Geomorphology (Geology 208) -Spring 2011
Instructor: Thom Wilch
Class Room: Palenske 023
Email: twilch@albion.edu
Course Meetings: MWF, 9:10-10:00 am
Office: Palenske 026
Lab: Thursday 2:10-5:00 pm
Office Hours: MWF 10-11 am, WF 1-2 pm, or by appointment
nd
Text: Surface Processes and Landforms, by Easterbrook, Prentice Hall, 2 Edition, 1999. In addition, several
outside readings will be assigned on material not covered by text.
Lab Supplies: Ruler, protractor, pencil, ultra‐fine sharpie marker, colored pencils, calculator, hand lens.
Course Website: Go to http://courses.albion.edu/ and click on Geolgoical Sciences Link under
Course Categories and then click on GEOL208. The enrollment key password is GEOL208. Please let
me know if you ever have access problems with the courseweb.
Catalog Description: Geologic processes operating at the earth's surface and the landforms they produce.
Includes the study of soil formation, river processes, glaciers, wave action, wind, groundwater, and their
related landforms. Field trips. Laboratory includes analysis of aerial photographs, topographic maps and
experiments with flume and wave tank. Pre‐requisite: Geology 101 or Geology 103.
Student Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the semester you will be able
 to explain the basic driving and resisting forces that control different geomorphic processes, including
weathering, soil formation, fluvial processes, mass wasting, glaciation, and coastal processes.
 to describe the relationship between landform and processes. to work effectively and professionally
in a group to identify and interpret landforms on aerial photographs and topographic maps. to
collect field geomorphic data, evaluate the quality of the data, and interpret the data in terms of
 geomorphic processes. to collect experimental data, evaluate the quality of the data, and interpret
the data in terms of natural geomorphic processes. to read, evaluate and discuss primary literature
on geomorphic topics
Course evaluation: Grade will be based on lecture exams, laboratory exercises, a lab exam, reading
questions, quizzes, homework assignments, and in‐class discussions. Lab exercises are designed to reinforce
important concepts covered in lectures and to give you skills in data analysis, report‐writing and
geomorphological techniques. Reading questions will be assigned throughout the semester. The written
answers are due at the beginning of class on due date and will be collected periodically to be graded. There
will be three lecture exams (two one‐hour, one final). The lecture exams will cover material from both lecture
lab, although more emphasis will be on lecture. The final will focus on last third of the course but will include
general concepts from entire course. Exam dates are fixed.
Point Distribution
2 hour Exams
Final Exam
Homework/Quizzes
Lab
Total Points
25%
20%
10%
45%
~1000
Points
900 or above
871‐899
830‐869
800‐829
770‐799
730‐769
Grade
4.0
3.7
3.3
3.0
2.7
2.3
Points
700‐729
670‐699
630‐669
600‐629
< 600
Grade
2.0
1.7
1.3
1.0
0.0
Course Policies. You are expected to attend class and to have read the assigned reading. You are
responsible for all material covered in class. Your success in the course both in terms of a final grade and
learning depend on your active participation in the course. Lab attendance is mandatory. All
homework/or lab assignments are due at the beginning of lecture or lab, unless otherwise indicated. Late
assignments will be discounted 10% per day.
Academic Honesty. It is your responsibility to understand and follow the guidelines on academic honesty
as stated in college catalog and student handbook. In short, you are required to do your own work.
Academic dishonesty may result in a failing grade in the course, regardless of your prior academic
performance in the course.
Academic Skills Center
THE ACADEMIC SKILLS CENTER, located in the Seeley Mudd Building of the Library, supports student success
at Albion College through the Learning Support Center, the Quantitative Skills Center, and the Writing
Center. The ASC also coordinates academic peer tutoring services and educational technologies for
enhancing student learning. For information, visit the ASC website at http://www.albion.edu/asc.

THE LEARNING SUPPORT CENTER offers individualized assistance with college‐level study strategy
and skill development. Students frequently utilize the center to improve grades, reading speed or
comprehension. In addition, the Learning Support Center provides assistance and accommodations
to students who have documented learning disabilities. For more information, contact Pam
Schwartz, Learning Support Specialist, (x0825; pschwartz@albion.edu).

