GEOG0630-3

Duration

Part A : 15h Th, 10h Pr, 4d FW
Part B : 15h Th, 5h Pr

Number of credits

	Bachelor in geography : general	5 crédits

Lecturer

Part A : Aurelia Hubert, Brice Noël
Part B : Aurelia Hubert

Coordinator

Aurelia Hubert

Language(s) of instruction

French language

Organisation and examination

Teaching in the first semester, review in January

Schedule

Schedule online

Units courses prerequisite and corequisite

Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program

Learning unit contents

Part A: The course focuses on mechanical erosion, processes, and geomorphology in glacial and periglacial environments. It also addresses the impacts of climate warming on these environments. Two professeur are teaching, Prof. Auréliaélia Hubert-Ferrari and Dr. Brice Noël, FNRS Researcher.

For the glacial environment, the course done by Dr. Brice Noël covers:

The main glacial systems: Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and mountain glaciers.
Mass balance, flow mechanisms, dynamics, and velocity.
The dynamics of mountain glaciers, their networks, and their role in shaping mountain landscapes.

The varying sensitivity of these systems to climate warming is discussed, as well as the geomorphology inherited from glacial action during the last glacial maximum, around 20,000 years ago. This part will be taught by Dr. Brice Noël,

For the periglacial environment, the course covers:

The definition of periglacial zones.
The concept of permafrost.
The consequences of permafrost thaw in relation to climate warming.
The importance of ground ice in these regions.
Mass-transport processes, cryoturbation, cryogenic mounds, and the specific characteristics of river systems.

The course combines lectures, practical sessions, and fieldwork.

The fieldwork focuses mainly on the glacial system of the Vosges. The practical exercises are integrated into this fieldwork: use of georeferenced observations collected in the field, analysis of the visited sites using LIDAR models, and study of the global 30 m-resolution topographic database for the Vosges to highlight the present-day fluvial network disturbed by past glaciations, as well as inherited glacial morphology. All these analyses are carried out within a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Part A

Part A: The course focuses on mechanical erosion, processes, and geomorphology in glacial and periglacial environments. It also addresses the impacts of climate warming on these environments.

For the glacial environment, the course done by Dr. Brice Noël covers:

The main glacial systems: Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets, and mountain glaciers.
Mass balance, flow mechanisms, dynamics, and velocity.
The dynamics of mountain glaciers, their networks, and their role in shaping mountain landscapes.

The varying sensitivity of these systems to climate warming is discussed, as well as the geomorphology inherited from glacial action during the last glacial maximum, around 20,000 years ago. This part will be taught by Dr. Brice Noël, FNRS Researcher.

For the periglacial environment, the course covers:

The definition of periglacial zones.
The concept of permafrost.
The consequences of permafrost thaw in relation to climate warming.
The importance of ground ice in these regions.
Mass-transport processes, cryoturbation, cryogenic mounds, and the specific characteristics of river systems.

The course combines lectures, practical sessions, and fieldwork.

The fieldwork focuses on the glacial system of the Vosges. The practical sessions complement the fieldwork through the analysis of LIDAR and SRTM models of the present-day fluvial network, which has been shaped by past glaciation, as well as inherited glacial morphology, all within a Geographic Information System (GIS).

Part B

Partim B: The course focuses on chemical weathering, as well as geomorphic processes and landforms in tropical and arid environments. It also addresses the impacts of climate warming, urbanization, and population growth on these environments.

Chemical weathering
The role and properties of water.
The importance of water acidification.
The general characteristics of weathering according to mineralogical composition, and the main mechanisms: congruent and incongruent dissolution, hydrolysis, redox reactions.
Mineralogical transformations, with emphasis on issues related to Fe, Si, and Al, as well as weathering products such as clays and their formation processes.
The consequences of weathering, including weathering profiles and geochemical landscapes, with attention to the role of relief and time.
The main weathering mantles, distinguishing between weakly and highly crystallized products, including lateritic ferruginous crusts and silcretes.

