Spring 2020 - GEOG 313 D100

River Geomorphology (4)

Class Number: 3175

Delivery Method: In Person

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Jan 6 – Apr 9, 2020: Tue, 10:30 a.m.–12:20 p.m.
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Tracy Brennand
    tabrenna@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-3718
    Office: RCB 7122
  • Prerequisites:

    GEOG 213.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

Intermediate analysis in fluvial and coastal geomorphology with particular reference to British Columbia. Quantitative.

COURSE DETAILS:

Course Content:
This course is about river morphodynamics: the change in river form as a consequence of the movement of water and sediment from the mountains to the sea.  We will examine: i) river hydrology and discharge, ii) the principles of water flow, iii) sediment transport, iv) river shape and change, and v) the movement of water and sediment from terrestrial sources along the coast and to marine sinks. The goal of the course is to provide you with an appreciation of rivers and the processes by which they modify the landscape around you.  

This course may be counted as an elective course in all syllabi for Professional Geoscience (P. Geo.) accreditation by the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia (EGBC).  

Prerequisite: GEOG 213 is prerequisite (or permission of instructor).  Grade 11 Math is assumed.

Instructional Format: There will be 2 hours of lecture each week and 8 two-hour laboratories.  There will be no laboratory session in the first week of classes.  

Field Trip: There will be a mandatory field trip on the weekend of Mar 14-15, 2020. Your mandatory supplementary course fee covers some travel costs; you should budget for additional costs to be paid to the Department to cover remaining travel and accommodation costs (up to $80, assuming 4 students/room) and food. On the field trip you will need field boots, a camera and standard items such as a field notebook, pens, pencils and a ruler; your clothing should reflect preparation for the range of BC weather conditions. Be aware that during the field trip there may be periods of walking on uneven ground, climbing on rocky outcrops, crossing roads with busy traffic and wading in a river. 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 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

  • Laboratory assignments 25%
  • Mid-term examination 15%
  • Field trip report 25%
  • Final examination 35%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

Charlton, R., 2008. Fundamentals of Fluvial Geomorphology. Routledge: London, New York.

Boggs, S. Jr., 2012.  “Chapter 9: Marginal-marine environments”, in Principles of Sedimentology and Stratigraphy, 5th Ed. Prentice Hall. pp. 246-269.

Ritter, D.F., Kochel, R.C, and Miller, J.R. 2011. “Chapter 13: Coastal processes and landforms”, in Process Geomorphology, 5th Ed. Waveland Press Inc., Illinois.

At least one copy of each on library reserve.

Registrar Notes:

SFU’s Academic Integrity web site http://www.sfu.ca/students/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