Geomorphology
GEO 320

Professor: Dr. Rhawn Denniston
Office: 202 Norton (x 4306)
Home Phone: 895-8517
E-mail:
rdenniston@cornellcollege.edu
Office Hours: 3:00-4:00 M-F or by appointment.  You may call me at home any day until 8:00 pm.

Text
Process Geomorphology by Ritter ??????
Various journal and newspaper articles will assigned

Course Meeting Times
9:00 – 11:00 am
1:15– 3:00 pm M-F unless otherwise noted

Grading Scheme:

 5%-Class Discussion
10%-Project
20%-Papers

15%-Exam #1

20%- Exam #2
30%-Exam #3

Policy on Late Work
Homework assignments, papers, and exams are to be completed within the scheduled time frame.  You will be penalized 25% for every day that the assignment is late.  If you have a college-sanctioned excuse for missing class or an assignment deadline, notify me in immediately.

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is passing other people’s work off as your own.  If you use someone’s data or interpretations, you must give them credit by either quoting or citing them.  Consult The Compass, the Cornell College student handbook, for a more complete description of plagiarism and cheating, in general.

There will be a two day field trip at the end of the course. 

Exams
Exams are closed book; handouts, flowcharts, etc. used in class will not be used during tests.  All exams are cumulative.

Week 1
Monday
9 AM
Introduction and Climatic Geomorphology
1:15 PM
Topographic maps; sediment particle size
Reading
Tuesday
9 AM
Chemical Weathering and Soil Formation
1:15 PM
Lab exercises with chemistry of soil forming reactions
Reading
Wednesday
9 AM
Soil Classification
1:15 PM
Visit sites in field to see well-developed soils
Reading
Thursday
9 AM
Mass Movements and Slopes
1:15 PM
More lecture?
Reading
Friday
9 AM
Drainage Basins
1:15 PM
Lab exercise with maps; discuss Paper #1; Paper #1 summary due
Reading
Week 2
Monday
9 AM
EXAM #1
1:15 PM
No lab
Reading
Tuesday
9 AM
Fluvial Processes
1:15 PM
Lab exercise
Reading
Wednesday
9 AM
Fluvial Landforms
1:15 PM
Fieldtrip to Palisades-Kepler, etc.
Reading
Thursday
9 AM
Glacial Processes
1:15 PM
Lab exercise with retreating glaciers on Kilamanjaro?; discuss Paper #2; Paper #2 summary due
Reading
Friday
9 AM
Glacial Landforms
12:30 PM
Fieldtrip to Conklin Quarry
Reading
Week 3
Monday
9 AM
Periglacial Processes
1:15 PM
Reading
Tuesday
9 AM
EXAM #2
1:15 PM
No lab
Reading
Wednesday
9 AM
Karst
1:15 PM
Map exercises
Reading
Thursday
9 AM
Fieldtrip to Maquoketa Caves
1:15 PM
No afternoon class
Reading
Friday
9 AM
Iowa/Midwestern Geomorphology
1:15 PM
Discuss Paper #3; Paper #3 summary due
Reading
Saturday
7 AM
Depart Norton for two day fieldtrip
Sunday
9 PM
Return from fieldtrip
Week 4
Monday
9 AM Class cancelled - recover from fieldtrip
1:15 PM No afternoon class; trip log (typed) due by 5 pm
Tuesday
9 AM Review session
1:15 PM Discuss Paper #4; Paper #4 summary due

Wednesday
9 AM EXAM #3