Geography 747, Seminar in Physical
Geography
Lab & Field Methods in Geomorphology &
Hydrology
Seminar, Fall, 2007
Course description
Tenetative
Schedule, Goals, etc.
Stream Gauging Docs
and Tutorials
Topographic Mapping
Docs and Tutorials
Rocky Branch Creek
Handheld
GPS Exercise
Field Trip
Final
Project and Report
Course description
This is a graduate-level seminar designed to provide students
with field and laboratory experience in hydrology, water quality, sedimentology,
soils, and geomorphology. It will have three components:
- (1) indoor round-table discussions
to go over readings about field and lab methods;
- (2) outdoor field excursions to examine,
measure, survey, and sample soils, streams, sediment, slopes, etc.;
- (3) indoor laboratory exercises to
process samples and learn lab techniques.
Readings will preceed field excursions
and lab sessions to provide instruction and equipment orientations.
Field work will concentrate on sites near campus
(probably Rocky Branch Creek at Pickens Street), and will include basic
surveying (total station, GPS, etc.), sediment sampling (bulk density,
coring, etc.), water quality sampling, and discharge and sediment flux
measurements. We will establish a stream gauge and calibrate it with
a stage-discharge curve and a sediment-rating curve. This will involve
installing a stage sensor, digital data logger, and ISCO automated water
sampler, measuring streamflow, and sampling total solids for a range of
discharge events, and surveying the channel to make a large-scale map.
There will be a weekend field trip to the tri-state area (NC, GA, SC) that
involves two nights of camping to visit the Coweeta Hydrology lab, Tallulah
Falls, Standing Indian Park.
Lab work will include GISci computer processing of
field survey map data (GPS and total station) as well as sedimentology
and water-quality measurements in the biogeomorphology lab.
Techniques will include particle-size analysis, optical microscopy, bulk
density, filtering water samples, etc.
Previous lab or field experience is not required
but some experience in physical geography, geology, surveying, or hydrology,
and enthusiasm for learning how to measure, analyze, and map water and
earth materials outdoors and in the lab are important.
Evaluations:
Participation
25
Weekly Assignments and projects 15
Field Trip (required)
10
Lab and field term project
50
100
Stream Gauging Docs
and Tutorials
Geography 747, Seminar in Physical Geography, Lab
& Field Methods; Fall, 2007, USC
Misc. Materials
Q Field Measurement
Template
Q
Calculation Template
Outside Links
These are links to sites that explain discharge-measurement procedures.
Several additional links can be found from these and other sites.
These are not assigned readings but may be helpful for gaining a
deeper understanding of gauging procedures.
Buchanan, T.J. and W.P. Somers. 1969. Discharge measurements
at gaging stations. U. S. Geological Survey, Techniques of Water-Resources
Investigations, Book 3, Chapter A8. http://pubs.usgs.gov/twri/twri3a8/
Wahl, Kenneth L.; Wilbert O. Thomas, Jr.; and Robert M. Hirsch.
1995. Stream-Gaging Program of the U.S. Geological Survey.
U.S. Geological Survey Circ. 1123. Reston, Virginia, 1995
http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/circ1123/collection.html#HDR9
Moberg, Roger M., Karen C. Rice, and Eugene D. Powell. 2002
(revised). Measuring Streamflow in Virginia. Open-File Report
95–713.
http://va.water.usgs.gov/online_pubs/OFR95-713rev.html
USGS Indiana District Office. nd. Synopsis of ADCP's
and Their Use. http://in.water.usgs.gov/hydroacoustics/adcpuses.shtml
K. Michael Nolan, Ronald R. Shields, and Michael S. Rehmel.
nd. Measurement of Stream Discharge by Wading. Water Resources Investigation
Report 00-4036 USGS Training Class SW1271. http://wwwrcamnl.wr.usgs.gov/sws/SWTraining/WRIR004036/Index.html
Topographic Mapping
Docs and Tutorials
Leveling
Primer by AJ
Leveling
Introduction (Wolf and Ghosani, Ch. 4) -
Notes
about Leveling Introduction text
Measuring
Water Surface Slope
Sokkia
FAQ - Setup, etc. (Excerpts)
Sokkia
Users Manual (abridged) (7.6 Mb pdf)
Field Trip
Regional
Map
Coweeta
Lab Road Map
Campground
Map1
Campground
Loop5 - Our sites are
60 (single) & 62 (double)
Last modified: A.James September 18, 2007