GEOL479-18S1 (C) Semester One 2018

Active Tectonics and Geomorphology

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 19 February 2018
End Date: Sunday, 24 June 2018
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Friday, 2 March 2018
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Friday, 18 May 2018

Description

Active deformation is explored in this course, introducing the criteria by which active deformation can be identified and located. The emphasis is on the interaction between tectonic and other geomorphic processes in shaping the landscape and the way in which the nature of the underlying deformation can be identified and quantified from an analysis of topography.

This course explores the interactions between the tectonic activity that build topography and the surface processes that modify and destroy it. We will explore why the Earth’s surface has the shape that it does and how the nature of sub-surface deformation can be identified and quantified from an analysis of surface deposits and topography. Lectures will draw on the fields of structural geology, field mapping, seismology, geomorphology, geodesy, geophysics, and geochronological dating techniques to understand the origin and evolution of landscapes in New Zealand and beyond. In the second half of the term, we will use numerical models and GIS to interactively explore case studies in active tectonics. Students will be expected to present literature reviews of selected classic or recent journal articles in class each week. Assessment will be based on field exercises and in-class assignments.

Prerequisites

Subject to approval of the Head of Department.

Timetable Note

Schedule of Lecture hours, field trips and Location:

Lecture Times: This course runs in 2 hour time slots once a week – Thursday 1-3pm (S1).
Location: To be advised

Field trip 1:  -  North Canterbury Active tectonics and geomorphology – Saturday 10th March 2018
Field trip 2:  -  South Canterbury Active tectonics and Geomorphology – Sunday 6th May 2018


Week  -  Dates  -  Topic / Activity  -  Lecturer
8  -  19 Feb  -  Course Introduction; Landscape evolution; climate change as a driver; climatic and tectonic forcing  -  JRP
9  -  26 Feb  -  Planar and linear geomorphic markers; Establishing timelines of events  -  JRP
10  -  5 March  -  Introduction to Kaikoura EQ and landscape impacts  -  JRP
10  -  10 March  -  North Canterbury - Field Trip 1 (Combined with GEOL473)  -  JRP/AN/TS
11  -  12 March  -  Earthquakes as a structural geomorphic process  -  JRP
12  -  19 March  -  Earthquakes and paleoseismology 1  -  JRP
13  -  26 March  -  Earthquakes and Paleoseismology 2  -  JRP

14-16  -  April  -  April mid-semester break

17  -  23 April  -  Landscape evolution models (Task: Fault scarp diffusion in ArcGIS and Matlab)  -  TS
18  -  30 April  -  Geomorphic offset; establishing timelines of events (Task: LaDiCaoz offset identification and measurement in LiDAR)  -  TS
18  -  6 May  -  South Canterbury -Field Trip 2  -  TS/JRP
19  -  7 May  -  Geochronology (Task: Monte Carlo simulation and Be-10 age modelling)  -  TS
20  -  14 May  -  Earthquakes as a structural and geomorphic process (Task: Coulomb elastic dislocations and stress modelling)  -   TS
21  -  21 May  -  Paleoseismology (Task: Multi-fault rupture and maximum magnitude modelling)  -  TS
22  -  28 May  -  Paleoseismology II (Task: Advanced GIS analysis in paleoseismology)  -  TS

* The above schedule is subject to some amendments dependent of staff availability and overall course planning.

Course Coordinator

For further information see School of Earth and Environment Head of Department

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Assignment 1 30% Field Trip Assignment 1: North Canterbury active faulting and geomorphology field mapping exercise and questions
Assessment Task 1 15% Task 1: Three (of six) in-class assignments for assessment of completion
Assessment Task 2 30% Task 2: Three extended in-class based assignments with follow-on written overview/literature review for detailed assessment
Assignment 2 25% Field Assignment 2: South Canterbury active tectonics and geomorphology field mapping exercise


Assessment Details  (100% in term assessment)
Note:  Assignment due dates to be confirmed at commencement of course

