Year
2020
Units
4.5
Contact
2 x 50-minute lectures weekly
1 x 5-day field trip per semester
1 x 5-day field trip per semester
Prerequisites
1 of ENVS2731, EASC2701
Enrolment not permitted
BIOL3791 has been successfully completed
Topic description
This topic provides an overview of Australian and international coastal environments. The formation, geomorphology, dynamics and evolution of the major coastal landforms including surfzones, beaches, coastal barriers, dunes, deltas, estuaries and rocky coasts will be examined. Students will also explore some practical coastal management methods and processes.
Educational aims
The topic aims are for students to:
- Understand the variation of coastal environments in the world, and particularly Australia, and the major driving factors creating those environments - waves, tides and winds
- Develop a deeper understanding of coastal morphodynamics, and in particular, the evolution of coastal landforms
- Explore Quaternary climates, sea level change, and coastal barrier dynamics and histories
- Relate this knowledge to the better management of coastal environments
Expected learning outcomes
At the completion of this topic, students are expected to be able to:
- Identify the main factors that produce the global variation in coastal types
- Understand the dynamics operating to produce the major coastal landforms (e.g. cliffs, estuaries, beaches, dunefields, barrier systems), and the initiation, evolution, and geomorphology of the landforms
- Understand how Quaternary climate and sea level changes operate to drive large scale coastal change
Key dates and timetable
Timetable details for 2020 are no longer published.
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
Follow Flinders
