University of Toronto 2016-2017

Scarborough

" Principles of Geomorphology"

(EES B02)
Instructor: Dr. Jovan R. Stefanovic

Office: EV 402

Lecture: Tuesday 9 – 11 am (MW170)

Email: [email protected]

Phone:416.287.7224

Office hours: Tuesdays 12-1pm

Lecture time: Tuesday 9 am to 11 am

Location: MW170

Practical times: Thursday 9:00-11:00; 11:00 –13:00; 13:00 – 15:00; 15:00 – 17:00
Location: EV224 (Chem and Env Sci Building) and computer lab (location TBA)
Field component of the practicals will be carried out in Highland Creek
Emphasis is placed on practical work in this course, which will involve some time commitment. However, this is
reflected positively in your final grade.

Teaching Assistant: Zhu Yijie

Office and office hours: TBA on Blackboard

Lab coordinators: Chai Chen and Tom Meulendyk, EV304 and EV225

Textbook: There is no perfect textbook for the course, so the lecture material is a mixture of my experience in
geomorphology and three textbooks which are available in the library on the course reserve. I will be referring
frequently to several other texts to give more general overviews of the topics covered in the course, and to allow
some choice when other texts are not available. However, if you want to buy a book please consult with me before
purchase.

Grading: Practicals (4 x 10%): 40%

Mid-term Examination: 25%
Final Examination: 35%
The intent of the course:

This course concentrates upon a selection of physical processes that create an infinite variety of landforms
observed at the surface of the earth. Emphasis is placed upon developing a core understanding of sediment
production and transport processes. This knowledge is then extended to the interpretation and comparison of a suite
of arid, glacial, coastal and fluvial landforms. Lectures will focus on the conceptual basis for geomorphology, the
chemical and physical processes responsible for the development of surface regolith, and mechanisms of the
entrainment, transport, and deposition of mass by (a) gravitational stress; and (b) quasi-steady fluid flows
(specifically in river environments). Lectures will provide the theoretical framework for the practical work, which
will allow detailed study of the dynamics of these processes which will be applied to one “man-modified”
geomorphic system – the Highland Creek Drainage Basin. Students are trained to carry out basic measurements
and manipulate several fundamental numerical models that are commonly employed in sedimentary research.
These include, for example, mass transport assessment, and flow velocity and structure.

COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Explain the principles and main components of the earth systems and…
- Identify basic landforms on topographic maps, aerial images or in the field and interpret how they formed;
- Identify linkages between different geomorphic processes and systems;
- Apply various sediment transport models in fluvial systems;
- Analyze factors that influence stress and resistance in slope materials.

Tentative Course Schedule and Readings: Readings are from three textbooks which are available in Library on
the short loan.
1. Dale Ritter, Craig Kochel, Jerry Miller, 2002, Process Geomorphology, Waveland Press Inc.
2. Paul R. Bierman and David Montgomery, 2014, Key Concepts in Geomorphology, Macmillan Higher
Education Company.
3. Andre Robert, 2003, River Processes, An Introduction to Fluvial Dynamics, Hodder Arnold.

Students should note that topics may span more than one lecture period

Week LECTURE TOPICS

1. An overview of the course, expectations, and objectives.

Historical Development (Bases for Geomorphological Theory)
Where does sediment come from?.......…………..................................................... Jan.3rd

2. Where Does Sediment Come From?……………………………………...................Jan. 10th

Note: Practicals will start on January 12 (EV224)

3. Fluid Flow……………………………………………………………………………..Jan.17th

4. Sediment Transport…….. ………………………………..............................................Jan.24th

5. Fluvial Geomorphology (Hydraulic (Channel) Geometry)............................................Jan.31st

6. Fluvial Geomorphology (Channel Patterns) …………….......................................Feb. 7th

7. Midterm Examination (during class time).................................................... Feb.14th

8. Reading Week – University closed………………………………..………….. Feb.21st

9. Aeolian Geomorphology……………………………………………………........Feb. 28th

10. Coastal Geomorphology …………………………...............................................Mar.7th

11. Geomorphology of Cold Regions…………………………………… .................Mar. 14th

12. Mass Movements of Slope Materials....................................................................Mar. 21st

13. Course review…………………………………...................................................Mar. 28th

MID-TERM EXAMINATION
The midterm is based on material covered in lectures and readings up to and including the class before the midterm
exam. The 2-hour mid-term examination will be held on February 14 (9 to 11 am) in class. The exam will be
multiple-choice, true-false and short answers questions and will be worth 25% of the final grade.

MISSED TEST
Make-ups will not be given for the mid-term test. If you miss the test with a verifiable reason (i.e. you have a
Doctor’s note or have made provisions for a VERY good reason with the professor PRIOR to the mid-term), the
weight of the mid-term will be added to the weight of your final exam. If you simply “miss” the mid-term, you
will receive a mark of zero for it. If the reason is medical, an official UTSC medical note must complete by a
doctor who examined you while you were ill/injured. The medical note can be downloaded at
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/resources/pdf_general/UTSCmedicalcertificate.pdf.
You must submit appropriate documentation within five business days of your absence.

FINAL EXAMINATION
The 2-hour final examination will be held during the final examination period, exact time, date and rooms TBA.
The exam is worth 35% of the final grade. It will be a combination of multiple choice, true-false and short answer
questions. The final exam will be based on selected term material (including readings and lectures).

