Course Meeting Times
Lectures: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session
Prerequisite
Permission of instructor
Description
This course begins by introducing students to aspects of fluid dynamics relevant to transport and deposition of particulate sedimentary materials. Emphasis is on the structure of turbulent shear flows and the forces exerted by fluid motions on bed of loosed sediment. With fluid dynamics as background, the course deals with sediment movement as bed load and suspended load, and with the geometry, kinematics, and dynamics of ripple and dune bed forms. The course concludes with basic material on the styles of current-generated primary sedimentary structures, with emphasis on cross stratification.
Topics
- Flow past a sphere
- Flow in pipes and channels
- Open-channel flow
- Oscillatory flow
- Flow in rotating environments
- Sediments, variables, and flumes
- Threshold of movement
- Movement of sediment by water flows
- Movement of sediment by the wind
- Bed configurations
- Sediment transport rate
- Mixed-size sediments
- Deposition
- Cross stratification
- Planar stratification
Grading
Student grades are based upon performance in a series of closed-book in-class examinations throughout the semester, as well as a term paper. The examinations are worth two-thirds of the grade, and the term paper is worth one-third of the grade.