Rivers and Beaches
(ESS/Ocean 230)
Chuck Nittrouer
111 Marine Sciences Building / 543-5099
nittroue@uw.edu
Jonathan Beyeler
432 Johnson Hall / 206-616-0799
beyeler@uw.edu
Sarah Schanz
432 Johnson Hall / 206-616-0799
schanzs@uw.edu
Marine Geology and Geophysics
Professor, School of Oceanography and
Dept of Earth & Space Sciences
PhD, University of Washington
Chuck's research interests include the modern and
ancient formation of sedimentary strata in continentalmargin environments. Ongoing research includes coastal
areas near the Amazon and Mekong Rivers, tidewater
glaciers in Patagonia, and the impacts of dam removal from
the Elwha River. Other recent studies have been
completed in New Guinea-Australia, the Mediterranean,
and off Antarctic and Alaskan glaciers.
Geomorphology
Pre-Doctoral Instructor
Earth & Space Sciences
PhC, University of Washington
Sarah studies rivers and how they change over time,
specifically looking at controls on river incision rates
and the formation of bedrock river terraces. Her work
focuses on Pacific Northwest Rivers such as the
Willapa, Satsop, Nehalem, and Teanaway Rivers.
Geomorphology
Teaching Assistant
Earth & Space Sciences
PhD student
Jonathan studies how landscapes change through
time, from the glaciers and rivers that sculpt
mountain ranges to the individual rocks that line
the bed of rivers. Locally his work focuses on
rivers draining Mount Rainier and the deglaciating
Cascade Range.
Topics to be covered
Earth Surface Processes
Mountains  Rivers  Beaches  Ocean
Holistic view, including:
1) Solid Earth
2) Atmosphere
Linkages of all these will be an emphasis of the course.
In order for there to be mountains,
rocks must be uplifted above sea level.
If uplift continued unopposed there would be
no limit to how high mountain ranges could rise.
Erosion counter-balances rock uplift
Mountain streams receive material from
hillslopes and transport it to rivers
Rivers transport material to the coast
Nearshore processes redistribute
sediment along beaches and coastlines
Types of beaches reflect differences in
sediment sources and transport
Earth Surface = where we live
Recent Dramatic examples:
Centralia
rainfall  landslides  flooding
New Orleans/Galveston
hurricane  wind storm surge
Indonesia / Japan
earthquake  submarine landslide  tsunami
emphasis on understanding fundamental processes, but shock and awe will
come with some examples
(the flip side = these same environments produce most natural resources)
Rivers and beaches are part of
sediment transfer systems.
• What forms them?
• What are the processes that maintain them?
• Why are there different types of rivers and beaches?
• What controls their distribution across the Earth surface?
We’ll use 1 equation in this class
I - O = DS
Input minus output equals change in storage.
Also known as conservation of mass
(D means change in something)
Time and Place
Lectures:
Lab (5 credit):
Tu & Th 1:30 - 2:50
Th 3:00 - 4:20
014 Ocean Teaching Building
014 Ocean Teaching Building
3 or 5 credits (Natural World)
Lab Fee:$30 for 3 units; $50 for 5 units
Website:
http://gis.ess.washington.edu/grg/courses/ess230/index.html
Reading material:
Class lectures
Book chapters for some topics (online)
Unique material will be covered in classes
Exams and Grading
5 Nov (Th)
10 Dec (Th)
Grading:
midterm =
field trip/labs =
final =
Mid-Term Exam, during class
Final Exam, during class
3 credits
40%
20%
40%
No make-up field trips, No extra credit
5 credits
35%
30%
35%
Field Trips
A1
8 Oct (Th)
A2 15 Oct (Th)
B
29 Oct (Th)
C
12 Nov (Th)
Nisqually River – glacier to delta
Nisqually River – glacier to delta
Olympic Peninsula rivers and beaches
Puget Sound cruise
For 3 credits; fieldtrip A is required
For 5 credits; all field trips are required.
Email Jonathan to reserve your space on trip A (either Oct 8 or Oct 15)
beyeler@uw.edu
Labs/Field Trip Reports
A field-trip report is due after each
field trip, as indicated on the course
syllabus.
No credit for late reports.
