About us

We are world leaders in driving and promoting increased understanding, high-quality learning and sustainable solutions concerning natural phenomena and their interaction with each other and societal development.

Our research and education is in Physical Geography, a wide-ranging scientific field dealing with the diverse physical and biological features of Earth, their characteristics, processes, patterns and interactions with humans. We study connected physical, chemical, biological, geological, environmental and social processes and changes in the world's land areas and their water, ice and geological formations, climate systems and ecosystems, in relation to each other and to human societies.

About our research and education

Sara Cousins, Head of the department.

Annual report

Every year, the department's activities are summarized in an annual report. The latest can be downloaded from the link below.

Annual Report 2023

History

Geography was established as a subject at Stockholm University 1912, but it was not until 1929 before Professor Hans W: son Ahlmann took office. He was particularly interested in polar research and led several expeditions to the Arctic. Hans also started the department's research station in the subject of glaciology in Tarfala, next to Kebnekaise. Geography was established as a separate subject at Stockholm University as early as 1912, but it was not until 1929 before Professor Hans W: son Ahlmann took office. He was particularly interested in polar research and led several expeditions to the Arctic. Hans also started the department's research station in the subject of glaciology in Tarfala, next to Kebnekaise.

The subject Geography was divided in 1955 into the subjects Physical Geography and Human Geography. For a long time, the subject Quaternary Geology has been included in the subject Geology, which has long been studied at Stockholm University. In 2001, the departments of Quaternary Geology and Physical Geography were merged into the Department of Physical Geography and Quaternary Geology. On 19 September 1997, the House of Earth Sciences was inaugurated and in 2015 the department was named the Department of Physical Geography.

The development of the department

The Geochronological Museum

The world-famous Geochronological Institute founded by Gerard De Geer has played a central role in geochronological research in the early 20th century. Today, a lot of material from the Geochronological Institute has been collected in the Geochronological Museum.