Course
Title: Geomorphology Course
Number/Room:
Geol 407 section 001 Room 3211
Instructor: Jim Durbin Meets:
TR
1:30-2:45 F 2:00-4:50
Office: Science Center Room
3211 Phone:
(812) 465-1208 (office)
E-mail: jdurbin@usi.edu
Web
page:
http://www.usi.edu/science/geology/jdurbin/geomorph/index.html
Textbooks: I am choosing
NOT to assign a textbook. However,
should you choose to purchase one to assist you in the course, the following
are good selections.
Process Geomorphology,
(any edition) by D.F. Ritter, R.C. Kochel, and J.R. Miller, Wm. C. Brown Pub.
Inc,
Course Objectives: The primary goal of the course is to examine geomorphic
systems and the processes that shape Earth’s landscapes. This involves looking at and
understanding the interaction of wind, water, ice and gravity with the surface
materials of the Earth. Topics
include soils and paleosols, fluvial systems and landforms, glacial systems and
landforms, eolian and arid region systems and landforms, coastal systems and
landforms, and karst terranes.
Structure of the Course: The course consists of
lectures, lab, field trips, and a semester-long field-based research
project. The lecture will be
broken down into various systems and the processes and landforms associated
with them. Labs will involve
identifying the landforms that result from those processes, determining other
geologic circumstances, as well as going out into the field to observe the
features.
Exams and Lab assignments: Participants in the
class will be evaluated on 3 exams (2 normal exams and a comprehensive
Final). Exams are curved based on
the highest score in the class, up to a maximum of 10%. That person's score becomes 100% and
the rest of the class gets adjusted up by the same amount.
Labs will consist of
exercises designed to support landforms and processes discussed in class. In some instances, we will have more
than one week to work on lab exercises.
Some labs will encompass working on recognition of features from maps
and photos before going out into the field.
In addition, students are
required to do a semester long project involving geomorphology. The nature of the topic can cover any
subdiscipline within geomorphology including fluvial (rivers), pedology
(soils), mass wasting, glaciers, karst, eolian (wind) etc. The final product will be a paper
documenting the results of your groups project, and a presentation to the class
(and anyone else who comes!) the final week of classes. Included in the project paper will be
an abstract, suitable for submittal to the spring meeting of the Geological
Society of America. There will be
several mandatory field trips over the semester to examine localities that
demonstrate geomorphic systems.
They are listed on the calendar.
Point breakdown: I evaluate on a strictly
adhered to scale (listed below).
All decimal points are rounded up to the next whole number regardless of
the decimal (E.G., 76.00001 would be rounded up to 77). There is ample
opportunity to acquire enough points over the semester to get a decent grade if
you do the work. Late assignments
will be penalized 20% of the value per day it is late. Assignments are due at the start of the
period unless otherwise instructed.
You should keep track of what your grade is (points you have acquired
thus far divided by the total number of points possible) and adjust your
studying habits, class attendance, note-taking skills, and exam performance so
that you can achieve a grade more in tune with the amount of effort you spend
on the class.
Exams are curved up to 10% of the total points. The curve is based on the high score being set at 100% with all other exams adjusted accordingly. Grades are based on the points accumulated over term.
Point
Breakdown (table 1)
|
Assignment |
Points |
% |
|
Exam 1 |
150 |
15% |
|
Exam 2 |
150 |
15% |
|
Labs |
150 |
15% |
|
Final Exam |
250 |
25% |
|
Semester Project |
300 |
30% |
|
Totals |
1000 |
100% |
Grading Scale (table 2)
|
Points |
Grade |
Points |
Grade |
|
1000-900 |
A |
759-700 |
C |
|
899-860 |
B+ |
699-660 |
D+ |
|
859-800 |
B |
599-560 |
D |
|
799-760 |
C+ |
499-000 |
F |
Policy: I do
not mind students coming late to class. I would prefer you to come in a little late than to not show
up at all. Try not to make a lot
of noise when coming in late, and do NOT to make a habit of being late to or
missing class.
