SESE Surface Processes Fall 2016 seminar -

Earth Surface Processes Groups of the Schools of Earth and Space Exploration and Geography and Department of Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University

SESE Surface Processes seminar Fall 2016

The Earth Surface Processes Seminar (called "Geomorphology Seminar" in the GLG courses list) runs every term, for one unit credit (repeatable any number of times, and we prefer students do enroll) on a different theme each term. Our off-campus meeting time this term will as usual be 7:00pm-9:00pm on Thursdays.

The Theme this term will be Controversies in Surface Processes. We will read, discuss, critique and debate papers presenting disparate view points on key controversies in surface processes, broadly defined: Geomorphology, Hydrology, Ecology, Biogeochemistry of Surface Environments.

In a typical session we discuss a single research paper or two short ones. One or a pair of students have the charge to lead the discussion each session. Guiding a discussion, pointing out interesting angles to discuss and keeping the discussion on track are the main tasks. Usually this involves leading the group through the paper, but with an aim to highlighting discussion points rather than a report/summary of all points. Sometimes digging up essential background material from previous papers is essential to either understanding of the paper, or for drawing out key discussion points. Determining whether such ancillary material is needed is up to the student leaders. As we move forward we want to get into full discussion and debate mode -- everyone should make a point of saying at least a couple things in each meeting: a question, answer, comment, observation, whatever. We want all voices engaged in the conversation!

We're looking forward to a vibrant set of discussions this semester! Encouragement from Arjun and Ramon.

Schedule

Date and location	Discussion Leader(s)	Reading/topic
Thursday, September 1; at Kelin's house: 235 E Dawn Drive Tempe	Nari	The first controversy that we will spend a few weeks on is the question of the linkages among Late Cenozoic climate change, chemical weathering, and erosion. Week 1: Herman and Champagnac – Plio-Pleistocene Increase in Erosion rates, Climate Change Herman and Champagnac, "Plio-Pleistocene Increase in Erosion Rates in Mountain Belts in response to Climate Change." Terra Nova Vol 28, Issue 1. February 2016. doi: 10.1111/ter.12186. Supplementary paper displaying analysis of thermochronometric data: Herman et al., "Worldwide acceleration of mountain erosion under a cooling climate." Nature Vol 504, December 2013. doi: 10.1038/nature12877. Supplementary paper presenting long-term CO2 and temperature data: Beerling and Royer, "Convergent Cenozoic CO2 History." Nature Geoscience Vol 4, July 2011. Presentation posted here.
Thursday, September 8; at Kelin's house: 235 E Dawn Drive Tempe	Sam	The first controversy that we will spend a few weeks on is the question of the linkages among Late Cenozoic climate change, chemical weathering, and erosion. Week 2: Willenbring and Jerolmack, "The null hypothesis: globally steady rates of erosion, weathering fluxes and shelf sediment accumulation during Late Cenozoic mountain uplift and glaciation." Willenbring and Jerolmack, "The Null Hypothesis" Terra Nova Vol 28, Issue 1. February 2016. pp: 11-18. doi: 10.1111/ter.12185 A supplementary paper for consideration: Molnar and England 1990
Thursday, September 15; at Kelin's house: 235 E Dawn Drive Tempe	Wren	Week 1 of Gullying: Climate-induced or independent? Hereford, "Valley-fill alluviation during the Little Ice Age (ca.AD 1400-1880), Paria River basin and southern Colorado Plateau, United States." GSA Bulletin, December 2002; v. 114, no. 12; p. 1550-1563.
Thursday, September 22; at Nari's house: 425 E Balboa Dr	Alana and Adam	Week 2 of Gullying: Climate-induced or independent? Paper 1: Prosser and Slade, "Gully formation and the role of valley-floor vegetation, southeastern Australia" Geology, December 1994; v. 22, p. 1127-1130. Paper 2: Patton and Boison, "Processes and rates of formation of Holocene alluvial terraces in Harris Wash, Escalante River basin, south-central Utah" Geological Society of America Bulletin, March 2008, v. 97, p. 369-378. A supplementary paper similar to last week's : Prosser, Chappell and Gillespie, "Holocene Valley Aggradation and Gully erosion in headwater catchments, south-eastern highlands of Australia" Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 1994 vol 19, p 465-480. A supplementary paper on geomorphic thresholds: Schumm and Hadley, "Arroyos and the semiarid cycle of erosion" American Journal of Science, 1957, Vol 255, p. 161-174.
Thursday, September 22		Seminar Canceled
Thursday, October 6; at Alex H's house: 1534 E Windjammer Way	Alex	Week 1 of Grand Canyon: Young or old? Paper 1: Flowers and Farley, "Apatite 4He/3He and (U-Th)/He evidence for an ancient Grand Canyon" Science, December 2012; v. 338. A supplementary paper: Flowers et al., "Unroofing, incision and uplift history of the southwestern Colorado Plateau from apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronometry" GSA Bulletin, May/June 2008. And a fun and interactive map of the Grand Canyon!
Thursday, October 13; Arjun's house at 3223 E Mitchell Dr, Phoenix AZ	Emily	Week 2 of Grand Canyon: Young or old? Paper 1: Karlstrom et al., "Formation of the Grand Canyon 5 to 6 Mya through integration of older palaeocanyons" Nature Geoscience, 2014.
Thursday, October 20		Seminar Canceled
Thursday, October 27; at Kelin's house: 235 E Dawn Drive Tempe	Joel	Week 1: Fluvial processes and the Sadler effect Finnegan et al., "A signature of transience in bedrock river incision rates over timescales of 10^4 - 10^7 years" Nature, 2014. Finnegan et al., Supplement Nature, 2014. DiBiase, "River incision revisited" Nature, 2014.
Thursday, November 3		Seminar canceled in honor of Barrett's Defense!
Thursday, November 10; at Nari's house: 425 E Balboa Dr	Alex and Nari	And Week 2 papers- Fluvial Processes and the Sadler effect: Gallen et al., "Dynamic reference frame of rivers and apparent transience in incision rates" Geology, 2015. Gallen et al., "Supplement" Geology, 2015.
Thursday, November 17; at Arjun's house at 3223 E Mitchell Dr, Phoenix AZ	Wren	And Week 1 paper: Wolman, MG, 1955, "The Natural Channel of Brandywine Creek, Pennsylvania", USGS Professional Paper 271.
Thursday, December 1; at Kelin's house: 235 E Dawn Drive Tempe	Sam and Alana	And Week 2: Walter and Merritts, "Natural Streams and the Legacy of Water-Powered Mills," Science, vol 319, January 2008.

What's next week? Help decide: Seminar Fall 16 Topics and Schedule

Page last modified September 2016 NVM