Undergraduate Course: Landscape Dynamics - techniques and applications (GEGR10108)
Course Outline
| School | School of Geosciences |
College | College of Science and Engineering |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 10 (Year 3 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | The form of terrestrial landscapes results primarily from the competition between tectonic and erosion forces. These forces operate over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. For example, plate tectonics dictate where mountain belts are created but their overall form is controlled by interactions with processes at the Earth¿s surface e.g. erosion processes. Exploring how and at what scale these interactions occur is at the centre of understanding key characteristics of Earth¿s landscape. The course describes specific techniques widely used to determine rates of change in the landscape and examines specific case studies where they have been applied.
The focus is primarily on active mountain belts where the interactions of tectonic activity and climate are well documented.
REPLACES: GEGR10034 Macrogeomorphology
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| Course description |
1: Introduction: tools, approaches, concepts and controversies in landscape dynamics
2: Long term exhumation rates: thermochronology ¿ fission track dating
3: Long term exhumation rates: thermochronology ¿(U-Th)/He dating
4: Landscape evolution in active orogens
5: Student presentations, discussion
Innovative Learning week
6: Intermediate denudation rates: cosmogenic isotope analysis (Hein)
7: Applied cosmogenic nuclide analyses (Hein)
8: Antarctica ¿ a case study (Hein)
9: Sediment flux and landscapes
10: Detrital record of orogenesis ¿ reconstructing the past
11: Taiwan ¿ linking climate and tectonics on variable timescales
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
It is RECOMMENDED that students have passed
Earth Dynamics (EASC08001)
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2015/16, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 20 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 22,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
60 %,
Coursework
40 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
Class assessment: 1 practical (date to be arranged), student presentations (week 5)
Degree assessment: One 2000 word essay ¿ 40%; One 2 hour examination ¿ 60%
Overall mark for the course (ie degree coursework and examinations) of at least 40 required to pass course.
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| Feedback |
Not entered |
| Exam Information |
| Exam Diet |
Paper Name |
Hours & Minutes |
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| Main Exam Diet S2 (April/May) | | 2:00 | |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- 1. To develop a detailed, integrated understanding of the interactions between tectonic and erosion forces at a variety of scales.
- 2. To assess, critically analyse and understand the temporal and spatial variation of key processes that sculpt the landscape.
- 3. To obtain a detailed, critical understanding of key techniques (some of which are relatively specialised) used to obtain rate information and be able to analyse and interpret results.
- 4. To explore feedbacks in the Earth system.
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Reading List
Every lecture has a list of reference papers in addition the following text books are of use:
Geomorphology (R.S. Anderson & S.P. Anderson) Cambridge University Press.
Low temperature thermochronology: Techniques, Interpretations and Applications (P.W.Reiners & T.A. Ehlers (eds) Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry volume 58.
Tectonic geomorphology (D.W.Burbank & R.S. Anderson) Wiley Blackwell.
Cosmogenic Nuclides: Principles, Concepts and Applications in the Earth Surface Sciences (Dunai T.J.) Cambridge University Press.
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Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
1. To develop skills of data analysis and critical analysis
2. To improve presentation skills so students are comfortable presenting on a specialised topic to an informed audience
3. To develop the skills needed to produce a coherent, logical written report based on background reading and library based research
4. To develop the skill of making judgements when information comes from a range of sources
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| Keywords | Geomorphology; thermochronology; cosmogenic nuclides; tectonics; climate; erosion. |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Linda Kirstein
Tel:
Email: |
Course secretary | Miss Beth Muir
Tel: (0131 6)50 9847
Email: |
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© Copyright 2015 The University of Edinburgh - 27 July 2015 11:17 am
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