Course: Extreme Geological Events

In this video, Dr Morten Andersen explains the importance of the formation of elements through the Big Bang. Elements are the building blocks of everything in the universe and without …

In this video, Dr Ernest Chi Fru explains how Earth managed to escape from Snowball Earth ice ages. The end of Snowball Earth ice ages is thought to have been …

Snowball Earth events coincided with the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere and this was crucial to the emergence of life. Life evolved from the microscopic (not visible to the …

The extreme conditions that Snowball Earth’s brought about seem contradictory to the development of life. But, one of the most fascinating aspects of these events is the relationship between them …

In this video, Dr Ernest Chi Fru explains how on at least three occasions Earth was completely frozen over and covered in ice. It is hard for us to envisage …

In the last activity we saw how the Earth was formed. But, it was far from the planet we know today. Some basic conditions needed for habitability on our planet …

In this video, Dr Wim Degruyter explains the differences between regular and extreme events. The film crew caught up in the eruption on Mount Etna described this event as ‘extremely …

Before we close we’d like to acknowledge everyone who has been involved in the course. Thanks to our educators: Dr Morten Andersen Dr Marc-Alban Millet Dr Ernest Chi Fru Dr …

Some of you might have questions unanswered and want to continue your study. We’re all inhabitants on Earth and as our population grows understanding our planet, and how natural processes …

Well done for reaching the end of our course exploring extreme geological events. There’s been a lot to consider over the past three weeks and at points in the course …

Once we have established which hazard occurs where on our planet and with what frequency, we can start long-term preparation by creating risk maps. Local governments can then enable their …

Risk maps are good tools to make long-term preparations for natural hazards. But they do not directly help with evacuations or other risk mitigation strategies that result from imminent or …

We have thought about what where and when hazards occur and how this forms the basis of preparing ourselves for future hazards. By using the data we have on the …

One of the major risks of extreme events is the loss of human lives or fatalities. When looking at events in Sumatra and Alaska in the previous step we saw …

In this video, Dr David Thompson explores the risks of two of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. 1964 Alaska, USA Of the two events we’ve considered, the magnitude 9.2 earthquake …