Welcome to the Physical Geography Group website in the Department of Geography at the University of Minnesota! Physical geographers in our department are primarily focused on the broad subfields of biogeography and climatology. Faculty research interests include paleoclimatology/paleoecology, forest dynamics, vegetation change, and climate variability. A variety of field based techniques are used within the department including soil analysis, palynology, and dendrochronology. In addition, our faculty have experience modeling natural ecological systems as well as climate variability at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. A number of quantitative techniques are also used by physical geography faculty in our department including statistical and time series modeling. To learn more about the research interests of our faculty, click on the faculty names to the left. Please feel free to contact any of the faculty listed with questions concerning the physical geography program at Minnesota.
Our physical geography facilities include labs for tree-ring analysis and pollen/charcoal studies, soil characterization, as well as several computer labs. We have a full suite of field equipment for use in a variety of investigations including hand-held GPS units, a ground penetrating radar (GPR) for use in lake sediment studies, and field equipment for the collection of dendrochronological samples and lake sediments. In addition, the University has tremendous facilities campus-wide for use in a variety of investigations. A number of software packages are available to support statistical analyses, database development, GIS, and remote sensing. The Department also houses state-of-the-art GIS facilities and offers a professional MGIS program. Adjacent to the Geography Department in the Wilson Library is the John R. Borchert Map Library, containing more than a half-million maps and atlases available for use. The map library also has an Automated Cartography section that supports faculty and student cartographic needs.
- GEOG 1403: Biogeography of the Global Garden
- GEOG 1425: Introduction to Meteorology
- GEOG 3401/5401: Geography of Environmental Systems and Global Change
- GEOG 3431/5431: Plant and Animal Geography
- GEOG 3441/5441: Quaternary Landscape Evolution
- GEOG 8103: Physical Geography Proseminar
- GEOG 8270: Graduate Seminar in Climatology
- GEOG 8980: Topics in Physical Geography
- Reconstructing climate from tree rings in Minnesota (Kipfmueller)--more info
- Effects of fire and climate on the vegetation history of the Big Woods (Shuman)--more info
- Vegetation and climate change in the Big Woods and oak savanna of Minnesota (Ziegler)--more info
- Wind speed and wind power variability in Minnesota and the upper Midwest (Klink)--more info
Left: Some of our physical geograhy faculty, L to R: Kurt Kipfmueller, Susy Ziegler, Bryan Shuman, and Kathy Klink.
Right: Ranger Peak in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness Area. This area is being studied by Kurt Kipfmueller to reconstruct fire and climate.
