651-4080-00L  Fluvial Sedimentology

SemesterSpring Semester 2016
LecturersP. Huggenberger
Periodicityyearly recurring course
Language of instructionEnglish


AbstractUnderstanding the relationship between sediment transport, sediment sorting and sedimentary structures in coarse fluvial deposts.
ObjectiveDescription of coarse fluvial sediments, to understand the sedimentary processes of braided river systems, to get familiar with modeling concepts of braided river systems and sediment sorting processes, description and comparison of modern river sediments (systems) and ancient systems, discussion of applied aspects of fluvial sedimentology
Audiance: Students in Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Geography
Content- Advanced methods for the description of fluvial sediments of coarse fluvial systems, including geophysical methods
- Facies analysis and interpretation, description of sediment sorting, textures and structures of coarse fluvial systems
- Understanding sediment sorting and sediment transport processes of coarse gravelly rivers (the role of turbulence)
- Recognition of the relation between surface morphology (earth surface) and geological structures to recognize in outcrops or along cliffs
- Influence of preservation potential of sedimentary units in dynamic environments
- Landscape shaping processes
- Applied fluvial sedimentology
- recent developments in investigation methods
Lecture notesScript will be provided during semester (Text, Appendix, Figures)
LiteratureCalow, P. and Petts, G., 1995, The Rivers Handbook: Hydrological and Ecological Principles, Volume I and II
Miall, A. D., 1985, The Geology of Fluvial Deposits, Sedimentary Facies Analysis, Basin Analysis, and Petroleum Geology
Chiang, H. H. 1992, Fluvial Processes in River Engineering
Best, J. L. and Bristow, C. S., 1993, Braided Rivers, Geological Society Special Publication, No 75.
Clifford, N. J. et al. 1993, Turbulence, Perspectives on Flow and Sediment Transport, Wiley, 360 p.
- futher references will be given during the course
Clifford, N. J. and French, J. R. and Hardisty, J., 1993, Turbulence, Perspectives on Flow and Sediment Transport
Bridge, John S., 2003, Rivers and Floodplains; Forms, Processes and Sedimentary Record
Prerequisites / NoticeStudy of selected papers related to the course
Requirements: Basic courses in Earth Sciences

Working Excursions as important topic of the course