Corso di Laurea Magistrale Interateneo in Geografia e Scienze Territoriali (LM-80)

Geomorphology and soil conservation

Geomorphology and soil conservation

Anno accademico 2021/2022

Sommario insegnamento

• Obiettivi formativi
• Risultati dell'apprendimento attesi
• Modalità di insegnamento
• Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
• Programma
• Testi consigliati e bibliografia
• Strumenti didattici

Obiettivi formativi

The course aims to provide the necessary basis for understanding the evolution of the terrestrial relief with particular regard to the superficial landforms and the deposits associated with them. The relative acquired competences can be used in different fields of study of physical geographic sciences, both in a scientific perspective and in an application field (territorial planning, study of natural phenomena such as landslides, river erosion and floods, coastal erosion, earthquakes, volcanic activity, etc.)

Risultati dell'apprendimento attesi

Knowledge and understanding

At the end of this teaching the student will:
- know the principles of geomorphology and the processes that rule the evolution of the territory;
- know the fundamental concepts on morphogenesis and morpho-evolution;
- know the theory of pedogenesis and soil conservation.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding

 At the end of this teaching the student will know:
- use the appropriate geomorphology terminology;
- know the landscape modeling agents;
- interpret the geomorphological aspects of both mountain and plain areas and recognize the space-time relationships between endogenous and exogenous processes and their relationship with climatic factors;
- read and interpret the geomorphological cartography;
- assess the geomorphological hazard conditions and the problems related to soil conservation and geoconservation. 

Autonomy of judgment

At the end of the course the student will be able to formulate a judgment:
- on the basic concepts of geomorphology;
- on morphogenetic agents and land modeling;
- on the morphoevolution and on the relative hazard;
- on geomorphological mapping. 

Communication skills

At the end of the course the student must know:
- use the technical language of geomorphology;
- coordinate with the various professional figures working in the field of geomorphology and soil conservation. 

Learning ability

At the end of this course the student will have the ability to study independently and critically evaluate the different issues of geomorphology, he will have critical and rigorous ability to analyze the consequences of human action on the environment, to recognize the morphological expression of the landscape, to identify landforms and cover deposits (present and past).

Modalità di insegnamento

The theaching is organized in 42 hours of lessons and 12 of classroom and/or field activity: it will consist of introductory lessons and guided discussions, with the support of specific materials (power point presentations, articles and web sources).

Following the health emergency due to COVID 19, teaching could be warrently electronically via the Webex platform. 

Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento

The acquisition of knowledge and skills will be verified as follow:

- the knowledge acquired during the lessons and the ability of attending students to develop the topics covered in an autonomous and original way will be verified through a open question test.

- the classroom excise and/or field activity will be verified trought a report drawn up in small groups.

A vote will be proposed depending on these two part. Oral examination could be asked by the student to correct some problems highlighted during the scripts and could modify the proposed vote up to 20%.

Programma

Introduction: principles and methods of geomorphology; landforms and deposits; meteoric alteration (physical and chemical alteration processes).

Slope processes, landforms and deposits: soil creep and solifluction; landslides and their classification, predisposing and triggering factors; state of activity.

Processes, landforms and deposits associated with the action of channeled flowing waters: dynamics of channeled flowing waters; erosion, transport and sedimentation; widespread and concentrated runoff; river basins and rivers; river beds; river sediments; floodplains; alluvial fans; estuaries and deltas; longitudinal profiles and knickpoints.

Fluvial geomorphology: alluvial terraces (climatic, eustatic, tectonic).

Planation processes, landforms and deposits: pediment; relict summit surfaces.

Karst processes, landforms and deposits: dissolution and karst deposition; epigean landforms; karst circulation; caves and speleothems; travertine.

coastal landform and deposits: wave motion dynamics near the coast; coastal transport; coastal erosion and sedimentation; cliffs, furrows and abrasion platforms; beaches, coastal ropes, lagoons; coastal terraces.

Glacial processes, landforms and deposits: continental, plateau, valley and circus glaciers; glacier dynamics (feeding, ablation, movement, crevasses); cold and temperate glaciers; erosion, transport and glacial sedimentation; glacial extraction, striae; moraines, proglacial plateau.

Periglacial processes, landforms and deposits: permafrost, structured soils, ice wedges and tundra polygons; rock glaciers, stratified debris deposits. Processes, forms and wind deposits: deflation and corruption; dunes; loess; Yardang

Structural and morphotectonic geomorphology: selective erosion; horst and graben; morphostructures with horizontal layers (plateau, butte); monoclinal morphostructures (cuesta, hogback); landforms produced by active tectonics; fault scarps; paleo seismological analysis of active faults; action of faults on water courses; antecedence and superimposition;

Volcanic geomorphology: types of lavas and types of eruptive manifestations; fissural magmatic emissions, simple volcanic cones; layer volcanoes, submarine volcanism.

Soils: physical characteristics (micromorphology) and physical and chemical properties of soils. Pedogenetic processes. Qualitative assessment of soils. Land capability and land suitability. Fundamental concepts of soil conservation: soil function in the environmental system, dynamic relations with the environment system. Land degradation: physical degradation and chemical degradation. The relationship with climate change and the methods of use. State soil and process indicators.

Thematic cartography: principles of geomorphological cartography, reading and interpretation of geomorphological maps.

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