MILEN9101 – From numbers to decisions; statistics and extreme weather
Course content
This course is part of the MILEN research school, 9100 series. The 9100 courses are characterized by a multidisciplinary focus on topics related to energy, climate and the environment. Typically courses will involve, in addition to lecturers by senior researchers, speakers from the business sector, from the bureaucracy and politicians. Students are expected to participate actively into discussions related to the overarching topic of the specific 9100’ course in workshop sessions and in organized discussions.
MILEN 9101 focuses on the processes behind extreme weather incidences, extreme weather events related to land use planning, risk management and impacts. The uncertainty of these weather scenarios is large, but even the risk will have great consequences in society. The course includes a workshop in statistics of extremes; advanced and more simple statistics. See also the webpage about the seminar here
Learning outcome
The course will give an introduction into the analysis of climate extremes and the impact of impact extreme weather incidences for nature and society. The students will learn about: 1. Extreme weather, hydrology and floods, 2. The impacts of extreme weather events; 3. Strategies to adapt to know risks; 4. Legal regulations based on statistical extreme weather; 5. Extreme value statistics in hydrology and climate research.
Admission
The course is primarily intended for PhD students admitted to a program at a Norwegian University or University College.
For registration please contact the MILEN administration, see contact information below.
PhD students from other Universities than UiO must in addition apply s a visiting PhD students. Admission is primarily for students involved in the MILEN research school.
Prerequisites
Formal prerequisite knowledge
No obligatory prerequisites beyond the minimum requirements for entrance to higher education in Norway.
Teaching
Frode Stordal (Dept. of Geosciences, UiO), A review of weather and climate events related to disasters and of definitions and analysis of climate extremes. Thomas Skaugen (NVE), Extreme weather hydrolgoy and floods. Martin Beniston (Director, Institute for Environmental Sciences (ISE)
University of Geneva, Switzerland), Climatic extremes in the Alpine region and their evolution from 1900 to 2100. 3. Norwegian Computing Centre: Workshop on statistics, statistics of extremes, advance and more simple statistics. 4. Asbjørn Aaheim (CICERO), Responses to natural disasters and how to build strategies to adapt to known risks. Evind Junker (Dept. of Law, UiO), Legal regulation basedon statistics of extremes.
Attendance during the two day seminars is obligatory.
September 13 and 14th of September 2012.
Examination
The essay / report has to be evaluated as “pased” by a person with senior expertise (meaning at least PhD degree) and also approved by the MILEN research school administration. MILEN research school organizes this assessment. Presentation in a MILEN research school seminar colouqium.
Grading scale
Grades are awarded on a pass/fail scale. Read more about the grading system.