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Overview

Earth surface processes and resultant landforms in high altitude and high latitude areas.

About this paper

Paper title Alpine Geomorphology
Subject Geography
EFTS 0.1667
Points 20 points
Teaching period Semester 1 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees ( NZD ) $1,627.83
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Eligibility

The content of this paper assumes that students will have completed an undergraduate degree in Geography, Earth Science or Geology.

Please contact Professor Sean Fitzsimons for information on the recommended background for this paper.

Contact
geography@otago.ac.nz
Teaching staff

Course Co-ordinator: Professor Sean Fitzsimons

Paper Structure

Lectures:

  • Mountain geomorphology
  • Alpine sediment transfer
  • Lake sedimentary processes
  • Alluvial fans

Student seminars:

  • Each student will complete a seminar on an assigned topic and will submit a written paper based on the seminar

Field School:

  • Mapping landforms
  • Environmental monitoring using a variety of techniques
  • Coring and geophysical survey of lakes
  • Application of understanding geomorphology to environmental management issues

In 2022, the field school will be based in South Westland in April.

The field school will involve:

  • Making observations on the impacts of seismic and storm-driven landscape disturbance
  • Understanding the imprint of glaciation on the landscape of south Westland
  • Undertaking an erosion assessment of tracks and roads for tourist access
  • Learning how landscape change is embedded in lake sediments
  • Making an evaluation of the hazards posed by episodic seismic shaking and storm events in south Westland
Teaching Arrangements

One 2-hour lecture per week.

Textbooks

Textbooks are not required for this paper, but Bierman and Montgomery (2013) Key Concepts in Geomorphology is a useful resource (available on close reserve in the Science Library).

Course outline

View the course outline for GEOG 454

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Interdisciplinary perspective, Communication, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:

  • Understanding of the complex nature of interactions between tectonic and surface processes
  • Understanding how mountain development is driven by tectonic and climatic processes
  • Knowledge and understanding of the erosion, transportation and deposition processes in an alpine setting
  • An understanding of how lake sediments can be used to reconstruct landscape change
  • An advanced ability to undertake research in the primary literature and write coherent and convincing arguments from that literature
  • An advanced ability to integrate field and laboratory evidence of landscape change
Assessment details

This paper is 100% internally assessed.

Overview

Earth surface processes and resultant landforms in high altitude and high latitude areas.

About this paper

Paper title Alpine Geomorphology
Subject Geography
EFTS 0.1667
Points 20 points
Teaching period Not offered in 2027, expected to be offered in 2028 (On campus)
Domestic Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for 2027 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.
Eligibility

The content of this paper assumes that students will have completed an undergraduate degree in Geography, Earth Science or Geology.

Please contact Professor Sean Fitzsimons for information on the recommended background for this paper.

Contact
geography@otago.ac.nz
Teaching staff

Course Co-ordinator: Professor Sean Fitzsimons

Paper Structure

Lectures:

  • Mountain geomorphology
  • Alpine sediment transfer
  • Lake sedimentary processes
  • Alluvial fans

Student seminars: each student will complete a seminar on an assigned topic and will submit a written paper based on the seminar.

Field School:

  • Mapping landforms
  • Environmental monitoring using a variety of techniques
  • Coring and geophysical survey of lakes
  • Application of understanding geomorphology to environmental management issues

In 2022, the field school was based in South Westland in April. The field school involved:

  • Making observations on the impacts of seismic and storm-driven landscape disturbance.
  • Understanding the imprint of glaciation on the landscape of South Westland.
  • Undertaking an erosion assessment of tracks and roads for tourist access.
  • Learning how landscape change is embedded in lake sediments.
  • Evaluating the hazards posed by episodic seismic shaking and storm events in South Westland.
Teaching Arrangements

One 2-hour lecture per week.

Textbooks

Textbooks are not required for this paper, but Bierman and Montgomery (2013) Key Concepts in Geomorphology is a useful resource (available on close reserve in the Science Library).

Course outline

View the course outline for GEOG 454.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised
Interdisciplinary perspective, Communication, Teamwork.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.
Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete this paper will gain:

  • Understanding of the complex nature of interactions between tectonic and surface processes.
  • Understanding how mountain development is driven by tectonic and climatic processes.
  • Knowledge and understanding of the erosion, transportation and deposition processes in an alpine setting.
  • An understanding of how lake sediments can be used to reconstruct landscape change.
  • An advanced ability to undertake research in the primary literature and write coherent and convincing arguments from that literature.
  • An advanced ability to integrate field and laboratory evidence of landscape change.
Assessment details

This paper is 100% internally assessed.

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