Earth and Planetary Physics - Specialization

Earth and Planetary Physics

Learn how to map, model and understand the interior of the Earth and other planets using satellite-, air- and drone-based methods.

Processes in Earth's interior control the nature and long-term evolution of the Earth's surface, oceans and atmosphere. Understanding these processes, including the underlying physical structures and dynamics, is therefore of fundamental importance. Comparisons with other planets provide crucial insights here; it is a subject where much remains to be discovered.

Today, a wide range of modern technologies also rely on geophysical methods that probe Earth's interior. Mapping and understanding structures near the surface of the Earth are critical to industries within offshore wind, geothermal energy, hazardous waste removal, large-scale construction (e.g. bridges and tunnels), and raw materials in general.

The specialization 'Earth and Planetary Physics' (EPP) encompasses a range of science disciplines and applications dedicated to understanding Earth and planetary interiors, from the near-surface to the core and on both local and global scales.

Mapping a planet's gravity and magnetic fields from satellites, aircrafts, drones, and ground surveys provides a key to understanding its interior. Students following the specialization EPP are involved in developing new tools and measurement technologies, carrying out fieldwork in various settings and developing advanced data analysis methods involving computational modelling, inverse theory and machine learning, with the aim of elucidating processes and structures in Earth's interior. This EPP specialization will teach graduates to engage in industry-standard near-surface physical methods and/or fundamental scientific problems relating to physical processes in the Earth's crust, mantle and core.

Student projects in EPP will focus on satellite, aircraft, drone and ground-based data, mainly gravity and/or magnetic data, as well as computational modelling, inverse and machine learning methods for data analysis. Projects may include data from related disciplines, such as electromagnetic induction and topographic mapping by Lidar or photogrammetry if desired.

Academic focus

The academic focus of this specialization is the development and use of instrumentation, observation techniques, and computational modelling and inversion algorithms for investigating structures and processes in the Earth's interior.

The relevant geophysical methods will employ mainly magnetic and gravity and also electromagnetic, lidar, and multispectral measurements from satellites, aircraft or drone-based campaigns. Computational methods and techniques such as numerical modelling, inversion, and the analysis and treatment of temporal and spatial data series are included in the specialization.

Within the specialization 'Earth and Planetary Physics', it is possible to focus primarily on either instrumentation ((no specialization courses, only project work!), data processing (e.g. within Inverse problems and Machine Learning) or Physical and mathematical modelling (e.g. within Earth and Planetary Magnetism).

Requirements for the specialization

Suppose students - in addition to the general requirements for the programme - meet the following four more strict requirements for the selection of courses, the title of the specialization 'Earth and Planetary Physics' will be added to the diploma under the title of the general programme: 'Earth and Space Physics and Engineering'.

1.
Students must have passedat least 15 ECTS programme-specific courses in Measurement Technology  from the following list:

2.
Students must have passed at least 15 ECTS programme-specific courses in Physical Large Scale Structures and Processes  from the following list:

Programme-specific courses beyond 30 ECTS will count as elective courses.

3.
The topics of both the mandatory project in 'Earth and Space Physics and Engineering' and the Master's Thesis must be within the specialization field.

4.
Students must have passed a sufficient number of elective courses – and preferably selected from the following list of the recommended elective courses - to bring the total number of ECTS points of the entire study up to 120:

Other relevant elective online courses may be found in the EuroTeQ Partner Universities' course catalogue

Specializations are merely recommended ways of choosing the courses in the curriculum. Applicants are not admitted to a specialization but to the programme and it is possible to choose among all the courses in the curriculum following the directions given. However, if a specialization has been fulfilled the title of the specialization may be added to the diploma.