Fall 2017 - GEOG 213 D100

Introduction to Geomorphology (3)

Class Number: 4144

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 5 – Dec 4, 2017: Mon, 12:30–2:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Exam Times + Location:

    Dec 14, 2017
    Thu, 12:00–3:00 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Jeremy Venditti
    jvenditt@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-9618
    Office: RCB 6236
  • Prerequisites:

    GEOG 111 or EASC 101.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An examination of landforms, processes, laws, and theories of development; types and distributions. Quantitative/Breadth-Science.

COURSE DETAILS:

Geomorphology is the study of Earth’s surface.  As such, it is a crucial component of solutions to a wide range of environmental problems and engineering designs. It has even become an important tool for understanding how far-off planets like Mars and Venus have evolved to their current state.  This particular course is about earth’s landscape, its present form, and the processes responsible for its large-scale organization.  The goal is to provide students with an appreciation of how the landscape around them formed and its continued evolution with particular focus on landscapes of British Columbia, Western North America, and Canada.

In this course, we will seek answers to the following questions:  How are mountains built?  What controls topographic relief?  How do landscape materials get from mountain tops down to valley floors?  Can we differentiate between landscapes formed by rivers and glaciers?  Has 570 million years of life on this planet affected the large-scale topographic organization of the Earth’s surface?  Have human activities affected the form of the landscape?

The course is recommended to students interested in Geography, Earth science, Ecology, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Management, and anyone who is curious about their natural surroundings.  This course is required in several syllabi (Environmental Geoscience, Geology and Geochemistry) for Professional Geoscience (P. Geo.) accreditation by the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (APEG BC).

Course Format This course will consist of a weekly two-hour lecture and 8 two-hour laboratories where you will apply the concepts learned in lectures. There will be no laboratory session in the first week of classes.

Field Trip There is a mandatory weekend field trip to complement topics covered in lectures and labs.  Scheduling will be announced in the first lecture, but will likely follow the 7th week of lectures.  There is $60 mandatory supplementary course fee paid along with your tuition. Your mandatory supplementary course fee covers the first day of field trip transportation.  Students should expect to pay $50 to the Department of Geography to cover the second day of field trip transportation and accommodations. Be aware that during the field trip there may be periods of strenuous hiking, hiking close to cliffs and crossing roads with busy traffic. Appropriate clothing and foot wear must be worn. Further details regarding safety, meals, accommodation and field supplies will be discussed prior to the field trip. Students must at all times remain complaint with all student responsibilities, regulations, and policies as outlined in the current Academic Calendar, as well as relevant regulations and policies as outlined in the SFU Policy Gazette. This includes, but is not limited to, expected student conduct and the maintenance of appropriate medical insurance coverage.

Grading

  • Laboratory assignments 40%
  • Field essay 10%
  • Mid-term examination 25%
  • Final examination 25%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Bierman, P.R. and D.R. Montgomery (2014) Key Concepts in Geomorphology, W.H. Freeman and Company Publishers New York, 494p.  Available in the Bookstore.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://students.sfu.ca/academicintegrity.html is filled with information on what is meant by academic dishonesty, where you can find resources to help with your studies and the consequences of cheating.  Check out the site for more information and videos that help explain the issues in plain English.

Each student is responsible for his or her conduct as it affects the University community.  Academic dishonesty, in whatever form, is ultimately destructive of the values of the University. Furthermore, it is unfair and discouraging to the majority of students who pursue their studies honestly. Scholarly integrity is required of all members of the University. http://www.sfu.ca/policies/gazette/student/s10-01.html

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS