GEOS2050
River Basin Processes
10 Units
Available in 2014
| Callaghan Campus | Semester 1 |
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Previously offered in 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004
Water is the most important agent in shaping the landscape. It is responsible for weathering, soil formation, the erosion of sediment from hillslopes, gullies and river banks, and the transport and deposition of sediment in channels, on floodplains and in estuaries. Water also acts beneath the surface, replenishing groundwater systems and triggering environmental problems like soil salinity. This course provides students with a comprehensive introduction to the movement of water through river basins, and the role water plays in the development of soils and the flux of sediments through the landscape. Through a series of lectures, laboratories and field work, students will learn how to quantify the movement of water through various components of the hydrological cycle, and the major factors controlling the way in which water moulds the river basin landscape.
In order to participate in this course, students must complete a compulsory Workplace Health and Safety requirement. Students will receive full information on this compulsory component in the course outline provided by the school.
| Objectives | At the successful completion of this course, students will have: 1. An understanding of the movement of water through the river basin, from the point of rainfall to discharge at the coast; 2. An understanding of how soils form and evolve, and the principles and procedures for soil classification; 3. An understanding of the processes that shape the major components of the river basin, including hillslopes, river channels and floodplains, aquifers and estuaries; 4. An understanding of sediment yields and the delivery of sediments from upland environments to estuaries. 5. Skills in the identification and measurement of hydrological and geomorphological processes through the use of field and laboratory instrumentation, and computer software; 6. Experience in mapping and aerial photograph interpretation; 7. Enhanced field observation and report-writing skills. |
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| Content | The major themes covered in the course are: - Rainfall and evaporation - Soil formation, soil hydrology and soil classification - Hillslope hydrology and soil erosion - Open channel hydrology and flood hydrology - Erosion, transport and deposition processes in streams - Groundwater flow, quality and salinity - Karst processes and landforms - Estuarine and floodplain processes, morphology, hydrodynamics and sedimentation. |
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| Replacing Course(s) | This course combines two existing 4-hours-per-week courses (GEOS2040 and EMGT2010) into a single 6-hours-per-week course. The two existing courses contained ~25% content overlap. This amalgamation has been discussed widely, and agreed to, by the relevant staff in the Bachelor of Environmental Science program and by the Head of School. The change will have no impact on other Faculty/School offerings. | ||||||
| Transition | The course will not be available to students who have already completed one or both of GEOS2040 and EMGT2010. Affected students will be able to choose a relevant, alternative course within the school. | ||||||
| Industrial Experience | 0 | ||||||
| Assumed Knowledge | GEOS1050 Earth Processes and Products | ||||||
| Modes of Delivery | Internal Mode | ||||||
| Teaching Methods | Case Study
Field Study Lecture Practical |
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| Assessment Items |
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| Contact Hours | Laboratory: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term Field Study: for 24 hour(s) per Term for Full Term Lecture: for 2 hour(s) per Week for Full Term |
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| Compulsory Components |
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| Timetables | 2014 Course Timetables for GEOS2050 |