Topics Master in Earth Sciences ETH
Master's thesis topics on research group websites
Master's thesis topics in SiROP
Many research groups in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences advertise Master's theses through the external page student research project website SiROP.
The feed below shows a selection of currently available projects.
The impact of a gold mine on Sary-Tor glacier in Central Asia
The surface mass balance of a glacier is critical in the long-term evolution of a glacier, as it reflects the difference between the total sum of the accumulation (mass gain) and the ablation (mass loss). When the surface mass balance is positive, the glacier has gained mass over the year, while a negative balance indicates a nett mass loss. One of the crucial elements in mass balance modelling is the albedo, being the reflectance of the surface. The albedo of the surface of a glacier can change over time because of natural and anthropogenic factors. The aim of this MSc is to analyse whether the Kumtor gold mine in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, might influence the mass balance of the surrounding glaciers. The hypothesis is that the mine, which extended last years in the direction of Sary-Tor glacier, produces dust which lowers the reflectance of the glacier surface and increases the melting rate. Taking this into account might be crucial in mass balance modelling and therefore the glacier’s future.
Keywords
Glacier modelling Glacier mass balance Tien Shan Kyrgyzstan Human impact on glaciers Glaciology Climate Change
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-10-15
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Van Lander
Topics Earth Sciences
Machine-learning based, glacier mass balance modeling
Glacier retreat is one of the most visible signs of ongoing climate change. Understanding the local impacts of glacier evolution is crucial, with mass balance being a central concept. This project explores the use of machine learning models for the computation of glacier mass balance.
Keywords
Glaciology, mass balance, machine learning, data science, computer science, environmental science
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-10-09
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Farinotti Daniel
Topics Earth Sciences
Spatial variability of glacier accumulation from flux inversions
Climate warming is causing rapid glacier retreat worldwide. A major uncertainty in predicting glacier evolution relates to accumulation processes. This thesis will use a new modelling approach to determine accumulation rates and study the contribution of different processes to their variability.
Keywords
Glaciology Glacier mass balance Glacier modelling Snow accumulation processes
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-10-08 , Earliest start: 2025-01-01 , Latest end: 2025-09-30
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Farinotti Daniel , Mazzotti Giulia
Topics Earth Sciences
Consolidating parameterizations of wind-driven snow accumulation over glaciers
Accurate modelling of glacier mass balance requires the representation of wind-driven snow transport. This thesis will investigate the performance of various parameterizations.
Keywords
Glaciology, snow sciences
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-09-20
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Farinotti Daniel
Topics Earth Sciences
Open Master Thesis Topic: TanDEM-X: Revealing the Recent Height Changes and Velocity Dynamics of the Great Aletsch Glacier
The TanDEM-X mission has been launched for more than a decade. The mission collected rich valuable data that allows for generating high resolution digital elevation models (DEM) and analysing the change of earth surface topography. Therefore, this project aims to leverage the TanDEM-X data collected over the Great Aletsch Glacier to evaluate the height changes and velocity dynamics of the glacier.
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-09-20
Applications limited to ETH Zurich
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Farinotti Daniel
Topics Engineering and Technology , Earth Sciences
West Antarctic Ice Sheet subglacial drainage and grounding zone seismicity
Antarctic ice sheets contribute significant uncertainty to sea level rise projections due to processes occurring deep beneath the ice. This project will use existing data from two passive seismic deployments to investigate the ice sheet – ice shelf transition of Kamb Ice Stream in West Antarctica.
Keywords
Glaciology, Seismology, Antarctica, Ice Sheet, Ice Stream, Ice Shelf, Geophysics
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-09-20
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Farinotti Daniel , Horgan Huw
Topics Earth Sciences
Acceptance study of glacier covers
This project will investigate the societal acceptance of covering glaciers with geotextiles to artificially slowing down their melting.
Keywords
Glaciology, glacier covers, acceptance
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Master Thesis
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Published since: 2024-08-06
Organization Glaciology (Prof. Farinotti)
Hosts Farinotti Daniel
Topics Earth Sciences