images. Overview over other fields of remote sensing: LIDAR, INSAR, multibeam images, GPR and planetary RS.

Data collection, remote sensing systems and platforms: aircraft and spacecraft. Geometric resolution, spectral resolution, signal strength, time resolution. History of remote sensing in the 20th and the 21st centuries.

Image processing and interpretation. Rectification, enhancement, supervised and unsupervised classification, data merging, change detection, GPS, modelling.

Environmental monitoring and application of remote sensing data in geography, geology and biology. Environmental monitoring systems due to rapid and long time changes, natural hazards, events and cartography. Real time data acquisition and processing.

Lectures, discussion sessions and weekly projects on obtaining, analysing and interpreting remote sensing data. Geographical Information Systems (ArcGIS, Quantum GIS) and Images processing software. Independent research project on remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

The course mainly deals with the types of natural hazards that are most common in Iceland, with special emphasis on mass movements and their various types, such as avalanches, slush flows and slides, landslides, rock falls and rock slides. Theoretical knowledge of the causes and symptoms of mass movements and the relationship between meteorological factors and changes in their frequency, size and causes are reviewed. The main methods of natural science research on such floods are also described, as well as what can be done to prevent them.

The course is largely based on project work and the students' own contribution. Early in the semester, there will be a study trip where data will be collected that students work on during the semester, write a report and give a talk at the end of the semester.

Emphasis is placed on reading and reviewing reading material on natural hazards and projects based on this. Students will be given reading material on specific events, which they will study, explain in class and discuss.

The course covers the various events and processes that can create natural hazards. The concept of natural hazard is defined and the history of this important field in the various natural sciences is examined. The physical causes and processes of various natural hazards are discussed. Ongoing climate change is discussed as a form of hazard, as well as the links between climate change and various weather- and climate-related events. The role of Icelandic Meteorological Office in research and monitoring of natural hazard is discussed.

One-day fieldtrip to the Southern part of Iceland will be done in beginning of September.

In the course, the challenges that different societies face as a result of various natural hazards are discussed in detail. The contribution of geography and social sciences to knowledge about the natural hazard–society nexus is examined. Major scholarly concepts and theories about people‘s response and adaptation to hazards are reviewed. The concept of risk is examined in detail, and research into risk perception by individuals and groups is discussed. Also the objective assessment of risk is looked into, as well as how impacts of hazard events, both locally and over larger areas, can be minimized. The hazard management cycle is introduced and roles and responsibilities of different response actors are clarified. Examples from both wealthier and poorer parts of the world are discussed. Students look into some specific events in detail, obtain data about them, analyse those data and discuss responses and consequences. Natural hazard research in Iceland, by geographers and others, is introduced. Also students visit Icelandic agencies that work in the field of emergency management and response.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

• The topic of the master's thesis must be chosen under the guidance of a supervisor among the academic staff at the Faculty. The thesis size can be 30, 60 (most common) or 90 credits. Master's student has been assigned to a Faculty Coordinator from the beginning of the study , who advises the student regarding the organization of the program. If a student does not have a supervisor for the final project, the student must turn to the faculty coordinator for assistance.
• The choice of topic is primarily the responsibility of the student in collaboration with the project supervisor. The topic of the project should fall within the student's area of study, i.e. course of study and chosen specialisation.
• Final project exam is divided into two parts: oral examination and open  lecture
• Present at the oral exam are the student, supervisor, external examiner and members of the Master's committee. The student provides a brief introduction to the project. It is important that the objectives and research question(s) are clearly stated, the main findings and conclusions drawn from the project.
• According to the rules of the Master's program, all students who intend to graduate from the School of Engineering and Natural Sciences need to give a public lecture about their final project. There are 3 Master's Days at the School per year (for each graduation) where the students present their projects with an open lecture.
• All students graduating from the University of Iceland shall submit an electronic copy of their final masters thesis to Skemman.is. Skemman is a digital repository for all Icelandic universities and is maintained by the National and University Library. 
• According to regulations of University of Iceland all MS thesis should be made available via open access after they have been submitted to Skemman.

The course is a venue for Master‘s students in geography and tourism to collectively discuss about scientific subjects and approaches in their fields. Students present their own research ideas and proposals, and scrutinize those of their peers. Selected theoretical or methodological approaches presently prominent in the disciplines are discussed and critically evaluated.

