Simon Fraser University
Engaging the World

Course Outlines

Fall 2021 - EASC 605 G100

Advanced Glaciology (3)

Class Number: 3737

Delivery Method: Remote

Overview

  • Course Times + Location:

    Sep 8 – Dec 7, 2021: TBA, TBA
    Burnaby

  • Instructor:

    Gwenn Flowers
    gflowers@sfu.ca
    1 778 782-6638
    Office: TASC 1 Room 7237

  • Prerequisites:

    Permission of instructor.

Description

CALENDAR DESCRIPTION:

An advanced introduction to theoretical glaciology within a continuum mechanical framework. The course focuses on fundamentals of glacier and ice-sheet flow and the key surface and subsurface processes that drive them, Course content includes a brief review of tensor analysis and continuum mechanics, glacier mass and energy balance, the material properties and rheology of ice, the basic equations of glacier deformation, ice-sheet and shelf flow, basal processes, glacier hydrology, and unstable modes of flow.

COURSE DETAILS:

General:

This course is an advanced introduction to theoretical glaciology within a continuum mechanical framework. The course addresses the fundamentals of glacier and ice-sheet flow and the key surface- and subsurface processes that drive them. No prior knowledge of glaciology is assumed, but students should have a reasonable grasp of classical mechanics, vector calculus, linear algebra and differential equations as background. Course content includes a brief review of tensor analysis, glacier mass and energy balance, the material properties and rheology of ice, the basic equations of glacier deformation, ice-sheet and -shelf flow, basal processes, glacier hydrology, and unstable modes of flow. This course is intended for any graduate-level student interested in the deformation of natural materials and ice in the environment.

Prerequisites: Permission of instructor



COURSE-LEVEL EDUCATIONAL GOALS:

Provisional Course Topics:

  1. Tensor analysis & introduction to continuum mechanics
  2. Glacier mass and energy balance
  3. Fundamentals of glacier flow
  4. Glacier hydrology
  5. Basal processes
  6. Unstable flow

 

Instructional Methods:

Two 1.5-hour sessions or one 3-hour session per week divided between lecture and presentation/discussion of readings. Course participants will rotate through acting as the discussion leader, presenting a summary of the week’s readings and facilitating the discussion. Homework assignments will be based on the lecture component of the course and will involve analytical and numerical problem solving. The final project may be either a literature review or an analytical project on a subject of interest to the student. The final exam is oral and will be based on the reading of the required text book.

 

Grading

  • Weekly written summaries of course readings 30%
  • Homework assignments (2-3) 30%
  • Final exam (oral) 20%
  • Final project 20%

Materials

REQUIRED READING:

The Physics of Glaciers, K.M. Cuffey and W.S.B. Paterson, 4th edition, Elsevier, 2010.


RECOMMENDED READING:

  1. Fundamentals of Glacier Dynamics, C.J. van der Veen, A.A. Balkema Publishers, Rotterdam, therlands,1999.
  2. Principles of Glacier Mechanics, R. LeB. Hooke, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Graduate Studies Notes:

Important dates and deadlines for graduate students are found here: http://www.sfu.ca/dean-gradstudies/current/important_dates/guidelines.html. The deadline to drop a course with a 100% refund is the end of week 2. The deadline to drop with no notation on your transcript is the end of week 3.

Registrar Notes:

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: YOUR WORK, YOUR SUCCESS

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

TEACHING AT SFU IN FALL 2021

Teaching at SFU in fall 2021 will involve primarily in-person instruction, with approximately 70 to 80 per cent of classes in person/on campus, with safety plans in place.  Whether your course will be in-person or through remote methods will be clearly identified in the schedule of classes.  You will also know at enrollment whether remote course components will be “live” (synchronous) or at your own pace (asynchronous).

Enrolling in a course acknowledges that you are able to attend in whatever format is required.  You should not enroll in a course that is in-person if you are not able to return to campus, and should be aware that remote study may entail different modes of learning, interaction with your instructor, and ways of getting feedback on your work than may be the case for in-person classes.

Students with hidden or visible disabilities who may need class or exam accommodations, including in the context of remote learning, are advised to register with the SFU Centre for Accessible Learning (caladmin@sfu.ca or 778-782-3112) as early as possible in order to prepare for the fall 2021 term.