121-310 Fluvial Geomorphology

Completion of 25 points of second/third-year subjects. Completion of either 121-018 Geomorphology or 121-033 Environmental Hydrology A or an appropriate number of courses in Environmental Engineering or Earth Sciences. Candidates with sufficient professional experience may also be considered.

Fluvial geomorphology is the study of the role of rivers in shaping the morphology of the earth. This subject builds on the grounding in introductory geomorphology provided by 121-018. Students who complete the course will not only see the landscape with new eyes, but they will have the beginnings of a capacity to manage stream systems at a professional level. We will emphasise a strong process based approach based on sediment transport and deposition, coupled with examination of modern stream channel change in the light of changes over the last two million years. The focus of the course will be the unique streams of Australia.

Six practical reports, a 1500-word essay, a 1500-word field report (in the form of a journal article) and a 2-hour exam.

• D Knighton, Fluvial Forms and Processes: A New Perspective. Arnold 1998.