1. Geography 4350/5350 Geomorphology
SYLLABUS NOTES:
Prerequisite –You ARE expected to have a basic background in physical geology or earth science. This material will not be repeated - this course builds on these earlier courses.
labs - 10 scheduled throughout the semester. The lab work compliments and reinforces lecture material and provides “hands-on” experience. All labs are graded and are due the following class. I’m a big fan of field work, so three labs are “mini-field trips” to locations in Denton. The other labs are map or computer-based and will take place in EESAT 360 or a computer lab (TBD) (Note: you may use your own laptop for these labs if you wish).
Additional Readings - journal articles will be assigned as additional readings over the semester. Questions from these articles will appear on exams.
Grading - the exams are non-cumulative; written answers and diagrams.
Project - describe geomorphology of county of your choice (details later).
Field trip – questions on Dallas Co. geomorphology, as described on trip. Date = Saturday November 4. Bus provided (can drive own car), several stops in Dallas County to study geomorphology.
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INTRODUCTION
What is Geomorphology?
- one approach = understanding, explaining, describing LANDSCAPES.
Death Valley, California - a desert landscape.
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Grand Canyon, Arizona - a different desert landscape
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Shiprock, New Mexico - another different desert landscape
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River valley, Kentucky - a fluvial landscape
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Landscapes are collections of landforms - morphological features on the surface of the Earth e.g.
hills
mountains
cliffs
ridges
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valleys
canyons
deltas
beaches
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These landforms are made of the solid or weathered rock (sediment) that makes up the earth's surface.
Geomorphology includes the study of the evolution of landforms over time, as well as contemporary processes that are presently creating landforms.
In theory, there is a GEOMORPHOLOGICAL explanation for every feature on the surface of the Earth - for example, if an area is flat there should be a reason why it is flat; a steep cliff exists because of some reason - landforms do not occur randomly or by chance: the question is, what are the reasons landforms appear the way they do?
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Our approach is based on the following general principles:
1. Rocks at the surface of the earth are UNSTABLE - they all wear away eventually.
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2. Initial conditions at the surface are not equal - some parts of the surface are higher than others (e.g. mountains; what could cause these areas to be uplifted?).
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…and different rock types occur in different areas.
Austin chalk
Woodbine sandstone
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3. To change the shape of the earth's surface requires energy - where energy expenditure is high, erosion occurs and erosional landforms are created; where energy expenditure is low, deposition occurs, creating depositional landforms.
depositional
erosional
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4. Most landscapes take a long time to develop - contemporary processes may not alone explain landforms; often the history of the landscape must also be studied.
Drumlins (glacial deposits) in Clew Bay, Ireland. Glaciers were here 12,000 years ago, but not at present.
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The course is organized to reflect these principles:
PART I. STRUCTURES - THE RESISTIVE FRAMEWORK
Deals with the initial shape of the surface. This section of the course deals with initial conditions at the surface - the shape of the surface imparted by tectonic uplift…...
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And volcanic uplift…...
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and diastrophism (crustal deformation)…...
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PART II. MATERIALS - THE RESISTIVE ELEMENTS
Rocks and sediments/soils - the ability to resist change depends on strength.
A. Granite
B. Shale
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PART III. PROCESSES - AGENTS OF ENERGY EXPENDITURE
To change the shape of the surface depends on the movement of material - this requires energy; sources include:
Gravity - energy due to height and the pull of gravity...
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Running water - energy due to the movement of water over the surface and in river and stream channels...
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Waves - energy due to the movement of water in lakes and oceans...
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Ice - energy due to moving glaciers….
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PART IV. HISTORY
Many landscapes retain landforms formed during the last Ice Age - the past must often be reconstructed to explain the present.
Ice flow
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Applied Geomorphology: why is geomorphology important? Answer: we live on landscapes and we are affected by geomorphological processes. The last part of the course presents case studies of applied geomorphological research, topics may include coastal erosion, coastal sedimentation, expansive soils, hydrological impacts of urbanization, hurricane impacts.
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Downtown Houston flooded by Hurricane Harvey, Sunday August 27th, 2017.
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