The students and course organisers meet in the second teaching week of the semester. The organisation of the Master‘s programmes is thoroughly explained, and checked whether that all new students have been allocated a supervisor and other formal requirements have been met. Ideas of new students about their own topics are briefly discussed. Also students and course organisers decide jointly which topics should be taken up for discussion later during the semester. Teachers select some key readings for those topics and make them available to students. The main part of the course consists of a two-day workshop held during the department‘s project week. The attendance of enrolled Master‘s students is mandatory. Doctoral candidates, post-doctoral fellows and academic staff are encouraged to attend also. At the workshop, the topics selected at the start of the semester are discussed in detail. Master‘s students present their research proposals, which are reviewed thoroughly by fellow students and teachers. Students who are getting close to completing the Master‘s programme reflect on their own experiences to those who have started more recently.           

The course is mandatory for all Master‘s students in geography and tourism studies. It is held both in autumn and spring semesters. Each student should enrol and fully participate during three semesters, with 2 credits awarded for each time, and a total of 6 credits over the three semesters. Exemption from the rule of three semester participation can only be made if a student spends part of the study period on exchange abroad, or if a study period is shorter than four semesters.

Course evaluation is based on participation and activity in class.

This course focuses on wilderness as a social construction as well as their objective existence. The historical and cultural processes that construct the wilderness idea will be discussed. The purpose of protecting the wilderness as well as major conflicts regarding their preservation is considered. Primary planning frameworks and management of wilderness for tourism and outdoor recreation are introduced. The relationship between visitors, resource base and management policies will be analysed. The course starts with a five-day field trip into an Icelandic wilderness area.

Introduction to theories and methods of urban geography and urban design, for the analysis of city life and the urban environment, with emphasis on urban spaces and the street and neighbourhood scale.

The historical development of cities from the beginning of urbanization to the present day. Main subjects dealt with in urban geography and urban design for analysis and policy-making, such as different social groups and residence, employment and transport, sense of place and quality of urban spaces, art and culture in urban spaces, nature in the city, and city branding. Challenges that cities face in our time, such as those related to climate change, sustainability, and emerging technologies.

Lectures, seminars, and project work. Individual and group projects.

The course aims at providing students with an overview of research topics in geography and philosophical positions which influence the work of geographers. The history of geography and its position among academic disciplines is discussed. Major ontological, epistemological and methodological points of departure are compared. Writings of selected scholars are analyzed and critiqued. New developments in physical and human geography are discussed. Students are also trained in designing their own research project.

The course includes topics such as:

• Soil formation processes.                 
• Soil classification and global distribution.         
• Soil erosion and land degradation.             
• Human impact on soils and vegetation        
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil
• Physical and chemical properties of soils.
• The role of soil in the ecosystem.
• Icelandic soils and their properties.
• Soil quality indicators.
• Soil nutrients and interactions between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere.
• Soil as an archive for cultural, historical and environmental information.
• Laboratory practices for assessing soil quality.

The course is comprised of lectures, laboratory practicals and field work with a report to deliver.

This course has three main objectives. i) that students gain a better understanding of the research process and common methods, ii) that students get training in reading and criticizing existing research, and iii) that students get training in developing research questions with respect to theoretical issues and existing research. Lectures: We discuss concepts and methodologies emphasizing i) the strengths and limitations of various methods, ii) the connections among methodologies, methods, and theoretical issues. Discussion sessions: Students read research articles and discuss research methods in relation to specific sociological topics.

The main subject of the course is quantitative methods and statistics used in social sciences. The focus will be on research design, sample methods and designing questionnaires. The statistical part will cover descriptive and inferential statistics. Special emphasis will be on factorial ANOVA and multiple regression. Students will get practical training in data analysis using jamovi. Students can use their own data.

The course’s objective is to introduce students to the diverse, academic criteria of qualitative research in social sciences and secondly that student’s gain experience in using qualitative methods. Furthermore, the course is practical in nature where each student works on an independent research assignment, which consists of designing and preparing a research project, collecting and analyzing data, and writing the main findings with guidance from the teacher. Research preparation, the creation of a research plan, data collection and analysis along with academic writing will be extensively covered during the course.