Tropical environment
Erosion processes and their specific modes of action
- Rainfall and its characteristics: distribution, splash effect, energy, variability, wind influence.
- Runoff: forms, intensity, efficiency.
- Rivers: discharge variability, impact of vegetation, limited erosion in stable areas without relief versus strong erosion in tectonically active contexts.
- Processes related to thick weathering mantles: filtration, chemical erosion, importance of substrate age, landslides.
- Issues related to urbanization.
Landforms in the intertropical domain and their genesis
Weathering and planation surfaces (etchplains, low-relief forms, role of karst phenomena).
- Formation mechanisms in a historical perspective: stages of development, etchplanation processes, principles of weathering and divergent erosion, long-term cyclic evolution with pedimentation, tectonic control.
-Hilly relief under dense equatorial forest.
- Inselbergs in arid tropical regions.
- Duricrust reliefs in areas with marked alternation between wet and dry seasons.

Arid environment
- Introduction: definition, spatial and temporal variability, past fluctuations of aridity, and its causes (climatic, tectonic, anthropogenic).
- Erosion zones as sources of sediments and transport, including the characteristics of weathering in arid environments, the role of steep relief, duricrusts, resistant layers, and structural weaknesses. Erosion rates are illustrated through cosmogenic dating, with particular emphasis on diffuse runoff and exhumed lacustrine sediments.
- Water transport, highlighting differences from temperate regions, the distinction between perennial and ephemeral rivers, the role of endorheic basins, the characteristics of ephemeral channel flows, and associated morphologies. Aquifers and their human exploitation are also addressed.
- Wind transport, discussed in terms of fall velocity, the role of materials across transport zones, the processes of saltation, reptation, creep, and suspension, as well as physical aspects such as threshold velocity, surface irregularities, and turbulence. The fate of grains of different sizes is considered, along with the resulting landforms, including ventifacts, yardangs, deflation zones, and blowouts.
- Accumulation zones and processes, including deserts, playas, salars, and sebkhas, the role of lacustrine sediment erosion, alluvial fans, and aeolian deposits. These deposits are analyzed with emphasis on their characteristics, the role of obstacles, the formation of sand sheets and dunes, and their migration, distribution, morphology, and types.

The course consists of in-person formal lectures and may include podcasts on arid environments that students can listen to independently. It also requires individual work in the form of an oral presentation on arid environments, complemented by a multiple-choice test to assess podcast comprehension.

The practical sessions are a continuation of Partim A.

Learning outcomes of the learning unit

The lectures provide an overview of the different geomorphologies observed at the Earth's surface and the associated processes, enabling students to interpret geomorphological evidence of past climates, often very different from today's.

They also address global warming from a broader perspective. The learning objective is to provide students with an in-depth understanding of this current issue, helping them to develop a critical and informed view of the topic.

The fieldwork and practical sessions are closely integrated. The fieldwork, focused on the glacial system of the Vosges, enables students to collect direct and georeferenced observations, which are then used in the practical exercises. These sessions consolidate skills in geomorphological mapping and in the use of Digital Elevation Models (DEM) in ArcGIS, competencies that are essential for professional practice in physical geography.

Part A

The ex cathedra lectures provide an overview of the various geomorphological environments across the globe and the associated processes, enabling students to interpret geomorphological evidence of past climates, which often differed from those of today.

They also offer a broader perspective for discussions on climate change. The learning objective of this part of the course is to provide students with in-depth training on this contemporary issue, allowing them to develop a critical understanding of the problem.

In addition, the aim of the practical sessions is to consolidate skills in geomorphological mapping and in the use of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) in ArcGIS, which are essential for the professional practice of physical geography.

