99152 - COASTAL GEOMORPHOLOGY AND REMOTE SENSING

Learning outcomes

Moving from basic concepts on coastal landforms and depositional environments, students will develop an understanding of the main evolution processes of coastal systems. Conceptual models and field observations will be used to present the main coastal systems functions, including those provided by coastal wetlands as for example primary productivity and carbon sequestration. Students will acquire an operational knowledge of various measuring and monitoring technologies, with particular emphasis on satellite remote-sensing tools. Applications to real case studies will be presented and discussed in detail through hands-on projects.

Course contents

The course consists of lessons, remote sensing practical activities (i.e. image processing using selected software), and a final project. During the course, students will become familiar with basic concepts of coastal geomorphology as well as of remote sensing and image processing. The geomorphological aspects include: 1. Coastal classification and morphology: how coasts are classified, main influencing factors on coastal morphology. 2. Coastal sedimentology: how sediments are classified, sediment transport and deposition, depositional environments on coastal regions, grain size classification, sedimentological analysis, facies association concept and facies analysis of coastal deposits. 3. Sea-level variations: key concepts, eustatic vs relative sea-level changes, sea-level variation in the Northern Adriatic zone (case studies), how depositional sequences accumulate (principles of stratigraphy in brief) and potential applications for coastal zones. 4. Deltas: definitions, components, deltaic environments, classification of Deltas, Italian deltas and the modern Po Delta evolution, modern Deltas at risk. 5. Estuaries: definitions, processes, classification of estuaries, beach depositional environments, sediment provenance, beach morphology, coral reefs. High coasts: main genetic processes, cliffs formation and classification, erosion and cliff backstepping.

Remote sensing will be used as a tool to study coastal geomorphology with specific hands-on applications. After an introduction on the basic theory on remote sensing and the electromagnetic radiation principles, students will learn the principles of digital image processing. Satellite data will be used to reconstruct changes in time and space typical of coastal areas dynamics. Specifically we will focus on (1) change detection in coastal zones (i.e. morphological changes of the coastline, of the estuaries, etc.); (2) landuse mapping; (3) mapping and assessing the characteristics of coastal vegetation; (4) detecting coastal water turbidity.

At the end of the course, students will develop a project that will allow them to apply the skills acquired during the course.

Readings/Bibliography

Main suggestions:

Canada Centre for Remote Sensing. Fundamentals of Remote Sensing, http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/geography-boundary/remote-sensing/fundamentals/1430

Tempfli et al. Principle of Remote Sensing – An introductory textbook, https://webapps.itc.utwente.nl/librarywww/papers_2009/general/principlesremotesensing.pdf

Slides and other readings will be provided.

Teaching methods

Theoretical lessons will be complemented with readings of research articles that will be assigned to students. The course will include a strong operational component to be developed in class using personal laptops and specific software. Therefore, in addition to the theoretical lessons students will follow labs:

Geomorphology labs: 1. stratigraphic logs (exercises); 2. analysis of unconsolidated coastal sediments.

Remote sensing labs: we will have one lab session per week dedicated to in-class activities based on image and data processing.

Considering the type of teaching activities and methods, in order to follow this course students should have taken the e-learning Module 1- Safety General Training and Module 2- Sefety Specific Training [https://elearning-sicurezza.unibo.it/]

Assessment methods

The practical training will include exercises that will be evaluated during the course and will be part of the final grade. An individual project will be developed by each student for the final exam. The final oral exam will include the presentation of the project as well as answering questions regarding the project and other subjects of the course.

Teaching tools

Students are required to bring their own laptops. The software used for the training will be exclusively open access, as for example QGIS, SNAP and MultiSpec.

Students who need compensatory tools for reasons related to disabilities or specific learning disorders (SLD) can directly contact the Service for Students with Disabilities (disabilita@unibo.it [mailto:disabilita@unibo.it] ) and the Service for Students with learning disabilities (dsa@unibo.it [mailto:dsa@unibo.it] ) to agree on the adoption of the most appropriate measures.

Office hours

See the website of Sonia Silvestri

See the website of Bruno Campo