The course deals with the connection between Man and Nature from the viewpoint of Moral Philosophy. It discusses the main proponents of and theories within Environmental Ethics and describes the roots of differing views of Nature, as well as different ethical orientations, i.e. anthropocentric, ecocentric, and biocentric positions. The course also deals with the integration of environmental and developmental issues, and with the connection between environmentalism and democracy. Amongst central issues discussed are the following: Can Ethics provide guidance in the solution of environmental problems?, What type of beings are worthy of moral considerability?, Can natural phenomena possess intrinsic value?, Do animals have rights?, Is there any fundanmental difference in men's and women's relations to Nature?, and, What is the ethical basis of sustainable development?

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere, but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Volcanism has also played a critical role in forming a significant fraction of mineral resources currently exploited by man. As such, volcanic phenomena influence directly or indirectly many (if not all) sub-disciplines of Earth Sciences. Consequently, a basic understanding of how volcanoes work and how they contribute to the earth system cycles is a valuable knowledge to any student in geosciences.

The basic principles of volcanology are covered in this course including the journey of magma from source to surface plus the general processes that control eruptions and dispersal of erupted products. We also cover the principles of eruption monitoring as well as volcano-climate.

Practical sessions will be held weekly and are aimed at solving problems via calculations, data analysis and arguments. One field trip to Reykjanes.

A 7-week intensive course (first 7 weeks of fall term). 

Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.

Occurrence of groundwater, the water content of soil, properties and types of aquifers (porosity, retention, yield, storage coefficients; unconfined, confined, leaky, homogeneous, isotropic aquifers). Principles of groundwater flow. Darcy's law, groundwater potential, potentiometric surface, hydraulic conductivity, transmissivity, permeability, determination of hydraulic conductivity in homogeneous and anisotropic aquifers, permeability, flow lines and flow nets, refraction of flow lines, steady and unsteady flow in confined, unconfined and leaky aquifers, general flow equations. Groundwater flow to wells, drawdown and recovery caused by pumping wells, determination of aquifer parameters from time-drawdown data, well loss, capacity and efficiency. Sea-water intrusion in coastal aquifers. Mass transport of solutes by groundwater flow. Quality and pollution of groundwater. Case histories from groundwater studies in Iceland. Numerical models of groundwater flow.   Students carry out an interdisciplinary project on groundwater hydrology and management.

A full semester course – 14 weeks.

a) One week field work at the beginning of autumn term.  Several geophysical methods applied to a practical problem.

b) Geophysical exploration methods and their application in the search for energy resources and minerals. Theoretical basis, instruments, measurement procedures, data processing and interpretation. Seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetics, electrical methods, borehole logging. Practical work includes computations, model experiments.  Interpretation and preparation of report on field work done at beginning of course.

Stress and strain tensors, wave-equations for P- and S-waves. Body waves and guided waves. Seismic waves: P-, S-, Rayleigh- and Love-waves. Free oscillations of the Earth. Seismographs, principles and properties. Sources of earthquakes: Focal mechanisms, seismic moment, magnitude scales, energy, frequency spectrum, intensity. Distribution of earthquakes and depths, geological framework. Seismic waves and the internal structure of the Earth.

The course is either tought in a traditional way (lectures, exercises, projects) or as a reading course where the students read textbooks and give a written or oral account of their studies.

“visualization is the process of making the invisible visible[...] the process of making the cognitive imagination visual using available and culturally dominant technologies is one of the most consistent behaviors of mankind.” - Cox, D. (2006). "Metaphoric Mappings: The Art of Visualization." MIT Press.
Cartography is one of the central elements of spatial data visualisation.
This course introduces students to cartographic theory and mapmaking via using digital technology. It aims to give students a broad conceptual as well as practical understanding of cartographic visualisation and geographic communication, encompassing a range of topics relevant in spatial sciences. Through a series of lectures and discussions, students will come to understand the history of cartography, key cartographic theories and concepts, and the role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in today’s map making process. The lectures will be complemented by practical exercises that help to gain an understanding of cartographic conceptualisation as well as a series of tutorial-based computer lab exercises where students will learn how to use GIS for basic spatial analysis and cartographic illustration. They will be able to critically evaluate their own work and of others and explain and justify their decision-making process in a cartographic project.

Introduction to Research Studies and the Scientific Community for M.sc. and Ph.D. students. The scientific community. Ethical, professional and practical information for research students. The research student's rights and responsibilities. Career opportunities. Lab safety and professionalism. Scientific method, conflict of interest and proper scientific conduct. What you can expect and not expect from supervisors. Duties and responsibilities of graduate students. Experimental design and how to write and publish results. Bibliographic software, tables and figure presentation. Techniques for poster and oral presentations. Writing scientific papers. Writing science proposals.

