Geography (GEOG) 266
Introductory Physical Geography II (Revision 1)
Revision 1 is closed for registrations, replaced by current version.
Delivery Mode:Individualized study with home lab component.
Credits: 3
Area of Study: Science
Prerequisite: None.
Centre: Centre for Science
GEOG 266 has a Challenge for Credit option.
Overview
Introductory Physical Geography II is a continuation of GEOG 265 and is designed to give the student a better understanding of the natural environment.
Primarily, this course concentrates on geomorphology—the study of the Earth's surface and landforms. The topics covered include the internal structure of the Earth, and the forces that shape and deform it, rock types, weathering and erosion, groundwater and the hydrological cycle, and landforms and the agents that create them (volcanism, gravity, rivers, glaciers, wind, waves, and currents).
Outline
This course is composed of eight units. Each unit contains a series of objectives and is divided into sections, each with a reading assignment and study questions.
Unit 1: Earth's Structural Profile and Earth Materials
Unit 2: Plate Tectonics, Volcanism, and Diastrophism
Unit 3: Weathering and Mass Movement
Unit 4: Groundwater and the Hydrological Cycle
Unit 5: Fluvial Processes and Landforms
Unit 6: Glacial Dynamics and Continental Glaciation
Unit 7: Alpine Glaciation and Periglacial Landforms
Unit 8: Aeolian and Coastal Processes and Landforms
These units are structured to build upon a basic understanding of rock forming processes, then move on to an examination of the various Earth surface processes of deformation and weathering that produce the landforms we see today.
A series of eight laboratory exercises accompany these units and provide practical experience for the students in interpreting geomorphology using maps and air photos. The eight laboratory exercises are:
Lab Exercise 1: Topographic Map Interpretation
Lab Exercise 2: Air Photo Interpretation and Geological Cross-sections
Lab Exercise 3: Plate Tectonics and Volcanic Landforms
Lab Exercise 4: Groundwater Activity and Landforms
Lab Exercise 5: Fluvial Processes and Landforms
Lab Exercise 6: Continental Glaciation
Lab Exercise 7: Alpine Glaciation
Lab Exercise 8: Aeolian and Coastal Processes and Landforms
Evaluation
To receive credit for GEOG 266, you must achieve a course composite grade of at least “D” (50 percent) and a grade of at least 60 percent on the assignments and each of the examinations. All the assignments are required. The weighting of the composite grade is as follows:
8 Lab Exercises (5% each) | Mid-term Exam | Final Exam | Total |
---|---|---|---|
40% | 30% | 30% | 100% |
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Course Materials
Textbooks
deBlij, H. J., and Peter Muller. 1996. Physical Geography of the Global Environment, 2d. ed. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Zumberge, James H., Robert H. Rutford, and James L. Carter. 1995. Laboratory Manual for Physical Geology, 9th ed. Dubuque, IA: Wm. C. Brown.
Other materials
The course materials also include a study guide, a student manual, a laboratory manual, a topographic map of Jasper, and a pocket stereoscope.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized-study counterparts.
Last updated by SAS 09/10/2013 11:52:40