Earth, Life and Climate – (M.Sc.)

Earth, Life and Climate is an interdisciplinary programme combining biology, (geo)chemistry and earth sciences.

The programme Earth, Life and Climate aims at students with a Bachelor's degree in one of these disciplines and an interest in ecology, evolution or paleoecology. The programme focuses on 'system Earth' as a whole, studying the fundamental processes that drive natural systems, in particular those with a strong impact on the biosphere and biodiversity and the processes that determine the structure and evolution of natural environments at the Earth's surface, including soils, sediments, lakes, groundwaters, wetlands, estuaries and the oceans. These environments are interlinked by the hydrological cycle, and their chemistry is strongly influenced by biological activity. Emphasis is placed on the interaction between communities of living organisms and the changing lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Special focus lies on processes that have affected the Earth in the past (for instance the effects of climate change on the biosphere) to analyse future threats that might endanger our global system.