Rivers and Beaches (ESS/Ocean 230)

Chuck Nittrouer Sarah Schanz111 Marine Sciences Building / 543-5099 432 Johnson Hall / 206-616-0799nittroue@uw.edu schanzs@uw.edu

Jonathan Beyeler432 Johnson Hall / 206-616-0799beyeler@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 continental-margin 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 InstructorEarth & 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 AssistantEarth & 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 Earth2) 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:

Centraliarainfall landslides flooding

New Orleans/Galvestonhurricane wind storm surge

Indonesia / Japanearthquake 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 = S

Input minus output equals change in storage.

Also known as conservation of mass

means change in something

Time and Place

Lectures: Tu & Th 1:30 - 2:50 014 Ocean Teaching BuildingLab (5 credit): Th 3:00 - 4:20 014 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 lecturesBook chapters for some topics (online)Unique material will be covered in classes

Exams and Grading

5 Nov (Th) Mid-Term Exam, during class

10 Dec (Th) Final Exam, during class

Grading:3 credits 5 credits

midterm = 40% 35%field trip/labs = 20% 30%final = 40% 35%

No make-up field trips, No extra credit

Field Trips

A1 8 Oct (Th) Nisqually River – glacier to deltaA2 15 Oct (Th) Nisqually River – glacier to deltaB 29 Oct (Th) Olympic Peninsula rivers and beaches C 12 Nov (Th) Puget Sound cruise

For 3 credits; fieldtrip A is requiredFor 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

EitherThursday October 8

orThursday October 15

All day

Start at glaciated flank of Mt. Rainier

Mt. Rainier

Nisqually River Delta

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

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.

Field Trip Tips

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.

1Aminpour, Nikole 22Martin, Matthew Scott 432Archer, Christopher Sean 23Miller, Michelle Myong Hui 443Barr, Jesse Vincent 24Mowry, Mackenzie Christine 454Castro, Connor John 25Olson, Frances Elise 465Chang, Lauren Tsai-Shin 26Parikh, Shruti Sanjay 476Chuong, Alina 27Patrick, Marisa Elena 487Crandall, Grace Alan 28Punter, Phillip Benjamin 498Darole, Kevin John 29Radon, Thomas Daniel 509Ding, Hanzhang "Chris" 30Reid, Phoebe Elizabeth

10Eagan, Erika Leigh 31Sanchez, Anais11Elefson, Aaron Eric 32Schwartz, Emily Ann12Garvey, Alan Jaume 33Shinn, Madison Bonne

13Gates, William Sterling 34Smith, Sydney Annette Marie

14Hofmans, Gerrad Kathrine 35Tat, Bobby15Huff, Alexander Forster 36Turpen, Sierra Rachelle16Karpack, Marissa Nicole 37Ung, Tyler Sing17Knapp, Calahan Anderson 38Vanderwood, Joseph Andrew18Kwon, Robyn Sueji 39White, Natalie Ann19Leng, Danyan 4020Lynch, Cassidy Judith 4121Mannery, Erik Thomas 42

Nisqually Trip A – 8 Oct 2015

1Bates, Adam Michael22 43

2Bruemmer, Rebecca Anne23 44

3Carlson, Maria Noelle24 45

4Dewar, Stephanie Elizabeth

25 46

5Duncan, Jenna Lee26 47

6Erden, Aylin27 48

7Feng, Yunpeng28 49

8Gutierrez, Nicole Ann29 50

9Larkin, Jackson J30

10Lecompte, Valerie Alysse31

11Lira, Ana Laura32

12Power, Jennifer Nicole33

13Preiser, Donavon Edmund34

14Seyfert, Bryton Jeffery35

15Thompson, Lucas D36

16Vogt, Jake Matthew37

17Xu, Shibin "Jack"38

18Yang, Yifu "Felix"39

1940

2041

2142

Nisqually Trip B – 15 Oct 2015

Source to Sink

A different way of seeing

landscapes and seascapes

The Big Picture = 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

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.