I do not mind students
eating or drinking in the classroom, provided the University doesn’t mind and
you don’t make noises when unwrapping food items or finishing your drink. If you know ahead of time that there is
a conflict with an exam date, you must see me in advance to make arrangements as
to when you will make up the exam.
If for any reason you miss an exam, you must see me to see if you will
be allowed to make it up. On exam
days, anyone coming into the classroom more than 15 minutes late will be
allowed to start the exam at that time, but will not be given extra time to
complete the exam. Make exams are
at my discretion.
I have scheduled office
hours during the week, and I am available for meetings to discuss projects or
other matters by appointment or any time I am in my office and the door is
open.
I reserve the right to alter the syllabus
should the need arise. I will
notify the class of any changes.
|
Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
|
8/19/12 |
20 |
21-
Intro, syllabus and Discussion of Semester Long Research topics |
22 |
23-
Introduction to geomorphology
Chaps 1 & 2 |
24-
Maps and air Photos Lab |
25 |
|
26 |
27 |
28-
Intro to Soils |
29 |
30
-Soils |
31-
Soils lab part 1 |
9/01/12 |
|
2 |
3
- Labor Day No classes |
4
- Soils & Paleosols |
5 |
6
- Soils & Paleosols |
7
- Soils and paleosols Lab pt 2 |
8 |
|
9 |
10
|
11-
Assessment day NO
CLASSES |
12 |
13-
Mass wasting |
14-
Day Trip Giddings Soils lab pt
II (location to be determined) |
15 |
|
16 |
17 |
18-
Mass wasting |
19 |
20-
Mass wasting |
21-
Mass wasting afternoon field trip; |
22 |
|
23 |
23 |
25-
Coastal Geomorphology |
26 |
27
- Exam 1 |
28
- Coastal geomorphology lab proposals for semester long
projects due |
29 |
|
30 |
10/01/12 |
2
- Coastal Geomorphology |
3 |
4
- Fluvial Geomorphology |
5
–Wabash river trip discussion and prep |
6-
Daylong Trip- Wabash River- notebook due on return- assignment due 10/22/10 |
|
7 |
8-
Fall Break- NO CLASS |
9-
Fall Break- NO CLASS |
10 |
11
- Fluvial Geomorphology |
12-
fluvial landforms lab |
13 |
|
14 |
15 |
16
- Fluvial Geomorphology |
17 |
18
- Glacial Gemorphology- expanded outline for research project due |
19
- Work on semester long research projects!!!! |
20 |
|
21 |
22 |
23-
Glacial Gemorphology |
24 |
25
- Glacial Geomorphology |
26-
Glacial landforms lab (due
11/05/10) |
27 |
|
28 |
29 |
30
- Glacial Geomorphology |
31 |
11/01/12 - Karst |
2-
Karst Landforms lab (due
11/12/10) |
3 |
|
4 |
5 |
6
- Karst |
7 |
8
– Exam 2 |
9-karst
field trip prep |
10-
Karst Field trip |
|
11 |
12 |
13-Arid
regions |
14 |
15-Arid
regions |
16
– Arid regions lab (due 12/2/10) |
17 |
|
18 |
19 |
20
- work on semester long projects |
21-
Thanksgiving Break |
22
-Thanksgiving Break |
23
- Thanksgiving Break |
24
- Thanksgiving Break |
|
25
- Thanksgiving Break |
26 |
27-Arid
regions |
28 |
29
- Arid regions |
30-
Presentation of semester-long projects |
12/01/12 |
|
2 |
3 |
4
- Finish up report for semester-long research projects |
5-
Dead day- NO CLASSES |
6
- Written Research Project reports due |
7
- |
8 |
|
9 |
10 |
11
- Final Exam 1:30 - 3:30 PM |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
|
16 |
17 |
18 |
19 |
20- |
21 |
22 |
|
23 |
24 |
25 |
26 |
27 |
28 |
29 |