GEOMORPHOLOGY

Course Description

Instructor(s):
M. Ersen AKSOY (Assist. Prof.)

Course Code / Semester: GEOE 3507 / Fall

Level:  Undergraduate / Selective

Pre-requisites: No prerequisites

Assessment:
Midterm:           %20 (written examination)
Term project:     %20 (written and oral report)
Final:                   %60 (written examination)

Course Highlights: This course features lectures in the class room.

Course Description: This course is about the surface and near-surface processes that shape the Earth’s landscape. The course examines processes such as weathering, erosion, deposition, mass wasting and tectonics which create landforms at various scales. Students are introduced to landscapes of different environmental condition; fluvial, coastal, karstic, desertic, tectonic, glacial and extra-terrestrial. The course is held intensively with discussion and exercises.

 

Course Calendar

 
Week Topic Lecturer Material
1 Introduction to Geomorphology M. Ersen AKSOY
2 Large Scale Topography M. Ersen AKSOY
3 Landforming – Tectonic Control M. Ersen AKSOY
4 Landforming – Atmospheric & Hydrospheric Control M. Ersen AKSOY
5 Weathering M. Ersen AKSOY
6 Tectonic Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
7 Tectonic Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
8 Midterm M. Ersen AKSOY
9 Aeolian Landforms – Glacial landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
10 Fluvial Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
11 Fluvial Landforms – Coastal Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
12 Coastal Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
13 Mass wasting – Karstic Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY
14 Volcanic Landforms – Extra-terrestrial Landforms M. Ersen AKSOY

Tools

Students are expected to bring their course materials on each course. Course materials:

  • Notebook
  • Pencils
  • Colour Pencils (set of 12)

Readings

Huggett, R., 2011, Fundamentals of Geomorphology: Routledge Fundamentals of Physical Geography, Routledge, 536-536 p.

Summerfield, M.A., 1991, Global geomorphology: an introduction to the study of landforms, Longman Scientific & Technical, 537-537 p.

Grotzinger, J., and Jordan, T.H., 2014, Understanding Earth, W. H. Freeman.

Hamblin, W.K., and Christiansen, E.H., 2004, Earth’s Dynamic Systems, Prentice Hall, Pearson Education.

Lecture Notes

 
Week Topic Slides
1 Introduction to Geomorphology
2 The Earth & Large Scale Topography  Download 
3 Weathering  Download
4 Tectonic Landforms 1  Download
5
6 Tectonic Landforms 2  Download
7 Tectonic Landforms 3  Download 
8 Midterm
9 Fluvial Landforms – 1 Download
10 Fluvial Landforms – 2 Download
11  Coastal Landforms Download
12 Karstic Landforms Download 
13 Glacial Landforms, Aeolina Landforms Download: 1 & 2 
14 Mass wasting Landforms Download

Student Presentations:

– Ayberk Dikmen – Glacial Landforms

– Azam Ahmed – Volcanic Landforms

– İlkay Şah – Karstic Landforms

– Levent Tenis – Mass Movement

– Sevingül Üslü – Sinkholes

– Yiğit Can Çarkçı – Aeolian Landforms

 

Web sources

– Here is the journal Geomorphology where you can search and find scientific publications about studies of Geomorphology from around the world.

– Do you want to learn 10 reasons why Geomorphology is important? Read the booklet prepared by the British Society for Geomorphology

 

Downloads

 

Background photo: Meandering river / Alatna River – Alaska US (Credit: National Geographic 2011, Photograph by Micheal Christopher Brown)

Background photo: Meandering river / Alatna River – Alaska US (Credit: National Geographic 2011, Photograph by Micheal Christopher Brown)