Sedimentology

This course, relevant to majors in Geology, Geography, Environmental Science, Natural Resource Conservation, and Civil and Environmental Engineering, explores the functioning and dynamics of sedimentary systems in river, lake, glacial, coastal, and ocean environments, and how these systems respond to natural and human induced disturbances. Students will be introduced to the principles governing the erosion and transport of sediment and the interpretation of sedimentary archives in terms of past climates, environmental conditions, and human activity. Course content explores the role of transport mechanisms, sea level change, global climate, tectonic processes, and geochemical cycles in forming distinct sedimentary deposits and sequences. Students will learn to apply computational, field, and laboratory approaches to problems related to the management of sediment and sedimentary systems, quantifying human environmental impacts, defining past climate and environmental variability, and evaluating the potential impacts of future climate and environmental change.