Field Trip A
Trip from Mt. Rainier down
the Nisqually River to its
delta
Either
Thursday October 8
or
Thursday October 15
All day
Start at glaciated flank of Mt. Rainier
Nisqually River Delta
Mt. Rainier
Field Trip A
Follow river system down through
mountain streams and into large rivers
Field Trip A
End at delta where Nisqually River
empties into Puget Sound
Field Trip A
Field Trip B
Rivers and beaches of the Olympic Peninsula
29 October (Th)
Elwha undammed
Field Trip B
Working cruise on Puget Sound with Research Vessel
Thompson, UW oceanographic research vessel
12 November
(Th)
Cruise on Puget Sound
Sample bottom sediments,
measure water salinity and
temperature, and map
bathymetry
Field Trip Tips
Bring clothes for bad weather (wet, cold,
windy, dirty) -- even if it doesn’t seem like
you’ll need them!
Bring your lunch and beverages, also
Details of Nisqually trip coming next
Tuesday.
Please Note
The course puts a high premium on the
learning that comes from field observations.
Participation in field trips is required to get
credit for field trips.
There are no make-up trips or alternate
work that can be substituted for the trips.
If you miss one, your options are:
For 3-credit registrants:
1) you can take a zero for the field trip;
2) you can drop the course.
For 5-credit registrants:
1) you can drop to 3 credits;
2) you can take a zero in the missed trip;
3) you can drop the course.
If you need a note explaining your absence from
other classes, please contact Chuck at least a week
before the trip. (for next Th, need to know now)
Info needed:
name of instructor
their email address
course name and number
Contact Jonathan (beyeler@uw.edu) to sign-up for
Field Trip A on either 8 or 15 Oct.
Reservations will be limited for each day, and will be
accepted on a first-come basis.
Nisqually Trip A – 8 Oct 2015
1 Aminpour, Nikole
2 Archer, Christopher Sean
3 Barr, Jesse Vincent
4 Castro, Connor John
5 Chang, Lauren Tsai-Shin
6 Chuong, Alina
7 Crandall, Grace Alan
8 Darole, Kevin John
9 Ding, Hanzhang "Chris"
10 Eagan, Erika Leigh
11 Elefson, Aaron Eric
12 Garvey, Alan Jaume
13 Gates, William Sterling
14 Hofmans, Gerrad Kathrine
15 Huff, Alexander Forster
16 Karpack, Marissa Nicole
17 Knapp, Calahan Anderson
18 Kwon, Robyn Sueji
19 Leng, Danyan
20 Lynch, Cassidy Judith
21 Mannery, Erik Thomas
22 Martin, Matthew Scott
23 Miller, Michelle Myong Hui
24 Mowry, Mackenzie Christine
25 Olson, Frances Elise
26 Parikh, Shruti Sanjay
27 Patrick, Marisa Elena
28 Punter, Phillip Benjamin
29 Radon, Thomas Daniel
30 Reid, Phoebe Elizabeth
31 Sanchez, Anais
32 Schwartz, Emily Ann
33 Shinn, Madison Bonne
34 Smith, Sydney Annette Marie
35 Tat, Bobby
36 Turpen, Sierra Rachelle
37 Ung, Tyler Sing
38 Vanderwood, Joseph Andrew
39 White, Natalie Ann
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Nisqually Trip B – 15 Oct 2015
1 Bates, Adam Michael
2 Bruemmer, Rebecca Anne
3 Carlson, Maria Noelle
4 Dewar, Stephanie Elizabeth
5 Duncan, Jenna Lee
6 Erden, Aylin
7 Feng, Yunpeng
8 Gutierrez, Nicole Ann
9 Larkin, Jackson J
10 Lecompte, Valerie Alysse
11 Lira, Ana Laura
12 Power, Jennifer Nicole
13 Preiser, Donavon Edmund
14 Seyfert, Bryton Jeffery
15 Thompson, Lucas D
16 Vogt, Jake Matthew
17 Xu, Shibin "Jack"
18 Yang, Yifu "Felix"
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Source to Sink
A different way
of seeing
landscapes and
seascapes
The Big Picture = The Rock Cycle
The Rock Cycle
Material eroded from mountains
enters streams and rivers and is
delivered to coastal environments,
from where it is moved to deeper
sedimentary basins that get shoved
back into mountains through
processes of rock uplift.
The Rock Cycle
Erosion in the Rock Cycle
What we see as rivers and
beaches are rest stops for
sediment moving through the
eroding half of the rock cycle.
Framework for this Class
Rock uplift  Mountains
Mountains  Mountain Streams
Mountain Streams  Rivers
Rivers  Estuaries
Estuaries  Beaches
Beaches  Off-shore depositional basins
Off-shore depositional basins  Rock uplift.