Grant writing and opportunities, cover letters, publishing environment and options. Thesis completion and responsibilities around graduation.

Format. Lectures, practicals, student projects and reviewing. Indvidual and group projects.

The course is run over 11 weeks in the fall.

Climate change is a global issue and one of the more challenging environmental problems of the present and near future. Since 1992 there have been many meetings and agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.

This course will cover the topic of climate change from several angles. Starting with the basic evidence and science behind climate change and modeling of future scenarios, then through impacts and vulnerability to efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Issues such as climate refugees, gender aspects and negotiations are addressed.

Grading is based on a writing assignment, short quiz, course participation and presentations, in addition to group assignments where mitigation, future scenarios and basic processes are examined further. Students taking this course generally have very different backgrounds and you will have a chance to learn about climate change from different viewpoints.

The vascular flora of Iceland and the arctic flora: origins, composition, ecology. The biogeography of the flora of the North Atlantic. The Pleistocene environment of Iceland and the Holocene vegetation history of Iceland and Europe. Hypotheses on the age and origin of the Icelandic flora and the arctic flora. The soils of Iceland: characteristics and development, desertification. Post-settlement vegetation changes in Iceland. Biodiversity and distribution patterns of the Icelandic vascular flora. Protected and red-list species. after the biogeography of the circumpolar north. Origins and characteristics of the vascular flora of Iceland. Methods for the description and classification of vegetation. Icelandic vegetation: classification, distribution, environment and utilization. 4 day summer field course.

Teaching period: March - May

This course addresses tourism in the circumpolar north, with an emphasis on tourist experiences and relational entanglements of tourism to northern communities and landscapes. Its objective is to familiarize students with theory and knowledge related to performance, experience and enactment of tourism in a northern context. Questions related to host-guest relationship, development of tourism experiences and the social and environmental repercussions of tourism will be explored. The teaching is based on original research, which applies diverse theoretical perspectives and introduces a range of case studies.

Announcement about access to the course is sent in the beginning of each year. Please note that the number of students enrolled is limited. Students from Geography and Tourism have priority. Registration for the course is through MS-SENS (mssens@hi.is)

Introduction to the discipline of spatial planning, key terms and issues, historical development, and governance in spatial planning.

Main focus of the course is on practical methods in spatial planning, especially in the context of plan-making for larger geographical areas, such as cities, municipalities or regions.
Students get to know and train in applying a range of different methods used in spatial planning for collection, analysis, and interpretation of information on the built environment, local community, nature and different interests regarding urban development and land use. Also, methods for developing and presenting planning policies and planning documents.

Lectures, seminars, and project work. Individual and group projects.

The following topics are addressed:

Terrestrial food webs and biological communities above and below ground. The role of organisms and other factors in shaping terrestrial habitats. Relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem processes such as primary production and nutrient dynamics. Effects of individual organism groups and traits, of plants and herbivores in particular, on ecosystem processes, stability and resilience. Effects of climate change and land use on ecosystems with emphasis on northern regions (sub-Arctic and Arctic). The unique characteristics of Icelandic ecosystems. Restoration of degraded and collapsed ecosystems. Main methods in community and ecosystem research.

Volcanic eruptions are one of the principal forces that affect and modify the Earth’s surface. The resulting volatile emissions not only replenish and maintain our atmosphere but are also known to have significant impact atmospheric properties and its circulation. Tephra fall in substantial quantity can ruin vegetation over large swaths of land. Ash-rich plumes can disrupt aviation on a hemispheric scale as well as cause damage to infrastructure like power lines and fresh-water resources. Pyroclastic density currents (PDCs) are a common consequence of explosive eruptions and can produce lasting damage to areas in vicinity of volcanoes. Not all of the consequences are negative, ash fall in moderation it can act as a fertilizer for vegetation, sulphur-rich fumes enhance the grape harvest and the ash layers can be very useful as marker layers for correlation and dating of sedimentary sequences across regions.
The principal theme in this course is the ERUPTION, where the emphasis is on (i) shallow conduit processes (i.e., ascent rate, magma degassing and magma discharge) that control magma expansion (±fragmentation) and eruption intensity, (ii) the processes that govern the dispersal of the erupted products (i.e., lava and tephra) and (iii) the volcanic hazards that can be posed by lava flows, tephra fall and gas emissions. This is a seven-week course and is set up such that the first 3-4 weeks will be filled with lectures and discussion sessions on the topics mentioned above. In the latter half of the course the students will be divided into groups of 2-3 students to work on the course project. The project is two-pronged; one part that deals with key eruption parameters and another part aimed at eruption related hazards. Two days in the field will be used to collect information, measurements, and samples of eruption products from a selected area for further analysis in the laboratory. This data and the toolbox VETOOLS will then be used by each group to underpin an assessment of the volcanic hazards in the study area. The results will be turned in as a report set up as an article in an international journal. The expected student workload in this the course is about 150 hours (c.a. 20 hours per credit = hours per week).

