BIOGEOSCIENCES 103: Our Changing Environment - Water and Landscapes
Course Description
In this course you are introduced to the study of geology, hydrology and geomorphology. Geology is the science and study of the Earth, its composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape it. Hydrology is the study of the movement and distribution of water throughout the Earth, and addresses both the hydrologic cycle and water resources. Geomorphology is the study of landforms and the processes that shape them. Together these disciplines encompass most of the processes that impact human societies (such as volcanic eruptions, floods, landslides and droughts), and many of the natural resources upon which modern societies are built.
Take the tour in Google Earth (download kmz file and click on the place markers in order)
Course Outline
All official information relevant to this course, including: a detailed list of lecture topics; lab assignment dates and details; grading scheme, office hours; assigned textbooks, and contact details can be found in the course outline
Textbook and other resources
The primary source of information about this course is the custom course package available at the bookstore, which includes textbook chapters and laboratory assignments. Online support material is available here. Notes, videos, photographs and reading assignments will all be provided on this website. Each week, new pages related to the week's main topics will be added (and probably modified as the week progresses). Be sure to check the site often to make sure that you have the most up-to-date information.
Lab Assistance Center Hours
Need help figuring out how to complete the lab assignments in Google Earth? Having trouble with a concept in the lecture material? You can get help from the TAs at ANY of the following times (on a first-come, first-served basis), starting next week:
| Day | Time | Room | Day | Time | Room | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 12:00 to 13:00 | Geog 229 | Monday | 13:00 to 14:00 | Geog 229 | |
| Tuesday | 09:00 to 10:00 | Geog 229 | Tuesday | 10:00 to 11:00 | Geog 229 | |
| Tuesday | 13:00 to 14:00 | Geog 229 | Tuesday | 14:00 to 15:00 | Geog 229 | |
| Wednesday | 12:00 to 13:00 | Geog 229 | Wednesday | 13:00 to 14:00 | Geog 229 | |
| Thursday | 11:00 to 12:00 | Geog 229 | Thursday | 12:00 to 13:00 | Geog 229 |
Attendance at the lab section for which you are registered is NOT required! If you can complete the lab assignments in the course package without help, and you do not have trouble understanding the lecture material, then there is no need to go to any of the scheduled lab assistance center hours.
University of British Columbia
Important Dates
Be sure to make note of the following important dates during the term
- 10 Sep. 2012 Lab 1 to be completed (required KMZ file)
- 17 Sep. 2012 Lab 2 due (required KMZ file)
- 24 Sep. 2012 Lab 3 due (required KMZ file)
- 01 Oct. 2012 Lab 4 due (required KMZ file)
- 08 Oct. 2012 Thanksgiving Day
- 10 Oct. 2012 Lab 5 due (required KMZ file)
- 15 Oct. 2012 Lab 6 due (required KMZ file)
- 22 Oct. 2012 Midterm examination
Click here to see the midterm marks, the lab marks based on the first 5 labs, and a forecast of the final grades based on the data so far. The data are listed by student number only. - 05 Nov. 2012 Lab 7 due (required KMZ file)
- 12 Nov. 2012 Holiday in lieu of Remembrance Day
- 14 Nov. 2012 Lab 8 due (required KMZ file)
- 19 Nov. 2012 Lab 9 due (required KMZ file)
- TBA Final examination
In The News
- Church and White, 2006. A 20th century acceleration in global sea-level rise
- Meier et al. 2007 Glaciers Dominate Eustatic Sea-Level Rise in the 21st Century
- NRC Report: Sea-level Rise for the Coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington: Past, Present, Future
- Report on the vulnerability of Bangladesh and the Netherlands to sea level rise
- Two earthquakes hit BC only days apart near Haida Gwaii, October 2012
- Here is a list of the important sections in Chapters 6 to 10
- Here is the class email regarding Chapter 5
- Here is the class email regarding Chapter 4
- Here is the class email regarding Chapter 3
- Here is the class email regarding Chapter 2
- Canadian Government to Close the Experimental Lakes Area research project (read more)
- Glaciers may soon be a thing of the past: recent studies have concluded that the glaciers in BC and Alberta may disappear almost entirely by the year 2100. A recent news article presents some of main findings of a historical review of glaciers..
Links to lecture topics
These links will take you to the webpages that have been constructed for each topic of the course.
- Topic 1 Rocks & Rock-Forming Processes
- Topic 2 Magma & Igneous Rocks
- Topic 3 Sediment & Sedimentary Rocks
- Topic 4 Deformation of Rocks
- Topic 5 Global Tectonics: Plates and Plumes
- Topic 6 Mass Movements: Landscapes in Motion
- Topic 7 Streams: Flowing Water Shapes the Landscape
- Topic 8 Water Flowing Underground
- Topic 9 Glaciers: Cold-Climate Sculptors of Continents
- Topic 10 Shorelines: Changing Landscapes Where Land Meets Seas
- Topic 11 Wind: A Global Geologic Process