0 or 3 credits
Fall 2026 Laboratory Lecture Upper Division
Introduction to a variety of topics in sediment transport and deposition, emphasizing linkages between active processes, landscape evolution, and the rock record. Comparisons will be made between surface processes occurring on Earth and other planetary bodies in the Solar System. Topics include: introductory fluid mechanics; sediment transport by water, ice, and wind, and the development of fluvial bed forms, glacial landscapes, and sand dunes; groundwater geochemistry and the development of karst and caves; impact cratering; comparative planetology. Each major topic is accompanied by field projects that emphasize local geologic history.
Learning Outcomes1Apply fluid dynamics to sediment transport and rock dissolution using physics, chemistry, and calculus.
2Use dimensionless variables (e.g., Reynolds number, Froude number, Shields number, Drag coefficient) to solve problems in diverse fluid flows (e.g., water, ice, wind, soil, and debris flows).
3Identify and quantify processes responsible for shaping Indiana's landscape, including mega flooding, glaciation, wind, and karst.
4Interpret landscape form in terms of geologic processes occurring in the Solar System.
5Identify sedimentary structures and relate them to active surface processes.
6Observe and measure active processes in the field.
7Organize and write a formal scientific paper.
Prerequisites
made by Purdue students.