GEOG/GEOL 4241: 

Principles of Geomorphology

Lecture: TTh 11-12:15 PM
Lab: T 2-4:50 PM

Instructor: John Pitlick 
Office: Guggenheim 315 
Office Hours: W Th 2 to 4 PM
E-mail: pitlick@colorado.edu

TA: Erich Mueller
Office: Guggenheim 314
Office Hours: W 10:15-12 PM, Th 1-3  PM
E-mail: Erich.Mueller@Colorado.edu

Mt. St. Helens

Course Goals:  This course emphasizes earth-surface processes and methods used to interpret the origin of landscapes.  Surface processes are constantly at work, shaping and re-shaping the Earth's topography.  Living in Boulder we are particularly lucky, because the surrounding areas offer excellent opportunities to study geomorphology; examples of landforms formed by glaciation, weathering, landslides, streamflow, and wind all occur within a few hours drive of here.  To take advantage of these opportunities, we plan on taking a number of field trips where we will test theoretical models of erosion and sediment transport.  The field trips and lab exercises will provide you with "hands-on" experience, and broad-based exposure to the various field and analytical techniques used in studying geomorphic processes. 

Text: Process Geomorphology by D.F. Ritter, R.C. Kochel, and J.R. Miller

Lab: A 3-hour lab session will be held every Tuesday.  Roughly half of the labs will involve field trips in which you will learn some of the basic techniques used in geomorphology.  An all-day field trip to Arapaho Pass to view alpine and glacial landforms is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 8; a half-day field trip to eastern Colorado may be scheduled later in the semester.  A small notebook will be useful for field trips. When we don’t go in the field, we will complete map-based or computer-oriented exercises.  You should bring pencils, calculator, engineers scale, and a protractor to each lab.

Grading:  Your course grade will be determined as follows:
Exams will cover material from the lectures text, and readings.  Test questions will be short answer and essay.  Under certain circumstances, you may take an exam early (e.g. because of a religious holiday).  However, you cannot take an exam late- if you miss an exam, you must first provide a legitimate excuse, such as a written note from a doctor; I will then give you a score equal to your grade on the other midterm.  No make-up exams will be given, regardless of your personal situation (illness, death in the family, whatever).  If you cannot explain your reason for missing an exam, you will receive a score of zero for that exam. 

Fall 2007 Schedule
Dates 
Topics 
Reading
28 Aug Introduction & Basic Principles
 Chapter 1, 9
30 Aug  Glaciers I: Formation of Ice, Mechanics of Flow, Mass Balance
 Chapter 9,10
4-6 Sep Glaciers II: Erosion, Transportation, and Deposition Chapter 10, Field Trip, Sept. 8
11-13 Sep
Quaternary Record of Climate Change
18-25 Sep Chemical Weathering and Soils Chapter 3
27 Sep Midterm Exam I
2-11 Oct Hillslope Processes Chapter 4
16-18 Oct Drainage Basins Chapter 5
23-30 Oct
Flow and Sediment Transport in Rivers
 Chapter 6
1 Nov
Midterm Exam II
6-8 Nov
 Channel Morphology
13-15 Nov Fluvial Adjustments to Environmental Change Chapter 7
19-23 Nov
Thanksgiving Break
27-29 Nov
 Regional Uplift and Denudation Reserve Reading
4-6 Dec Integration of concepts and review
  
11 Dec Last Day of Classes (for us)
15 Dec Final Exam, 10:30 AM -1:00 PM
  

Lab Exercises and Field Trips (more or less in this order):

1. Review of topographic maps, cross sections, calculations, etc.

2. Glacial mass balance; erosion and deposition

3. Glacial and periglacial processes, field trip, Saturday, Sept. 8

4. Hillslope measurements

5. Computer exercise: analysis of hillslope profiles

6. Debris flows

7. Drainage network analysis

8. Channel morphology and sediment movement

9. Hydraulic geometry

          10. Magnitude/Frequency analysis

11. Eolian deposits (sand dunes) of eastern Colorado

12. Cenozoic erosion surface/geomorphic history of the Front Range


University of Colorado-Boulder Policies

If you qualify for accommodations because of a disability, please submit to me a letter from Disability Services so that your needs may be addressed.  Disability Services determines accommodations based on documented disabilities.  For more information, contact: 303-492-8671, Willard 322, http://www.Colorado.EDU/disabilityservices

Campus policy regarding religious observances requires that faculty make every effort to reasonably and fairly deal with all students who, because of religious obligations, have conflicts with scheduled exams, assignments or required attendance.  See full details at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/fac_relig.html

Students and faculty each have responsibility for maintaining an appropriate learning environment. Students who fail to adhere to such behavioral standards may be subject to discipline. Faculty have the responsibility to treat all students with dignity and respect, and to set reasonable limits on the manner in which opinions are expressed.  Professional courtesy and sensitivity are especially important with respect to individuals and topics dealing with differences of race, culture, religion, politics, sexual orientation, gender variance, and nationalities. See http://www.colorado.edu/policies/classbehavior.html

The University of Colorado policies on Discrimination and Harassment, including Sexual Harassment, apply to all students, staff and faculty.  Any student, staff or faculty member who believes s/he has been the subject of discrimination or harassment based upon race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status should contact the Office of Discrimination and Harassment at 303-492-2127 or the Office of Judicial Affairs at 303-492-5550.  Information to assist individuals regarding discrimination or harassment can be obtained at  http://www.colorado.edu/odh

All students of the University of Colorado at Boulder are responsible for knowing and adhering to the academic integrity policy.  Violations of this policy may include: cheating, plagiarism, aid of academic dishonesty, fabrication, and bribery.  All incidents of academic misconduct shall be reported to the Honor Code Council (honor@colorado.edu; 303-725-2273).  Students who are found to be in violation of the academic integrity policy will be subject to both academic sanctions from the faculty member and non-academic sanctions (including but not limited to probation, suspension, or expulsion).  Other information on the Honor Code can be found at http://www.colorado.edu/policies/honor.html


EXAMPLES OF TEST QUESTIONS FROM A PREVIOUS EXAM

Below are some questions illustrating the format of one of my exams. 


GEOG/GEOL 4241    FALL 1995     NAME:  ______________________________

You have 1 hour for this test.  Spend time on questions that are worth the most.  Think about the question before writing anything and then give a short, concise answer; drawn-out discussions will not earn you points.  If you write out a formula, be sure to define any terms. Good luck.

1. Give a concise, one sentence, definition for each of the following terms (4 pts. each):

a) sublimation
 

c) leaching
 

d) a 2 to 1 clay
 

e) cation exchange
 


2. Explain why a change in equilibrium line altitude (ELA) due to a change in climate may have a greater effect on ice sheets than valley glaciers.  Assume the change in ELA is the same for both (10 pts.):
 
 
 



3. Glen's law is written as    strain rate  =  coefficient x shear stress ^ n

where   is the ________________________________ , t is the _______________________________ , a is a coefficient, and n is an exponent with a mean value of about ______ .  For this value of n, a doubling of t would cause a(n) ______ -fold increase in   (8 pts.).

 a) explain with reference to eqn. 1 why the value of t at the base of most glaciers is ~100 kPa (4 pts.):
 
 


 b) explain with reference to eqn. 1 why crevasses seldom propagate to depths of more than 30m (4 pts.):
 

 


4. Polar glaciers differ from temperate glaciers in a number of respects.  As briefly as you can, contrast the differences between (a) processes of ice formation, including the role of water; (b) physical properties of the ice; (c) mechanisms of movement; and (d) debris entrainment in polar vs. temperate glaciers (16 pts.):