Courses

ESS/Ocean 230: Rivers and Beaches

Montgomery, Nittrouer
Introduction to Earth surface environments, the processes that shape them, how humans affect them and are affected by them. Weekend field trips examine mountains, rivers, deltas/estuaries, beaches, and environments beyond. Focus on linkages between these environments to illustrate coupling between landscapes and seascapes.

Syllabus

• ESS/Ocean 230 Syllabus (MS Word)

Lectures (Powerpoint files)

1. Introduction
2. Source to Sink
3. Weathering
4. Soil
5. Erosion
6. Puget Sound Lecture
7. Ocean Basin Lecture
8. Marine Sedimentation Lecture
9. Estuaries and Deltas Lecture
10. Marine Sedimentation: Global Perspective
11. Materials and Sediment Transport
12. Alluvial Rivers
13. Bedrock Rivers
14. Floodplains
15. Channel Response
16. River Restoration
17. Estuaries: Processes
18. Estuaries: Sedimentation
19. River Deltas
20. Beaches: Processes
21. Beaches: Sedimentation
22. Beaches around the World
23. Beaches around Washington
24. Environmental History: Rivers & Beaches
25. King of Fish
26. DIRT: Erosion of Civilizations

Field Trips/Labs

• Field Trip A: Squire Creek Slide and Snohomish Delta (MS Word)
• Field Trip B: ESS/Ocean 230 Cruise Questions (MS Word)
• Field Trip C: Raft Trip Down Cedar River (MS Word)

ESS 326: Introductory Geomorphology

Montgomery
Introduction to landforms and surficial deposits. Emphasis on landscape-forming processes. Intended for students who wish to take additional courses in geomorphology. Prerequisite: either PHYS 114 or PHYS 121.

ESS 426: Fluvial Geomorphology

Montgomery
Hydraulic and morphological characteristics of streams and valley floors. Landscape evolution by stream erosion and deposition. Field exercises emphasize quantitative analysis of fluvial processes, channel forms, acquisition of various skills, such as mapping, topographic surveying, report writing. Prerequisite: either ESS 311, ESS 326, GEOL 392, or GEOL 411.

ESS 490/590: Advanced Geomorphology

Montgomery
Review of current literature in geomorphology and graduate student research with faculty participation. Credit/no credit only.

ESS490/590 Reading Lists