Pure and Applied Quaternary Sciences (PAQS)
Surface processes in orogens and in their forelands; glaciology, paleoclimate and polar research; marine and limnogeology; dating; humans as geological agents, engineering geology.
Information: Prof. Flavio Anselmetti (Bern), Prof. Anneleen Foubert (Fribourg) or Prof. Fritz Schlunegger (Bern)
The Major in Pure and Applied Quaternary Science represents an integrated approach for training students in broad geologic themes including in particular earth-surface processes through time and all aspects concerning Quaternary sediments: This focus includes sedimentology and human impact on earth surface processes, analyses and dating of sedimentary sequences to decipher climate change, actualistic glacial geological studies also in polar areas, natural hazards and physical properties of unconsolidated rocks. This approach guarantees a fundamental education that will enable graduates to face everyday scientific and applied geologic challenges with a special focus on unconsolidated sediments.
Expected careers for Masters in Pure and Applied Quaternary Science are:
- Academic careers, through a sound preparation for PhD research in the fields of earth surface processes, palaeoclimate research, natural hazards, and geotechnics.
- Consultant companies working in the field of engineering geology, hydrogeology or natural hazards.
- Public agencies with responsibilities for environmental affairs such as landscape preservation and water protection.
- International insurance companies with strong interests in risk assessments of global climate change and natural hazards.
Each student writes a research thesis on a topic related to on-going investigations at the Universities of Fribourg or Bern. The project may involve any combination of field, laboratory and/or computational work. The thesis work is conducted over the entire period of the MSc curriculum, parallel with coursework, thereby allowing time for in-depth understanding of the research problems and methods. One or more supervisors are drawn from the team of lecturers or from partner institutions. The thesis work terminates with a manuscript written according to international standards and an oral presentation at the end of the fourth semester. The MSc thesis may be written in English, French or German.
MSc students have access to a wide range of modern analytical facilities at the host institute, including laboratories for cosmogenic nuclides, core scanning (petrophysical and XRF), geotechnical and petrophysical measurements, microbial analysis, optically stimulated luminescence, petrographic microscopy, cathode-luminescence, scanning-electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, electron microprobe, Laser-Raman and FTIR spectroscopy, Laser-ablation-ICP-MS, fluid inclusion microthermometry, wet-chemical laboratories with atomic-absorption and ion-chromatography and mass-spectrometers for various isotope systems. A series of geophysical exploration systems are available for marine and lake surveys including reflection seismic and multibeam bathymetric surveying. A large set of coring devices are used for sediment coring and drilling. Computational facilities include state-of-the-art infrastructure incl. GIS applications and numerical modeling applications. Additional facilities are available at the collaborating research institutes.
Prospective students for the Specialization in Pure and Applied Quaternary Sciences should contact one of the following professors for further information:
Prof. Flavio Anselmetti (Bern), Prof. Anneleen Foubert (Fribourg) or Prof. Fritz Schlunegger (Bern)