Overview
This course is designed to explore a variety of earth surface processes and landforms. The topics we study will include physical and chemical weathering, hillslope, fluvial, eolian, and coastal processes and their relationships to landforms. The course will include lectures designed to give an overview of each topic and lab exercises that will explore field and computer methods of geomorphological research. We will also read and discuss several papers from the geomorphological literature that will serve as examples of current research topics in the field.
Prerequisites: at least 12 credits in geology, physical geography, or related fields; first-year courses in physics and chemistry recommended.
Textbook
- Dale F. Ritter, R. Craig Kochel and Jerry R. Miller, 2011, Process Geomorphology, Fifth Edition: Waveland Press, 652 p. Available at the UMass Textbook Annex.
List of topics to be covered
| Week | Topic | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction | Chap. 1, 2 |
| 2 | Coastal processes and landforms | Chap. 13 |
| 3 | Sea-level change | Chap. 13 |
| 4 | Chemical weathering | Chap. 3 |
| 5 | Soils geomorphology | Chap. 3 |
| 6 | Physical weathering | Chap. 4 |
| Mid-term Exam | ||
| 7 | Hillslope processes | Chap. 4 |
| 8 | Hillslope evolution | Chap. 4 |
| 9 | Drainage basin form and process | Chap. 5 |
| 10 | Fluvial processes | Chap. 6 |
| 11 | Fluvial landforms | Chap. 7 |
| 12 | Eolian processes and landforms | Chap. 8 |
| 13 | Karst | Chap. 12 |
| Final Exam |
Evaluation
The average of the lab exercises will count for 40% of your final grade. The mid-term and final exams will each contribute 25% to your final grade. Roughly once each week we will read and discuss a paper from the geomorphological literature. Each student will be responsible for leading the discussion for at least one paper. The remaining 10% of your grade will be based on the level of participation in these discussions.