Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology
Charles University, Faculty of Science
Albertov 6, 128 43 Praha 2, Czech Republic
Phone (office): (+420) 221 951 367
E-mail (office): Romana Rychlíková (romana.rychlikova@natur.cuni.cz), Veronika Havelková (veronika.havelkova@natur.cuni.cz)
Head of the department: Doc. Mgr. Václav Treml, Ph.D., E-mail: vaclav.treml@natur.cuni.cz
Deputy head: Doc. RNDr. Michal Jeníček, Ph.D., E-mail: michal.jenicek@natur.cuni.cz
Introduction
Physical geography is lectured at the Charles University since 1784 within the scope of the Faculty of Arts. The Department of Physical Geography and Geoecology was established in 1991 as one of succession departments of the Department of Cartography and Physical Geography (established 1953). Nowadays the department of Physical Geography and Geoecology is the largest department teaching physical geography in the Czech Republic and provides all levels of tertiary education (Bachelor’s, Master’s, Ph.D.). Teaching and research cover all the main branches of physical geography: Biogeography, Climatology, Geomorphology, Hydrology and Soil science. Four full professors and five associated professors are currently affiliated with the department. The department has active collaboration with numerous institutions over the world and hosts foreign students within the Erasmus and other programs.
Teaching
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Bachelor’s programs: Geography and Cartography, Physical Geography and Geoinformatics, Surface water and groundwater, Geosciences
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Master’s programs: Physical geography and geoecology, Hydrology and hydrogeology, Landscape and society
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Ph.D. program: Physical geography
Main research directions
Natural hazards
Floods, droughts, storms, mass movements, glacial lake outbursts and their impacts on the landscape and society
Glacial and periglacial geomorphology, Quaternary science
Deglaciation and its impact on landscape evolution, climate system and biotic migrations
Hydrology
Landscape changes and rainfall-runoff processes, snow accumulation and snowmelt, water quality
Climatology
Large-scale circulation patterns, statistical climatology, extreme events
Landform evolution and palaeoenvironment
Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, soil erosion and accumulation events, tectonics and landscape evolution
Advanced technology in geographical research
Applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), advanced geophysical methods in geomorphology and soil science
Biogeography and landscape ecology
Response of forest ecosystems to climate change, landscape structure and animal migrations
Regions of interest
Central Europe, High mountains (Andes, Tian-Shan, Western Carpathians), High latitude and polar regions (Svalbard, Antarctic peninsula, Scandinavia, Canada)
Research facilities
Laboratory of physical geography (equipment for sediment and soil analysis)
Dendrochronological laboratory (fully equipped lab for standard and wood-anatomical methods)
EcoHydro Lab (basic hydrochemical analyses)
Monitoring networks of rainfall-runoff and climatologic processes (several catchments in the Czech Republic, Peruvian Andes, Tian-Shan)
UAV with multiple sensors
Ground penetrating radar and other geophysical devices
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