Overview

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

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

COURSE DETAILS:

This course is about river morphodynamics: the change in river form because 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 land along the coast and into marine sinks. The overarching 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).

Field Trip:
Road conditions permitting, there will be a mandatory field trip on the weekend of Mar 18-19, 2023. 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 $100, assuming 2 students/room) and food. Any concerns around accommodation should be directed to the instructor. 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 footwear must be worn. Further details regarding safety, meals, accommodation and field supplies will be discussed prior to the field trip. Students must always 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 and Provincial Health guidelines. This includes, but is not limited to, expected student conduct and the maintenance of appropriate medical insurance coverage.

COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

• Measure, estimate and explain river discharge (hydrology)
• Characterize river channel flow (hydraulics)
• Characterize and measure sediment transport in rivers
• Discuss the ways in which rivers adjust to changing environmental conditions
• Explain external controls on river systems and identify their effects
• Identify the processes and effects of river and coastal processes on estuaries and deltas
• Identify and explain the coastal processes that redistribute river-derived sediment along the coast and into ocean sinks

Grading

Materials

MATERIALS + SUPPLIES:

Laboratory Materials:

Lab resources will be provided in labs; some may be provided on canvas. A computer with excel (for some labs) and word processing capabilities is advantageous. There will be no laboratory session in the first week of classes.

Under SFU's Education Site License, SFU students, staff, and researchers may download the following software to home computers for academic use ONLY. This includes teaching and classroom use and research purposes. 

Software available to download/install on home computers

• Microsoft 365
• ESRI Applications such as ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, ESRI CityEngine, etc.
• Matlab with Named User License
• Adobe CC with Named User License*

* ONLY those who are in SFU payroll are eligible for Adobe CC with Named User License

REQUIRED READING:

REQUIRED READING NOTES: