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Lismore Session 3 Session 3

Unit Summary

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit

Credit points

12

AQF level

7

Level of learning

Intermediate

Former School/College

Former School of Environment, Science and Engineering

Pre-requisites

GLY00201 - Earth Systems I: The Lithosphere

Anti-requisites

GLY00206 Coastal Geomorphology AND GLY00231 Coastal Geomorphology and Sedimentology

Unit aim

Describes coastal landforms and the processes that formed them and continue to change them. The role of periodic high-energy events and the use of data on past trends and present conditions to predict future changes and the effects of human intervention are emphasised. The use of knowledge of coastal landforms and processes in land use planning will be demonstrated.

Unit content

  • Coastal dynamics; influence of tectonic activity, geology and climate on coastal landforms
  • Waves, tides, currents, climate and sea level changes; constructive and destructive processes
  • Estuaries and deltas, mangroves, salt marshes and sea grasses
  • Beach and barrier bar deposition, processes and sub-environments
  • Rocky shores, processes and landforms (wave cut platforms, sea stacks, cliffs, etc.)
  • Carbonate sedimentation; coral reefs, beach rock, lime muds, shell beds
  • Sedimentary structures as process indicators, their interpretation and use
  • The influence of human activity and engineering works on coastal landforms
  • The role of geochemistry and geochronology application in palaeo-environmental reconstruction

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

GA1: , GA2: , GA3: , GA4: , GA5: , GA6: , GA7:
On completion of this unit, students should be able to: GA1 GA2 GA3 GA4 GA5 GA6 GA7
1 describe the geomorphology of all coastal zones
2 describe the dynamic processes that have shaped the coastal zones
3 illustrate how past sea level events have shaped our coastline and how climate change will potentially affect tomorrow’s coastline
4 indicate scientific techniques used in coastal sciences
5 understand how human activities continue to impact on our oceans and our coasts.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

  1. describe the geomorphology of all coastal zones
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA7:
  2. describe the dynamic processes that have shaped the coastal zones
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA7:
  3. illustrate how past sea level events have shaped our coastline and how climate change will potentially affect tomorrow’s coastline
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  4. indicate scientific techniques used in coastal sciences
    • GA1:
    • GA2:
    • GA3:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA6:
    • GA7:
  5. understand how human activities continue to impact on our oceans and our coasts.
    • GA1:
    • GA4:
    • GA5:
    • GA7:

Prescribed texts

  • Short, AD & Woodroffe, CD, 2009, Coasts of Australia, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.
Prescribed texts may change in future teaching periods.