ABSENCES: If you need to miss a practicals for any legitimate reason, you must submit appropriate
documentation within five business days of your absence. If the reason for your absence is medical, an official
UTSC medical note must complete by a doctor who examined you while you were ill/injured (i.e. not after the
fact). The medical note can be downloaded at
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/resources/pdf_general/UTSCmedicalcertificate.pdf.
Note that conditions ranked as mild or negligible will not be considered a valid excuse.
MISSED TERM WORK: If a legitimate reason prevents you from submitting a piece of term work by its posted
deadline, you must submit appropriate documentation within five business days of your absence. If the reason is
medical, an official UTSC medical note must complete by a doctor who examined you while you were ill/injured
(i.e. not after the fact). The medical note can be downloaded at
http://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/~registrar/resources/pdf_general/UTSCmedicalcertificate.pdf. Note that conditions
ranked as mild or negligible will not be considered a valid excuse.
HANDING IN ASSIGNMENT: You are responsible for making sure that your TA receives your work. Students
who mail assignments in, place work on the floor outside an office, or slip assignments under a door, do so at their
own risk.
LOST OR MISPLACED ASSIGNMENT: It is your responsibility to keep a photocopy of your work, and to
make more than one copy of your work. Excuses are not accepted in the case of lost or misplaced work.

PLAGIARISM: Assignments are checked for plagiarism. Please consult the University Calendar for a discussion
and outline of the policy on plagiarism and academic integrity (also see proceeding section below). The sanctions
can be severe. If, after reviewing the University policy, you are uncertain about what constitutes plagiarism, talk to
your course instructor.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Academic integrity is essential to the pursuit of learning and scholarship in a
university, and to ensuring that a degree from the University of Toronto is a strong signal of each student’s
individual academic achievement. As a result, the University treats cases of cheating and plagiarism very seriously.
The University of Toronto’s Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters
(http://www.governingcouncil.utoronto.ca/policies/behaveac.htm) outlines the behaviors that constitute academic
dishonesty and the processes for addressing academic offenses.
All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be investigated following procedures outlined in the Code of
Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions or concerns about what constitutes appropriate academic
behavior or appropriate research and citation methods, you are expected to seek out additional information on
academic integrity from your instructor or from

ACCESSIBILITY STATEMENT
Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a
disability/health consideration that may require accommodations, please feel free to approach me and/or the
AccessAbility Services Office as soon as possible. I will work with you and AccessAbility Services to ensure you
can achieve your learning goals in this course. Inquiries are confidential. The UTSC AccessAbility Services staff
(located in S302) are available by appointment to assess specific needs, provide referrals and arrange appropriate
accommodations. (416) 287-7560 or [email protected].

STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT

Please arrive promptly for lecture and do not forget to turn off cell phones. You are fully expected to abide by the
Code of Student Conduct as set out by The Governing Council at the University of Toronto
(http://www.utoronto.ca/govcncl/pap/policies/studentc.html). This document defines the standards by which
students are to conduct themselves within class and within the University community at large. Please be advised
that misconduct of any form will not be tolerated in this class. This includes plagiarism on quizzes, assignment,
and exams, which will be strictly enforced and is easily detected. Please consult the University Calendar for
information about grade distribution and academic conduct. All suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be
investigated following procedures outlined in the Code of Behaviour on Academic Matters. If you have questions
or concerns about what constitutes appropriate academic behavior or appropriate research and citation methods,
you are expected to seek out additional information on academic integrity from your instructor or from other
institutional resources (see http://www.utoronto.ca/academicintegrity/). If you have further questions regarding
what constitutes plagiarism or other academic offenses, feel free to speak with Prof. Stefanovic.

Note:
Check Blackboard regularly. All announcements, lecture notes, practicals and midterm marks and other
information will be posted on the Blackboard.
List of references for concepts, information, data, figures, and text used in the course:

Allen, P.A. 1997, Earth Surface Processes. Blackwell Science, pp.404

Benn, D.I., and Evans, D.J.A. 1998, Glaciers and Glaciation. London, UK, Arnold, pp.734
Bierman, P.R. and Montgomery, D.R. 2014. Key Concepts in Geomorphology, W.H. Freeman and Company, New
York, NY. pp.494
Bloom, A.L. 1998. Geomorphology; A Systematic Analysis of Late Cenozoic Landforms, 3rd ed. Prentice Hall,
pp.482
Easterbrook, D.J., 1999. Surface processes and landforms, 2nd ed. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New Jersey, 546pp.
Flint, R.F. 1971, Glacial and Quaternary Geology. Wiley, pp.892
Google Earth™ (http://www.google.com/earth/)
Leopold, L.B. 1994, A View of the River, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA, pp.298
Leopold, L.B., Wolman, M.G., and Miller, J.P. 1964, Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology. Freeman, pp.522
Strahler, A.N., 1975, Physical Geography, 4th ed. Wiley, pp.643
Sugden, D.E., and John, B.S. 1976, Glaciers and Landscape. London, Edward Arnold Ltd., pp.376
Taylor, G., and Eggleton, R.A. 2001, Regolith Geology and Geomorphology: Wiley, pp.375
Thornbury, W.D. 1969, Geomorphology, 2nd ed. Wiley, pp.594
Trenhaile, A.S. 2010. Geomorphology A Canadian Perspective, 4th ed. Oxford University Press, Don Mills,
Ontario. pp.558
Trenhaile, A.S. 2013. Geomorphology A Canadian Perspective, 5th ed. Oxford University Press, Don Mills,
Ontario. pp.575