Module GEOG2611: MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES

Department: Geography

GEOG2611: MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPES

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To give students an integrated view of the processes that build, shape, and degrade mountains.
• To emphasize connections and feedbacks between tectonic, geomorphic, hydrologic, and atmospheric processes.
• To provide theoretical and practical skills to support final year dissertation work.

Content

• 1. Overview: an integrative view of mountains as sediment routing systems, importance of mountain sediment factories in global sediment budgets, mountains and humans.
• 2. Tectonic processes: upper crustal deformation in space and time, the earthquake cycle, patterns and rates of rock uplift, isostasy and flexure, feedbacks between erosion and deformation.
• 3. Orography and mountain hydrology: mountain climates, atmosphere/topography interactions and orographic effects, glacial and meltwater hydrology, feedbacks between climate and topography.
• 4. Processes of erosion and sediment transport: weathering and climate feedbacks, sediment production, landslides as a long-term geomorphic agent, debris flows, steepland channels, bedrock channel incision and network development, the role of the biosphere.
• 5. Reading and quantifying the landscape: erosion rates at a range of temporal and spatial scales, sediment yield and sediment budgets, topographic metrics, the signature or 'fingerprint' of various processes on the landscape.
• 6. Managing mountain sediment systems: societal impacts of natural and anthropogenic disturbances, remediation and responses to mountain processes.

Learning Outcomes

• On successful completion of the module students are expected to be able to:
• demonstrate a basic understanding of active tectonic processes and their role in generating mountain topography.
• describe the key processes that govern sediment production and transport in mountain landscapes.
• describe the primary feedbacks between erosion, crustal deformation, and climate.
• assess the relative importance of natural versus anthropogenic processes in mountain regions, and propose strategies for managing geomorphic hazards.

• apply practical tools and techniques for quantifying and analysing mountainous topography.
• relate general physical principles to specific geomorphic settings and landforms.
• be able to 'read' a mountainous landscape and recognize the processes that have shaped it.

• assess and interpret material presented in lectures and practicals.
• extract patterns from data and observations.
• understand appropriate numerical analysis and presentation techniques.
• perform simple calculations in both lectures and practicals.
• present logical written arguments.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Lectures will provide the breadth of coverage, overview, and study guide required by the aims and learning outcomes. These will be supplemented where appropriate by specified additional reading which will extend the information in the lectures.
• Practical exercises will enable the students to gain 'hands on' experience with some of the tools and techniques in quantitative geomorphology. They will also have the chance to apply the concepts introduced in lectures to solve real-world problems. Assessment of the practicals will consist of both the answers required by the exercises, and a brief abstract of the problem and results. This will introduce students to the abstract form, will give them experience in summarising research results, and will give them the opportunity to demonstrate their comprehension of the practical analysis.
• The unseen examination will provide the students with the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of mountain landscapes and process geomorphology, and their facility for critical evaluation of the concepts introduced in the course.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

Practical exercise. Formative feedback is also provided on all summative coursework.

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University