Taught in the Spring, block 2, each year. 

The environmental and social impacts of tourism continue to increase worldwide as the number of tourists grows. It is therefore essential that students in the field of tourism and related disciplines are familiar with and understand these impacts and able to apply methods to counteract them. Students must also be able to understand the role of these impacts in a wider context with future trends and global threats. This course aims to increase student’s knowledge and understanding of environmental and social responsibility and its importance in implementing sustainable tourism. The course focuses on identifying the environmental and social impacts of tourism and introduces the student to the theory and practice of environmental management and corporate social responsibility. Different approaches and various tools and methodologies used in the field of environmental management and corporate social responsibility will be explored.

The course is project orientated; students work independently on projects under the guidance of the teacher. Guidance is primarily on technical and theoretical solutions from the geographical information system (GIS) point of view. Major part of the semester is focused on the students own projects, often in connection with their final thesis (MS or PhD). Student projects can come from any discipline but need to have a GIS perspective that needs to be solved.

Topics: Projections, geographical objects, attributes databases, topology, geographical fields, presentation of GIS data, 3D, Meta data, open source programmes.

There is no exam but evaluation of students is through final report and smaller projects during the semester. In the beginning of the semester students are required to have a description of their project along with an estimation of the geographical information (data) they need to solve it.

Aim: To present the main nature and characteristics of earthquakes and to present the methodology used to assess earthquake impacts. Subject: Seismicity and source models. Earthquake waves and wave propagation. Strong ground motion and attenuation models. Soil amplification. Linear and non-linear response spectra. Mapping of earthquake hazard. Projects and thesis work.

This course offers students a basic knowledge crisis and their effects on individuals and societies. Topics discussed and skills include the organization of the civil defence and crisis management, with emphasis on the role of the social workers.  The importance of  psychological support is indroduced and first aid and crisis intervention is discussed. Furthermore definitions  of crises, physical and psychological symptoms and PTSD will also be discussed.

Weekly projects where students will be introduced to the following remote sensing fields:

1. Google Earth Engine: Data processing, scripts and interpretation. Thermal data from satellites in connection with volcanology or related fields. Theory of thermal remote sensing. Atmospheric correction methods. Additional project on environmental change, using multispectral data.Two weeks.
2. Remote Sensing with Drones: Legal issues and challenges regarding data collection. Different platforms, sensors and other equipment. Planning data collection in connection with area and resolution. Processing: Mosaic, surface models (3D) and classification. Connection with different field of study, interpretation. Several data types will be tested: Optical, thermal, lidar. Various programs and equipment. Two weeks.
3. Ground Penetrating Radar. Properties and usage of GPR in earth sciences and archaeology. Field trip to collect data and train students in using the equipment. Interpretation of GPR data and merging with other datasets. Drones and field spectroradiometers will be tested in the same field trip. One week.
4. Multi Beam Data. Lecture on properties and usage of MBD for bathymetric charting. Interpretation of MBD in geology. Session in a computer lab where bathymetric data will be used for creating 3D maps. One week.
5. Radar Remote Sensing. Properties of radar data from satellites and how they can be used in environmental sciences and in real time monitoring of the environment. SNAP program will be used, and students can select a project to work on: Flood mapping, pollution monitoring, changes in land elevation. One week.

The students will systematically register their data to a Geographical Information System. Different image processing and GIS methods: Georeferencing, enhancement, classification, calibration, edge detection, change detection, interpolation, 3D analysis, volume calculations and models.

This is a field course that runs in late May  for 12 days (ten days in the field and two days for preparation, finalization and travel to and from).

