Prerequisites
Knowleges of Basic Geology and lithology, Mineralogy, Structural Geology and Chemestry.
Course unit content
Aims, methods and problems in geomorphology
Rock wheatering and soils formation.
Paleosols and their maining in geomorphology.landscape evolution.
Structural landforms: passive landforms; morphotectonic landforms.
Slope slope of denudation.
Fluvia processes and morphology. Hydrography hydrographic network and tectonic movements.
Glacial /periglacial processes and landforms: alpine and high latitude environments.
Karst processes and micro-macrolanforms.
Volcanic landforms and regional volcanic evolution.
Eolian morphology. Coastal processes, fluvial interference and coastal landforms.
Long evolution of landscape. Planation processes and landforms.
Extraterrestrial form from meteorites impact.
Some geomorphological fieldtrips in Apenninic areas.
Full programme
Introduction: short account on aims, methods and questions in geomorphology.
Extra-terrestrial morphology: impact crater from meteorites.
Weathering and associated lanforms. Short account on soil formation. Palaeosols and their significance in geomorphological regional evolution.
Structural landforms and their morphologic evolution. Planation surfaces, exumation processes; Giura, sub-alpine and appalachian chains evolution. Morphoneotectonics and related landforms; relationship from hydrography and neotectonic movements.
Slope processes and landforms. Rain wash processes and landforms; mass movements: causes and types. Valley slope modifications related to landslide event.
Fluvial geomorphology: short account on hydrodynamics; erosional, transport and sedimentation processes, bed geomorphology and bed landforms evolution; graded fluvial profile. Fluvial terraces: origin and evolution.
Glacial and periglacial morphology (alpine and high latitude environments). Le variazioni Plio-quaternary climatic changes and glaciations; basic background on ice formation and glaciers type and glaciers classification; erosional and depositional glacial landforms: italian subalpine glacial end moraines. Mountain permafrost and small periglacial landforms and processes; nivation processes and landforms. Inlandsis glacial landforms; varves and their significance; disintegration lanforms; glacial isostasy. Generali conditions and landforms of the peripolar permafrost. Permafrost degradation: termocarst, gelifluction.
Coastal morphology
Basic background on marine currents, wind, tideswaves, energy ecc.. Causes of the variations in sea level and coastal morphology. Longshore and offshore transport of sediment. Erosional and depositional coastal landforms; marine terraces. Morphologic coastal classification.
Karst geomorphology
Solubles rocks. Solution and precipitation processes. Short account on karst hydrology. Minor and major superficial karst landforms. Underground speleothemes. Climate and karst morphology.
Volcanic geomophology
Generality on the lava characters and volcan types. Basic and acid lava macroforms. Character of piroclastic deposits. Erosional and depositional processes in the geomorphologic evolution of the volcan form. Environmental modification connected to lava flow.
Eolian morphology
Climatic belts and wind activity and processes. Deflation and depositional eolian landforms: dune types and loess.
Hydrographic network geomorphologic problems
Introduction. Network organization and structural bedrock conditions. Channel hierachy. Avulsion and stream piracy.. Fluvial superimposition or antecedente; Epigenetic valley. Relationship between volcanic, non-volcanic landforms and hydrography. Neotectonics and hydrography. Lakes origin and their evolution.
Landscape longtime evolution
Slope landforms and genesis. Geographic cycle of Davis and landscape evolution; theories and formation of pediplains, pediments, ecthplains, ecc.
Characters, methods of study and general problems of the geomorphologic researces.
* Field escursions
Bibliography
Bartolini C. - "I fattori geologici delle forme del terreno- ", Pitagora, Bologna, 1992.
Bland W. & Rolls D. -”Weathering - a introduction to the scientific principles” Arnold Ed., Londra, 1998.
Castiglioni G.B. - "Geomorfologia", UTET, TO, 1991.
Easterbrook D.J. -"Surface Processes and Landforms", McMillan Publ. Comp, New York, 1993.
Giacomelli L. e Scandone R. –“Vulcani e eruzioni”, Pitagora Ed., Bologna, 2002.
Marchetti M.- “Geomorfologia fluviale”, Pitagora Ed., Bologna, 2000.
Ciccacci S. –“Le forme del rilievo - Atlante illustrato di Geomorfologia”, Mondadori Università, pp., 514 2010.
Smiraglia C. -"Guida ai ghiacciai e alla glaciologia - forme, fluttuazioni, ambienti", Zanichelli Ed., Bologna, 1992.
Summerfield M.A.-”Global geomorphology”, Longman, Essex, 1991.
Turner A.K. and Schuster R.L. (Eds.) – “LANDSLIDES: investigation and mitigation”, TRB special report 247,Nat. Acad.Press,Washington D.C., 1996.
Washburn A.L. -"Geocryology: a survey of periglacial processes and environments". E. Arnold Ed., London, 1979.
Teaching methods
Frontal lessons and field escursions.
