During the last 60-70 years, anthropogenic processes have become dominant in shaping the surface of the Earth. We move more material (soil, sand gravel, rocks) than all the major rivers and glaciers combined. These surface changes are part of the global changes to the Earth System, collectively described as the Anthropocene, potentially making a new geological epoch.
During the past decade, many anthropogenic landforms such as mounds and pits, farmland and roads, have received more attention. Modern methods such as LIDAR have made detailed mapping possible. But how do we map and classify these landforms, when and why were they made, and where do we find them? The Anthropocene landforms and landscapes have so far not been studied systematically in Norway.
This master project will be a detailed study of an area south of Oslo, where ravines originally dominated the landscape. During agricultural expansion between 1800 and 1950, gradually more of the ravines were destroyed and flatted. In addition, forests were removed and housing areas and roads were constructed.
Today, the area is a typical representative of a Norwegian town, constructed on Holocene marine clays, and located close to basement granites. How much of the pre-modern agricultural landscape is still present? When and why did the main stages of landscape changes take place? And which landforms have replaced the Holocene ones? Can we map the time depth in the landscape, and does it have any significance today? GIS, LIDAR, and photo-based reconstructions will be important tools in addition to fieldwork.
This project will be supervised by both geographers and geologists from the department, in addition to landscape-related competence from the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO).
In addition, the project is part of a bigger cross-disciplinary project involving cultural historians (“Gardening the Globe”), with interesting possibilities for participating in seminars and conferences.