GEOG 745 : Applied Fluvial Geomorphology
Science
2025 Semester One (1253) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
This elective course fits directly into programmes in Geography, Earth Sciences and Environmental Sciences. Materials covered are complementary to other programmes. The course is designed to appeal to a wide range of postgraduate students. It provides an overview of key principles that support river management applications. Geomorphic understandings of landscapes provide an integrative scientific template to inform management of river health (ecosystem functionality), flow/sediment regimes, turbidity (water quality), riparian vegetation and other concerns, with direct implications for a host of on-the-ground, planning and policy applications. Effective approaches to catchment-scale description of river forms, processes and patterns are used to model and quantitatively predict prospective river futures, thereby providing key insights for practice river management. The course is practically-based (hands-on), linking theoretical, remotely sensed and field understandings of river systems. Through a series of lectures, practical classes, presentations and discussion sessions, along with the field trip, this course provides a guided approach to independent learning and critical enquiry relating to advanced-level understanding of river systems. Principles are framed, and the course is taught, in context of distinctly situated approaches to river science and management in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Generate a working knowledge of fluvial geomorphology principals, recognizing how sustainable approaches to river management work with the inherent diversity of river character, behaviour and evolution at the catchment (landscape) scale (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
- Critically review literature-based understandings of geomorphic principles as a basis to inform management applications, demonstrating how principles from geomorphology provide an integrating physical template with which to analyse biophysical interactions in river systems (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 5)
- Work collaboratively to generate catchment-scale understanding of the geomorphology of a river system in Aotearoa New Zealand, using data derived from remotely sensed, field derived and modelled data (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5)
- Develop field interpretative skills (reading the landscape), linking such understandings with new and emerging field techniques and modelling applications (hardware and software), relating remotely sensed and field understandings of river systems to theoretical (literature-based) analyses (Capability 3, 4, 6 and 7)
- Predict river futures for a study catchment based upon collective learnings generated through the course (Capability 2, 3, 6, 7 and 8)
- Apply course learnings to specific river management problems (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4 and 7)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Essay | 30% | Individual Coursework |
| Presentation | 20% | Group & Individual Coursework |
| Project | 50% | Individual Coursework |
| 3 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Essay | ||||||||||
| Presentation | ||||||||||
| Project | ||||||||||
Special Requirements
There is a compulsory field trip for this course, completed in the mid-semester break.
Tuākana
Workload Expectations
Following University workload guidelines, this 15 point course represents approximately 150 hours of study. As much of the course builds on a compulsory field trip, workload requirements are NOT spaced evenly through the semester. Lectures and practical exercises support completion of the essay and remotely sensed work prior to the field trip. The final report includes a modelling exercise completed following the field trip. In weeks 1-6 (prior to the field trip) this entail approximately 12 hours per week, the field trip itself is around 40 hours long, leaving roughly 38 hours for the field trip report (submitted in week 10). There is NO FINAL EXAMINATION for this course.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is expected at scheduled classes including lectures and laboratories/tutorials to complete components of the course. Lectures will be available as recordings but other learning activities including laboratories/tutorials will not be available as recordings.
Attendance on campus is required for the final examination.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable
Special advice for Offshore students
This course is available online to students resident offshore. The assessment and learning delivery mechanisms may differ from that presented in this Digital Course Outline. Please contact the Course Coordinator for further details.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
Fryirs, K. A., & Brierley, G. J. (2012). Geomorphic analysis of river systems: an approach to reading the landscape. John Wiley & Sons.
Student Feedback
During the course Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the staff responsible for the course and staff-student consultative committees.
At the end of the course students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback.
Your feedback helps to improve the course and its delivery for all students.
GEOG 745 students like the hands-on, practice basis of this course, integrating different forms of information to address practical problems. The balance of individual and team tasks accommodates a wide range of backgrounds, working together to develop and apply geomorphic understandings to address management issues.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework, tests and examinations as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against electronic source material using computerised detection mechanisms. Upon reasonable request, students may be required to provide an electronic version of their work for computerised review.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Copyright
The content and delivery of content in this course are protected by copyright. Material belonging to others may have been used in this course and copied by and solely for the educational purposes of the University under license.
You may copy the course content for the purposes of private study or research, but you may not upload onto any third party site, make a further copy or sell, alter or further reproduce or distribute any part of the course content to another person.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
The delivery mode may change depending on COVID restrictions. Any changes will be communicated through Canvas.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.