ecolmas-course2009-5

May, 15 – 18, 2009, Maasholm (Schlei Mouth, Western Baltic Sea)

Environmental Magnetic discovery days on the Baltic seashore
Organizers: Tilo von Dobeneck, Cletus Itambi (EUROPROX, MARUM, Univ. Bremen)

Objectives
"Environmental Magnetism" is the methodology of using rock magnetic properties to describe spatial or temporal structures of natural systems: marine and lacustrine sediments, loess and soil sequences, archeological or polluted sites. The method exploits the concentration and granulometry of common iron minerals such as (titano-)magnetite, maghemite, hematite, goethite and greigite – all of which represent characteristic sources and/or chemical milieus. A charm of rock magnetic analytics is the versatility, speed and relative simplicity of bulk sample measurements (susceptibility, ARM, IRM, HIRM etc.) and their interesting links to paleoceanography, sedimentology, geochemistry, microbiology and other disciplines.

Course concept
We'll approach "Environmental Magnetism" from the practical side. For four long May days, we have the "Umwelthaus Maasholm" at our disposition, situated at the mouth of the scenic Schlei inlet on the Western Baltic seashore. This secluded, simple and self-reliant 30 bed hostel at the beachfront offers ideal settings for both active and relaxed "blended learning": We'll have an in- or outdoor crash course to review basics of rock magnetism, we will set up and operate an improvised field rock magnetic laboratory and carry out small self-defined magnetic case studies on coastal sedimentation processes, we sample sediment on- and offshore with our own research zodiac "Neritic Discoverer", measure magnetic proxy parameters at beach and field lab and try to put all into a story.

Participants
We have total space for 10-12 Ph.D. participants (Vera Bender, Janna Just, Sebastian Razik, Lucia Reichelt have booked already!) We will team up with the Environmental Magnetism M.Sc. class (12-14 students) on Saturday/Sunday. Decide quickly and answer until 10.5.09. A short final briefing is held in the M.Sc. class on Monday, 11.5.09 at 14:15, GEO 1490.

Personal equipment
Bring field, beach and rain wear, back pack, sneakers, bed sheet and blanket/sleeping bag.
If you have: notebook, camera, binoculars and a neoprene suit (we will try to borrow some).

Costs and transfer
Overnight costs are covered by EUROPROX. We will shop and cook together and share the food costs. Travel is by institute bus, train or car. Bus departure is from the Geosciences Department on Friday 15.5.09 at 9:00 and return on late Monday 18.5.09 at around 22:00. Train schedules (HB – Süderbrarup, cheap student and group travel tickets) are available.

To subscribe
email to Torsten Bickert <> with cc to Tilo von Dobeneck <> and Martina Braun <