56286 - Geomorphology

Learning outcomes

The students will learn to understand the geomorphic processes and natural forms and to make a preliminary geomorphological map that has is a morphographic map to be field-checked. In such a way the students can analyze every geographical area according to an evolutive perspective of the physical landscape.

Course contents

17(12 front + 5 Exer) complete micromodules (2 hours each) and two end field-trips (5+2 and 3+2 hours respectively) concerning:

1)Module general information; module puposes; fields of study and concepts; UNESCO socio-environmental aims; discipline definition; analytical points of view in Geomorphology; biostasy and rhexistasy. 2) Natural materials degradation. 3) (Exer 1) technical cartography and its geomorph interpretation. Processes and related Forms (PF) concerning the following environments: 4) hillslope; 5-6) fluvial; 7) lacustrine; 8-9) littoral;  10) glacial; 11) karstic; 12) volcanic; 13) structural geomorphology; 14) (Exer 2) geomorphological mapping rudiments; 15-17) (Exer.3-4-5) personal map analysis. 18) (Lab. 1) First fiel-trip. 19) (Lab 2) Second fiel-trip.

The full explanation of above listed topics will require (if the case) more than two hours of each micromodule but the total duration of the module basically will be respected.

The practical suggestions for acquiring the personal topographic map will be given during the first lesson.

The possible subdivision of the class in two groups for exercises will be stated at the starting of the lessons.

Lecture calendar: (indicatively) Monday, Tuesday, Thursday. The two end field-trips will be held on Saturday for avoiding unpleasant overlays on other courses.

Whole time-span: March 1^st – April 30^th, 2021.

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the PPT and personal notes at least one of the subsequent handbooks (according to the preferred language) is recommended. Therefore the lecture attendance is warmly suggested for avoiding unnecessary time consumption during the study. The stressed handbooks 1 (or 17, or 20) and/or 8 are suggested to the students who can not attend the lectures.

The suggested literature is consistent with the specific learning work. The high titles amount listed below is not a must but is due both to the discipline scientific updating and to the personal free choice of the student; but above all it wants to be a sure professional base after the student degree.

Italian textbooks:

1) Castiglioni G.B., Geomorfologia, UTET, 1999

2) Panizza M. Geomorfologia, Pitagora 1995

3)Ciccacci S. Le forme del rilievo: atlante illustrato di geomorfologia, Mondatori 2010.

4) Bartolini C. , I fattori geologici delle forme del rilievo, Pitagora 1992.

5) Dramis F., Bisci C., Cartografia geomorfologica, Pitagora 1998

6) D’Orefice M., Graciotti R., Rilevamento geomorfologico e cartografia. Realizzazione,

lettura, interpretazione. Flaccovio 2015

7) Ciabatti M., Elementi di Idrologia, Patron 1977

8)Sauro U. et al., Dalla carta topografica al paesaggio. ZetaBeta 2005.

9) Marinelli O., Atlante dei tipi geografici, IGM.I. (ristampa 2002).

10) Pranzini E., La forma delle coste. Zanichelli 2004.

11) Carraro F., Geologia del Quaternario, Flaccovio, 2012

12) Dainelli N., Fotointerpretazione: l'osservazione della Terra. Flaccovio, 2011

13) Rivard L., Integration of satellite and photo Geomorphology for preliminary Terrain Evaluation: visual interpretation techniques. Springer , Berlin , 2011.

14) Soldati M., Marchetti M. (a cura di ), Landscapes and landforms of Italy. Springer 2017.

15) Goudie A.S., Viles H.A. (Eds.), Geomorphology in the Anthropocene. Cambridge 2016.

16) Gray M., Geodiversity. Valuing and conserving abiotic nature. Wiley, 2004.

Foreign textbooks:

17) Summerfield M., Global Geomorphology, Longmann 1991.

18) Coque R., Géomorphologie, Colin Editeur, 2000.

19) Campy M., Macaire J.-J., Geologie de la surface, Dunod 2003.

20) Gutierrez E. M., Geomorfologia, Pearson-Prentice Hall, Madrid 2008 (edizione spagnola).

21) Dewolf Y., Bourrié G. , Les formations superficielles, Ellipses, Paris 2008.

22) Anderson R.S., Anderson S.P., Geomorphology : the mechanics and chemistry of landscapes, Cambridge Univ. Press, 2010, 654 pp.

23) Jay Melosh H., 2011, Planetary surface processes, Cambridge University Press

24) Smith M. J., Paron P., Griffith J. S, 2011, Geomorphological mapping, Elsevier, Oxford

25) Fort M., Betard F., Arnaud-Fassetta G., 2015. Geomorphologie dynamique et

environnement, A. Colin Ed.

If the case, also:

26) Casati P., Pace F., Scienze della Terra , vol 2° Città Studi 1996 (solo argomenti trattati a lezione); (only topics dealt with in class)

27) Perego S., Appunti di Cartografia ad uso degli studenti di Scienze geologiche e Naturali ecc., Santa Croce , Parma 1997 (Only for students coming from courses other than Natural Sciences)

Teaching methods

Oral lessons and exercises in class; two field-trips. The teacher will guide the students (as a whole class as well as individuals) through each step of the course towards the correct reading and interpretation of the geomorphological setting and related stratigraphic details.

Assessment methods

The final examination is oral but it relays upon a practical approach. In fact, each student is requested to discuss a previously drawn geomorphological interpretation of a topographical sheet already chosen during the course (a list of maps is suggested by the teacher during the first lesson of the course). The map drawing is performed by the student partly during the class-exercises and partly as final, personal refinement. This analytical discussion will permit to deepen all the topics characterizing the course and consequently to formulate the final mark. The final mark will be stated considering a value of 70% of the total for the map and its discussion, and a value of 30% for further general theoretical questions.

The resulting evaluation of each module of both Geomorphology and Elements of Pedology will give origin to the final grade for the whole Integrated Course taking into account the mean of modules evaluation weighed according the related CFU.

Teaching tools

Rocks and soil samples, cartography, PPT presentations.

Office hours

See the website of Stefano Cremonini