The theme of the field course is the geology of a ‘hot spot’ situated in a sub-arctic region addressing the sub-themes: volcano-tectonics, magmatism, volcanism, sedimentology, glacial geology and geomorphology in an active volcanic province that periodically has been glaciated, where the interaction of volcanism and climate will be emphasised.

The underpinning aims of this field course are to deploy interactive approaches for training in:

1. Formulating working hypothesis for the area under investigation and set up the approach / methodology by which the hypothesis can be tested in the field within the time frame available.
2. Conducting logging and lithological descriptions of classical volcanic successions featuring range of extrusive, intrusive and sedimentary rocks / deposits as well as extensional and strike-slip tectonics.
3. Analysing landscape of in and outside of an active volcanic terrain and evaluate the role of volcanism versus climate (i.e. glaciation and erosion) in its development.

Glaciers in the world are responding fast to climate change, they are therefore important indicators for assessing changes, but have also impact on the climate system through for example albedo feedback and sea level rise. In this course glaciers will be studied, their distribution in the world, how glacier ice is formed from snow, how they move and respond to climate change.  Focus will be on Icelandic glaciers, their energy and mass balance, interaction of geothermal activity and glaciers in Iceland and reoccurring floods, jökulhlaups, from the main ice cap. During the course students will learn terminology and concepts that will equip them to understand and contribute to discussions of climate change and the role of glaciers in the climate system.  Background in high school physics and math is useful, as numerical  problems concerning temperature, energy budget, mass balance and flow of glaciers will be solved in groups. Glacier measurement techniques will be introduced and at the end of the course ablation stakes will be installed in Sólheimajökull on the south coast of Iceland in a two day fielld excursion. Participation in the field trip is mandatory.

Held in the first half of spring term. Taught if sufficient number of students. May be taugth as a reading course.
The course covers the details of crustal deformation measurements and models of geodynamic processes. Emphasis is on two space geodetic techniques, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) geodesy and interferometric analysis of synthetic aperture radar images (InSAR), but covers as well as borehole strain, levelling and ground tilt measurement. Theoretical principles as well as practical applications of these techniques are covered. Participants will gain experience in data acquisition, data processing with advanced software packages, and evaluation of error sources and uncertainties. The course covers the role of crustal deformation measurements for exploration of geodynamic processes including plate movements, plate boundary deformation, volcano deformation, earthquake deformation and response to load changes on the surface of the Earth, such as glacio-isostacy. Analytical models of deformation processes are presented and numerical models introduced. Each course participant will carry out an independent project relating to some aspects of crustal deformation data processing, modelling and interpretation of an inferred deformation field in terms of an underlying geodynamic process.

Theory and fundamentals of remote sensing. Electromagnetic radiation, interaction with atmosphere and surface of the Earth. Reflection and emission. Properties of optical, thermal, passive and active microwave images. Overview over other fields of remote sensing: LIDAR, INSAR, multibeam images, GPR and planetary RS.

Data collection, remote sensing systems and platforms: aircraft and spacecraft. Geometric resolution, spectral resolution, signal strength, time resolution. History of remote sensing in the 20th and the 21st centuries.

Image processing and interpretation. Rectification, enhancement, supervised and unsupervised classification, data merging, change detection, GPS, modelling.

Environmental monitoring and application of remote sensing data in geography, geology and biology. Environmental monitoring systems due to rapid and long time changes, natural hazards, events and cartography. Real time data acquisition and processing.

Lectures, discussion sessions and weekly projects on obtaining, analysing and interpreting remote sensing data. Geographical Information Systems (ArcGIS, Quantum GIS) and Images processing software. Independent research project on remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

Objectives: Students get an overview on the environmental state of the world and on the main environmental impacts arising from using and developing the human societies. Students are able to evaluate and compare the different urban forms and planning objectives from the perspective of their environmental impacts.

Topics: The course gives the students an overview of the current environmental problems both on global and local scales. The emphasis is on analyses and evaluation of the impacts of various types of land-use on the environment. Examples of such analyses are studied and potential planning solutions are searched for. Current planning policies with regard to preserving the environment are studied and evaluated.

Teaching: Lectures once a week, weekly assignments and a pair project. Lectures will cover the main themes which will then be covered in more detail in the assignments and in the pair project. At the lectures a lot of examples from academic studies will be presented. The students will also participate the lectures through discussions and small within-lecture pair and group assignments.