MSc Geohazard Assessment

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University of Portsmouth, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Comments about MSc Geohazard Assessment - At the institution - Portsmouth - Hampshire

• Objectives
  The aim of the course is to train earth scientists and engineers in state-of-the-art techniques for the identification and assessment of geological hazards. Such training will enable graduates to pursue careers in UK or overseas dealing with risk assessments of hazards such as earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides. The course was designed to meet the criteria for hazard reduction and mitigation put forward as part of the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction.
• Academic title
  MSc Geohazard Assessment
• Course description
  Units
  This course content consists of a series of core and optional taught units covering a range of techniques and geological hazards topics. Units include:
  
  Volcanology
  Aspects of volcanology including the distribution of volcanoes on the Earth, the principal types of volcanic eruption and their products; important types of volcanic hazards and their effects; and the relationship between volcanic hazards and particular types of eruptions.
  
  Seismology
  How seismic effects result in catastrophic earthquake shaking and their effects in terms of geological hazards.
  
  Catastrophic Geologic Events
  The occurrence and nature of large magnitude natural phenomena including concepts of what turns catastrophic geological events from phenomena into hazards and to disasters.
  
  Landslide Hazard Analysis
  Landslides and slope instability including landslide mechanisms, classification schemes and the field identification of different landslide types. Description and examples of the geotechnical, computational and spatial slope stability analysis techniques that can be employed.
  
  Geoscience Risk Analysis
  Concepts of risk, hazard and vulnerability within the geosciences, including the analysis, assessment and management of risk using deterministic and probabilistic methods. Qualitative and field based approaches to risk and hazard assessment.
  
  Rock and Soil Mechanics
  The description, classification and characterization of rocks and soils using field based and laboratory methods.
  
  Remote Sensing and GIS
  The use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques and their application in the geosciences and natural hazard assessments.
  
  Groundwater Hydrology
  Concepts of groundwater occurrence and movement. Issues affecting the quality and quantity of water resources available within aquifers. The importance of aquifer protection and legal responsibilities.
  
  Geohazard Data Modelling
  Analytical methods for the analysis of geological hazards and software to solve the associated spatially complex problems.
  
  Geohazard Management and Remediation
  Methods of identifying and managing geological hazards, including the main techniques for direct and indirect (remote) investigation and the use of appropriate remediation and mitigation schemes.
  
  Topics in Applied Geosciences
  Case histories of recent assessments of geological hazards. Field assessment of geological hazards and field description of rock and soil material.
  
  Dissertation Thesis
  The dissertation project provides an opportunity to undertake an original piece of independent research on a topic that reflects a student’s individual interests in geological hazards

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