THE QUANTITATIVE SKILLS CENTER provides a wide range of support to students in many subject
areas. Students are free to drop in for occasional help from trained student tutors or to make
appointments for on‐going tutorial sessions. QSC staff members are available to assist you with the
use of mathematics, statistics, spreadsheets, or graphing calculators in any course. The center also
offers workshops on topics such as partial derivatives in chemistry and preparing for graduate school
exams. For more information, contact the QSC Director, Karla McCavit, (x0824;
kmccavit@albion.edu).

THE WRITING CENTER provides trained peer consultants prepared to work with writers at every
stage of the writing process‐‐from getting started brainstorming to writing drafts, and from
organizing ideas to revising or final editing. Writing consultants support students by responding to
writing in process, not by proofreading, editing, or writing students' papers. Both drop‐in tutoring
and scheduled appointments are available during the Writing Center's afternoon and evening hours.
For more information, contact the Writing Center (x0828; writing@albion.edu) or the Director, Scott
Hendrix (shendrix@albion.edu).
Disability Statement. If you have a disability and may require accommodations or modifications in class
instruction or course‐related activities, please contact the Learning Support Center (LSC) staff who can
arrange for reasonable accommodations for students who provide documentation of their
disability/condition. If you are presently registered with the LSC and have requested accommodations
through the LSC for this semester, please plan to meet with me as early as possible to discuss the best way to
implement these accommodations in this class. The LSC is located on the third floor of the Seeley Mudd
library or call 517‐629‐0825.
Need Help?......Got a question?.......If you have any questions about material covered in lecture or specific
assignments, don't hesitate to stop by my office (Palenske 026) or to contact me by phone (ext. 0759, home
629‐5873 until 9 p.m.) or email (twilch@albion.edu)
Date
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
Reading
Ch. 1
Ch. 2
Ch. 8
Ch. 9&10
Ch. 9&10
Ch. 11
Ch. 11
14-Mar
16-Mar
Lecture
Introduction
Basic Concepts
Tectonic landforms
Faulted & Folded landscapes
Faulted & Folded landscapes
Volcanic landscapes
Volcanic landscapes
Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering
Weathering slides
No class
Soils - Soil Carbon in Arctic paper
Soils
EXAM 1
Mass Wasting
Mass Wasting Paper discussion
Mass Wasting
Mass Wasting
Mass Wasting -Hillslopes
Mass-wasting Factor of Safety
5-13 Mar Spring Break
Hillslopes Hydro Cycle
Fluvial Processes
19-Jan
21-Jan
24-Jan
26-Jan
28-Jan
31-Jan
2-Feb
4-Feb
7-Feb
9-Feb
11-Feb
14-Feb
16-Feb
18-Feb
21-Feb
23-Feb
25-Feb
28-Feb
2-Mar
4-Mar
M
W
F
18-Mar
Fluvial Processes Paper Discussion
TBA
M
21-Mar
GSA- no class
W
23-Mar
Fluvial Processes
Ch. 5
F
M
W
F
M
W
F
M
W
Th
F
M
W
F
M
W
Sat
25-Mar
28-Mar
30-Mar
1-Apr
4-Apr
6-Apr
8-Apr
11-Apr
13-Apr
14-Apr
15-Apr
18-Apr
20-Apr
22-Apr
25-Apr
27-Apr
April 30
Paper discussion tba
Fluvial Landforms
Paper discussion tba
Fluvial Landforms
EXAM 2
Karst
the Great Flood- Scablands
Mysteries of the Megaflood
Bretz discussion
Elkin Isaac Research Symposium
Glacial Processes & Landforms
Glacial Landforms
Quaternary Dating overview
Quaternary Dating overview
Coastal Processes in class
Coastal Processes
FINAL EXAM 8-10 am
Ch. 6
Ch. 6
TBA
Laboratory
Intro to Maps & Air photos
Tectonic Landscapes
Volcanic Landscapes
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Tombstone Weathering Lab
Ch. 3
Ch. 3
Weathering/Soils Lab
Ch. 4
TBA
Ch. 4
Ch. 4
Ch. 4
Ch. 5
no lab
Ch. 5
Ch. 5
Ch. 7
No lab
Ch. 12
Ch. 13
Ch. 18
Ch. 18
Ch. 16
Ch. 16
Mass Wasting Lab
Lab Exam on Air Photos,
Soils/ Weathering
GPS Project (tba)
Hydraulic Flume/Stream
Table I
Hydraulic Flume/Stream
Table II
Stream Discharge Lab- Field
no lab, make appt.
River lab- Canoe Trip
Field labs due