Time Schedule:
Bernard Hallet
ESS 435
Seattle Campus
Introduces glacial processes that shape mountainous and polar regions, creating a wealth of characteristic landforms; and periglacial processes that profoundly impact nearly twenty percent of the land surface of the plant and Mars through frost action and thermal fluctuations. Prerequisite: MATH 125; either PHYS 114 or PHYS 121; ESS 211; ESS 326; recommended ESS 431.
Class description
An introduction to the vast regions of land influenced by ice and to 1) the glacial processes that produce a wealth of fascinating landforms unique to glaciated regions, and massive amounts of sediment that fill valleys and fjords and accumulate on continental shelves; and 2) the periglacial processes that profoundly impact nearly 20% of the land surface of our planet by sustaining permafrost up to 1.5 km deep and localizing all hydrological and biological activity to within ~1 m of the ground surface. Lectures and discussions will also include extra-terrestrial cryogenic landscapes, and topical linkages between glacial erosion and tectonics in active high mountain ranges, and between the cryosphere and global climate in an era of rapid warming
Student learning goals
Students who successfully complete this course should be able to critically read and digest the current literature in glacial and periglacial geomorphology, and to apply the diverse concepts and methods to future academic or professional subjects.
More broadly, they should have gained a deeper appreciation of the terrain in high mountain ranges and high latitude regions by developing an understanding of, and insight into, the processes shaping landscapes in cold regions.
Also, they should have developed their ability to think critically about the role of the cryosphere in climate change and mountain building (both its response to and its participation in).
Finally, they should have become better educated citizens having a solid foundation for generating informed views about environmental issues that arise in these regions.
General method of instruction
Lectures, in-class discussions and readings, short field excursions
Recommended preparation
Prerequisite: Math 124, 125; Phys 114 or 121; ESS211, ESS326 or equivalent. Recommended: 431. ESS326 is not required for students having taken ESS431.
Class assignments and grading
Short problem sets, final report and oral presentation
Short problem sets, final report and oral presentation on a topic chosen by the student
