The greylag goose thrives in manmade landscapes, such as along the Norwegian coastline. Yet they remain remarkably shy of people. In this seminar, you will learn about how its many fascinating physiological adaptations allow it to live such a life. Their adaptations have made them both a pest for farmers and a valued and traditional source of meat for people. Hunters regard the greylag goose as a very challenging prey. I will tell you how understanding their physiological adaptations is key to regulate the numbers of this very shy bird with success.

Presenter: Jo Jorem Aarseth

Ground temperatures and thermal properties, as well as active layer thickness are influenced by many factors. Of major importance are the geographical, climatological and meteorological variables, such as location, slope exposition, elevation, distance to open waters and seas, sediment type, water content, snow cover, albedo of the ground surface, vegetation and others. Being one of the most important indicators of climate change, permafrost phenomena have been topics of many scientific studies. The geomorhological measurements and periglacial processes will be presented during this lesson.

Presenter: Tomasz Wawrzyniak

Japan, Chile, New Zeland - they are beautiful places where people face with high threat of ground shakes. Nevertheless everybody knows that subduction is no joke. But what about the rest of population who lives in Central Europe, East Coast of America or West Asia? Are they really safe?

During the lesson, you will learn the basic facts about earthquakes: what exactely is considered as an earthquake or how we measure it's strength. But what is more intresting, you'll find out where and why natural earthquakes could happen, especielly if they are not caused by natural forces of colliding continents. We will also try to figure out are we as a population responsible for some of tragic earthquakes that happened in the past?

Presenter: Alicja Caputa

Drifting ice stations are located on sea ice on the Arctic Ocean and conduct year-round observations. The first person to propose them was Fridtjof Nansen, after he returned from a famous expedition onboard the Fram ship.

Nowadays bases on drifting, polar ice serve scientific and commercial purposes and take many forms, from small boats entrenched in snow to actual research stations consisting of several buildings. On this lesson you will learn about history of drifting ice stations and their current situation. Their role in scientific research will be highlighted.

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

You don’t like when it's dark? What if the sun shines all day or it’s night all the time? Can this be tiring? How is it that day and night on Spitsbergen last for over 3 months?

During the lesson, we will learn what is the polar day and the polar night, and how our localisation on the planet together with Earth’s revolution affect the length of day and night. We will also get to know different types of dusks and dawns, and how does this look like on the Polish polar station.

All this during a lesson broadcast live from the Polish Polar Station Hornsund on Spitsbergen!

Presenter: Anna Nadolna

Oceans are not a monotonous soup: they're in constant motion, influencing our everyday lives more than we're aware of. They are very important in determining the climates of the continents, especially those regions bordering on the ocean. They are essential for life in the sea . Learn all about the mechanisms and consequences of this fascinating motion.

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

It's time to visit world's biggest island, go through its landscape, climate, meet its habitants, admire its history and culture. Enjoy another Arctic trip!

Presenter: Anna Wielgopolan

Iceland is often called "A land of ice and fire". It is located over a "hot spot" of the Earth's mantle, within the Atlantic Rift. The western part of the island is a part of the North American Plate, while the eastern part lies on the Eurasian Plate. Measurements show expansion of the volcanic belt, which means, that the two tectonic plates are moving away from each another. The largest ice cap in Europe is located on Iceland as well - the Vatnajökull ice cap. Studies of this cap, and the related Jökulsárlón glacial lake, formed basis of one of the theories explaining the origins of ribbon lakes.

Presenter: Julian Podgórski

How can we protect nature by establishing sustainable geotourism, Unesco world heritage sites and geoparks? We look at spectacular natural sites in Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands that have Unesco world heritage sites, geoparks or aspire to establish these.

Presenter: Lis Mortensen

Do you ever wonder why whales and other marine animals are found in the sediments all the way up in the mountains like on the Andes, Himalayas or Alps for example? Or about how our oceans change through time?

In this lesson, we will look at the cycle of how an ocean is born (opens) and how it evolves and eventually dies (closes). This is explained as the Wilson Cycle, named after the Canadian geophysicist J. Tuzo Wilson (1908-1993).

You will learn about how the planet earth works, the Wilson cycle, a bit about plate-tectonics and the boundaries between them.

Presenter: Barbara Biskopstø Hansen

During webinar delivered by our guest scientist, dr Ashley Gumsley, we'll dive deep into the past of Earth. In this lesson you'll learn all your need to know about this most dramatic of Earth’s cycles – that of a global glaciation unlike any that we know of in our own history, and which encased the world in ice.

The Earth has we know it hasn’t always been like the world we know today. In deep time, the planet was without multi-cellular life, and the plants and animals that developed through it. It was also without significant free oxygen, and the organisms that existed, lived in ways very different than today. During these early Precambrian times, the Earth experienced at least two distinct episodes of global glaciation, i.e., a Snowball Earth. The causes and results of this series of events are the subject of debate, but many things need to happen in order to make a Snowball Earth, and one of the consequences, of course, is the world that we know today. In this lesson you'll learn all your need to know about this most dramatic of Earth’s cycles – that of a global glaciation unlike any that we know of in our own history, and which encased the world in ice.

Presenter: Ashley Gumsley

Presently, 10 percent of land area on Earth is covered with glacial ice, including glaciers, ice caps, and the ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. Glacierized areas cover over 15 million square kilometers. As the glaciers move, friction causes the bottom of the glacier to melt. This this water freezes into joints in the rock. When the glacier moves again the rock is pulled away or ‘plucked’ from the base of the valley. Rock pieces that have been plucked away and carried by the glacier act like sandpaper scraping away at the valley bottom and sides. Glacial processes create different lanforms that will be presented during this lecture.

Presenter: Tomasz Wawrzyniak