Water on Planet Mars: Follow the Flow
Utrecht University
Faculty of Geosciences (UU)
Course code: H18
Advanced bachelor level
Planet Mars has water ice near its surface, and dry rivers, deltas and gigantic canyons attest to past water flow on the surface. But how much water did flow on Mars? What was the past climate, and how long was the planet wet? Was there ever life on Mars and could we live there in the future? This course focusses on Mars surface dynamics and landforms related to water. Topics include a general introduction to the other planet, comparison of terrestrial and martian fluvial systems with a variety of landforms including impact craters, drainage patterns, rivers, deltas and canyons. Techniques employed in the course include image analysis, quantitative data analysis, laboratory experiments and physics-based modelling.
This summer school is held under the auspices of the Graduate School of Geosciences.
» Download the day-to-day programme (PDF)
COURSE DIRECTOR
Maarten Kleinhans
LOCATION
- Utrecht, The Netherlands
TARGET GROUP
Course aimed at 2nd or 3rd year BSc students in Physical Geography, Geology, Environmental Science, Civil Engineering or in any other natural science that are interested in learning about the surface of planet Mars and its hydrological past. This course requires a basic (secondary-school) training in physics and mathematics.
COURSE AIM
The aims of this course are (i) to introduce planet Mars, (ii) to develop a thorough understanding of fluvial and deltaic morphodynamics on Earth and Mars, and (iii) to infer the implications for past hydrology and climate of Mars. We believe that a combination of dedicated lectures, literature and hands-on observation (image and elevation analysis), experimentation (creating self-organising landscapes with water and sand) and physics-based modelling (in a spreadsheet) by the student greatly enhances the acquired understanding of earth- and planetary science. The end product of this course will be an extended abstract on a case study in the style of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.
PERIOD
05-07-2010 - 16-07-2010 (2 weeks)
CREDITS
3.0 ECTS credits + Certificate of Attendance
FEE
• € 855 - Course + course materials + housing
SCHOLARSHIPS
Utrecht Summer School doesn't offer scholarships for this course.
MORE INFORMATION
Jeroen van Pelt
T: +31 30 253 9160
E: j.vanpelt@geo.uu.nl
REGISTRATION
Deadline for registration: 21-05-2010
Application closed
