Download MASC 432 - UNC Marine Sciences

Major World Rivers and Global Change: From Mountains to the Sea
MASC 432
Spring Semester 2015 TR 09:30– 10:45 G201 Venable/Murray
Brent McKee ([email protected])
Department of Marine Sciences
Overview: How will major river systems respond to global changes in climate and human
impacts on the Earth’s surface? Rivers are the active interface between the continents and
the oceans. This course examines the hydrological, geological and biogeochemical processes
that control the flux of materials from land to the oceans and linkages to global change. A
special emphasis is given to the world’s 25 largest river systems, which account for > 50%
of the freshwater and particulate materials that enter the ocean.
Course Objective: To gain an understanding of the how major river systems work as
hydrological, geological and biogeochemical systems, how climate and anthropogenic
changes affect these systems, and how natural and human alterations of these systems
impact global change.
Textbooks:
None. Relevant research papers will be available via Sakai.
Readings:
Each student will be assigned papers for which they are responsible for
leading the discussion
Course Grading:
Readings (15% of course grade)
Participation/discussion/field trips (15%)
Take home exam (20%)
Project (25%)
Take home Final Exam (25%)
Field Trips: Two short (weekend) field trips that examine NC river systems will be an
important part of the course. One of these will involve an overnight stay. Measurements
will be made from land and small boats. Participation is required; important to mid-term
and final exams.
Overarching Questions:
(1) What are the linkages between Major River systems and global climate change?
How do major river systems respond to global change?
How do these responses, in turn, affect global surface Earth conditions, including
changes in the world’s oceans?
(2) What controls the quantity and composition of materials transported to the ocean from land
via rivers?
(3) Can we predict future changes in river-ocean systems (in response to global changes) ?
(4) Is it possible to construct a classification system of river “Types”, such that we can achieve a
comprehensive understanding of rivers and their global impact by intensive study of a few
systems?
(5) Can we take what we learn about small and medium sized rivers and scale up to understand
Major Rivers?
MASC 432
Major Rivers and Climate Change
Spring 2015
Schedule
Topic
Week 1
Introduction and Overview
Week 2
Rivers, Global Cycles and Climate
Week 3
Climate Change and River Fluxes
Week 4
Weathering
Week 5
Watershed Geology, Geomorphology and Sediment Transport
Week 6
Soils and Organic Matter Exam given out
Field Trip preparations
Field Trip #1 Cape Fear System (Saturday 15th)
Week 7
Review Field Trip #1
Carbon and storage intro
Week 8
Storage, Org. C transformations Hand in Exam
Week 9
Channel, Water transformation Project Assigned
Spring Break ------No Class
Week 10
Human Impacts
Week 11
Floodplains: Storage and Outgassing
Week 12
Floodplains and Coastal Plain Rivers Project Due
Field Trip prep
Weekend Field Trip Roanoke River System (5,6)
Week 13
Review Field Trip #2
Final given out
Tidal Rivers and flux to the ocean
Week 14
Case Studies: Artic Rivers
Week 15
Case Studies: Arctic and Himalayan Rivers
River-Global Change Synthesis
Final Exam Due (May 1)