Module Catalogue 2025/26

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

Rationale: Mountainous relief is generated by the interaction of tectonics and climate, with the balance responsible for the net change of a landscape’s relief and elevation - often brought together in what we term 'tectonic geomorphology'. On a human timescale the processes that remove materials from the mountains and transport it (eventually) to the Oceans result in a number of geohazards that lead to risk - disasters that threaten millions, and kill many thousands annually whilst causing billions of pounds of damage to infrastructure. These impacts are suffered unequally across the world and our approaches to disaster risk reduction have to use knowledge and skills from across the the traditional physical:human geography divide.

The magnitude-frequency of geohazards might be changing as climate warms, and, at the same time we are putting more people and infrastructure in harms way which results in a complex patterns of risk. This module will look at a range of geohazards and their consequences and allow you to use conceptual, fieldwork, numerical and simple modelling approaches to think about these hazards and the disasters they have caused, or, may cause in the future and how we could/should mitigate or adapt in response.

The range of geohazards studied in each year will vary in response to global events, to be drawn from:

Glacial Lake and Landslide dam outburst floods; earthquake and rainfall triggered landslides; landslide tsunami; earthquakes;

Students will gain field and computer based skills in data collection, processing and (simple) modelling that are all applied in nature, and well-suited for UK and international employment.

Aims: This module aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the principles, theory and practice used by hazard and risk professionals and researchers, applied geomorphology, monitoring and modelling, and, varied approaches to engineering or societal mitigation.

Outline Of Syllabus

The Syllabus will cover some of:

Tectonic Geomorphology - landscapes leading to risk
Magnitude-frequency of hazards and changes in exposure/vulnerability
Failure modelling – how safe are slopes?
Mitigation: techniques, challenges and societal risk
Geohazardss and climate change
Landslide dams, and their outburst floods
Hazard and risk cascades / multihazards
Monitoring and instrumentation

Practicals, in each year we will deliver practicals from a selection of the following themes:

Microscale modelling of debris flows (desktop flume modelling)
Differencing 3D models to detect geohazards
Runout modelling of geohazards and impact on populations/infrastructure
Landslide stability modelling / rockfall runout and mitigation
Earthquakes shaking and vulnerability
Catastrophe modelling and risk reinsurance
Landslide risk assessment (spreadsheet/GIS)
Post-earthquake landslides in space and time
Monitoring data processing
Risk registers


Fieldwork:
x1 day trip to ONE of the following locations: Yorkshire Coast, Lake District, Northumberland, Howgill Fells, S Scotland. Trip location is dependent upon recent landslide processes and engineering activity in the teaching year.

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

Knowledge of the importance of geohazards as a discreet sub-discipline in Geography and how it relates to the wider subject areas of engineering, geosciences, risk, vulnerability, development, and tectonic geomorphology.

Describe, illustrate and explain with reference to specific examples the main characteristics of geohazards and the ways in which they interact with landscapes and people.

Describe and evaluate a range of techniques for the collection, analysis and representation of geohazard processes and an ability to quantify their cumulative impacts

Describe and evaluate a range of professional practice reports related to geohazards, risk, and mitigation/adaptation techniques.

Summarise and evaluate a selection of key concepts, debates and research publications related to geohazards, and the implications for short-term and long-term risk.

An understanding of the use of physical, conceptual and numerical models in furthering our knowledge.

Intended Skill Outcomes

Reading – independent research
Field measurement and data collection strategies and their application
Design of research experiments to assess complex real-world risk scenario
Analysis of primary and secondary data sets derived from physical and/or numerical modelling
Written report presentation skills
Teamwork during field, lab or PC based data collection and analyses
Oral presentation skills

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

Lectures will introduce key concepts across a range of spatial and temporal time-scales, and will utilise research and professional practice case-study examples.

Fieldwork will enable students to be trained in the use of cutting-edge data collection techniques and interpreting these data, and their practical application in mitigating risk.

Practical classes will allow students to process data collected from fieldwork, analyse secondary data and recommend solutions – all based on real-world situations. The sessions allow students to learn experientially the key skills applicable for further research or employment in linked industries. Each practical is a mix of taught content and independent working with help and supervision.

Drop in sessions (online) linked to discussion boards will provide support with the practical completions and assessment preparation, as will a number lectures with in-class time devoted to assessment/practical support. In previous years this has led to more questions/requests for support than in-person drop-in help sessions.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The report assesses the ability of students to design an appropriate study, collect, analyze and present a range of primary and secondary data, and set this within the theoretical and practice context. The practical work builds upon fieldwork experience, so fieldwork is not independently assessed.

The oral presentation allows a group of students to work together to produce a critical evaluation of a chronic or acute landslide or coastal risk issue, chosen with staff guidance. It develops oral and presentation skills and allows engagement with a wide and up to date selection of literature and other non academic evidence.

General Notes

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