Part B

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

Explain the fundamental principles of chemical weathering and analyze its central role in shaping continental surfaces, particularly in the warm regions of the planet.
Identify and characterize the dynamics and geomorphological features specific to arid and tropical environments, and relate these landforms to the processes involved.
Interpret geomorphological evidence of past climates and compare them with present-day climatic conditions.
Apply this knowledge to discuss potential landscape evolution in the context of ongoing climate change.
Deepen their understanding of related topics such as desertification, deforestation, environmental migration, and the impact of global warming, thereby developing a critical and integrated perspective on contemporary environmental challenges.

Prerequisite knowledge and skills

Basics in geology and geomorphology

Part A

Basics in geology and geomorphology

Part B

Basics in geology and geomorphology

Planned learning activities and teaching methods

The lectures provide the foundation of the course. The full slideshow is made available to students on eCampus before each session. Recordings of some lectures from previous years are also accessible as complementary material.

The practical sessions, closely integrated with the fieldwork, consolidate skills in geomorphological mapping and in the analysis of digital elevation models (ArcGIS).

A four-day field trip in the Vosges, mainly focused on glacial geomorphology, is an integral part of the course. It enables students to confront theoretical knowledge with direct observation, to collect georeferenced data, and to link the landscapes observed to the studied processes and past climates.

Part A

The theoretical ex cathedra lectures form the core of the course.

The complete course slides are made available to students on eCampus before each session.

In addition, recordings of selected lectures from previous years are also accessible.

Part B

The theoretical ex-cathedra lectures constitute a major part of the course. The comprehensive PowerPoint presentation will be made available to students on eCampus. The podcast on arid environments may also be used, if necessary, to free up time for oral presentations on the issue of desertification.

Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)

Face-to-face course

Further information:

Face-to-face course

Additional information:

This 15-hour Part A course is generally organized into 3-hour lecture sessions and 3-hour practical sessions during the first semester. It is complemented by a 4-day field trip to the Vosges in September.

The practical sessions are compulsory, graded, and must be submitted.

Part A

Part B

Face-to-face course

Further information:

Face-to-face course

Further information:

The topics for the oral presentations will be specified and made available on MyULiège or eCampus.

The oral presentations and multiple-choice tests will take place during class hours.

Attendance at the practical sessions is mandatory.

Practical exercises are graded and must be submitted.

Assessment methods and criteria

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions )

Written work / report

Other : Présentation Orale hors session

Further information:

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam ( open-ended questions )

Written work / report

Other : Présentation Orale hors session

Further information:

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam

Written work / report

Other : Oral presentations and QCM

Further information:
Assessment is multifaceted.

Practical sessions and fieldwork: graded reports must be submitted. They account for 30% of the final grade for students taking both Part A and Part B, and for 15% for students taking only Part A. This rule also applies to the resit (second session).

Oral presentations and multiple-choice test (only for students taking Part A and Part B): students must deliver an oral presentation based on a scientific paper, prepared after watching the lecture podcasts. Presentations last 10-15 minutes and may be carried out in pairs or individually. A multiple-choice test is also organized for this part of the course. Together, the presentation and the test account for 10% of the final grade.

Written examination (all students):

For students taking only Part A: the exam is divided into two parts. The section on the glacial environment, supervised by Dr. Brice Noël, accounts for 30% of the final grade, while the introductory parts (mechanical weathering and permafrost) account for 55%.

For students taking Part A and Part B: the exam is also divided into two parts. The section on the glacial environment, supervised by Dr. Brice Noël, accounts for 15% of the final grade, while the other sections (excluding the arid environment) account for 45%.

Resit (second session): in case of failure, the written exam is mandatory, and practical assignments must be resubmitted and will be reassessed. In addition, students taking Part A and Part B must submit a recorded oral presentation based on a scientific paper, focusing on the arid environment.

Part A

Part B

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam

Written work / report

Out-of-session test(s)

Other : Oral presentations

Further information:

Exam(s) in session

Any session

- In-person

written exam

Written work / report

Other : Oral presentation

Further information:

Explained in Teaching and learning agreement of Partim A