Term 1:
Field Trip Assignment 1:  -  North Canterbury active faulting and geomorphology field mappingexercise and questions  -  30%

Term 2:  
Assessment Tasks: With respect to each of the six class sessions in Term 2 students will select three of the six assignments for each of two assessment task (Tasks 1 and 2) below:

Task 1:  -  Three (of six) in-class assignments for assessment of completion  -  15% (5% each; due at the end of the class session)

Task 2:   -  Three extended in-class based assignments with follow-on written overview/literature review for detailed assessment  -   30% (10% each; due 1 week after class session)

Field Assignment 2:  -  South Canterbury active tectonics and geomorphology field mapping exercise  -   25%

Course links

Library portal

Additional Course Outline Information

Academic integrity

Marks and Grades
The Department of Geological Sciences uses the following scale to convert marks into grades:
100 – 90 A+ 75 – 79 B+ 60 – 64 C+
89 – 85 A 70 – 74 B 55 – 59 C
84 – 80 A- 65 – 69 B- 50 – 54 C-
Below 50 D/E
The Department of Geological Sciences reserves the right to adjust this mark/grade conversion, when deemed necessary.

Late Work
Late work should be accompanied with a short note explaining why the work is late. The work will be marked and marks will be subtracted for each day the work is late. Days late include week-ends and holidays.

Aegrotat Applications
If you feel that illness, injury, bereavement or other critical circumstances has prevented you from completing an item of assessment or affected your performance, you should complete an aegrotat application form, available from the Registry or the Student Health and Counselling Service. This should be within seven days of the due date for the required work or the date of the examination. In the case of illness or injury, medical consultation should normally have taken place shortly before or within 24 hours after the due date for the required work, or the date of the test or examination. For further details on aegrotat applications, please refer to the Enrolment Handbook. You have the right to appeal any decision made, including aegrotat decisions.

Missing of Tests
In rare cases a student will not be able to sit a test. In such cases, the student should consult with the course co-ordinator or the Head of Geological Sciences to arrange alternative procedures. This must be done well in advance of the set date for the test, unless the situation is covered by the aegrotat regulations.

Reconsideration of Grades
• Grades for individual items of coursework may be reassessed, and in the first instance students should speak with the course coordinator. If an agreeable solution cannot be reached students should then speak to the Head of the Geological Sciences Department. Reconsideration should normally be requested within 4 weeks of the test or the return of the item of assessment.
• Grade reconsideration for courses as a whole can be obtained by applying to the Registry within 4 weeks of the date of publication of the final results. Students should refer to UC Calendar under general course and examination regulations for details of the appeal process.

Academic Liaison
Tom Brookman and Tim Stahl currently share the Chairperson role on the Postgraduate Liaison Committee. A student representative is appointed to the Liaison Committee at the start of the semester. Please feel free to talk to Tom, Tim or the student representative about any problems or concerns that you might have.

Students with Disabilities
Students with disabilities should speak with someone at the Disability Resource Service. Inquire in the first instance at Level 3 Rutherford Building  Email: disability@canterbury.ac.nz

Policy on Dishonest Practice
Plagiarism, collusion, copying and ghost writing are unacceptable and dishonest practices.
• Plagiarism is the presentation of any material (text, data, figures or drawings, on any medium including computer files) from any other source without clear and adequate acknowledgement of the source.
• Collusion is the presentation of work performed in conjunction with another person or persons, but submitted as if it has been completed only by the named author(s).  
• Copying is the use of material (in any medium, including computer files) produced by another person(s) with or without their knowledge and approval.
• Ghost writing is the use of another person(s) (with or without payment) to prepare all or part of an item submitted for assessment.  
In cases where dishonest practice is involved in tests or other work submitted for credit, the student will be referred to the University Proctor. The instructor may choose to not mark the work.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,046.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Earth and Environment .

All GEOL479 Occurrences

  • GEOL479-18S1 (C) Semester One 2018