Overview

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 landforms and landscapes and the processes that act to modify the Earth’s surface. As such it is a crucial element in our understanding of many environmental challenges confronting us today. This course is about Earth’s landscape, its present form and the processes responsible for its large-scale organization. Its 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: What are the fundamental concepts of Geomorphology? How are mountains built? What controls topographic relief? Where do landscape materials come from? How do they get from mountain tops down to valley floors? What are the main features and processes operating in glaciated, fluvial, aeolian and periglacial landscapes?  

This course is recommended to students interested in geography, earth science, natural resource management, and anyone who is curious about their natural surroundings.  It is a foundational course in most syllabi 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 eight two-hour laboratories in which you will apply the concepts learned in lectures. There will be no laboratory session in the first week of classes (week of Monday, Jan. 1st).

Field Trip
There will be a weekend field trip (tentative date March 10-11) to complement topics covered in lectures and labs. This field trip is mandatory and is the basis for your field trip report. Your mandatory supplementary course fee covers part of your transportation. Students should expect to pay up to $94 to the Department to cover parts of transportation and their accommodation. Students need to budget for their own food. Be aware that during the field trip there may be periods of light hiking in potentially muddy areas and crossing roads with busy traffic. Appropriate clothing and foot wear (field boots) must be worn. Your clothing should reflect preparation for the range of BC weather conditions. Further details regarding safety, meals, accommodation and field supplies will be discussed prior to the field trip. Students must at all times remain compliant 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

Materials

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