Syllabus:  MS698—03, Spring, 2003.

Sediment transport processes in coastal environments.

 

Instructor:  Courtney K. Harris

                   Email:  ckharris@vims.edu

                   Office:  Franklin 2nd floor.

                   Telephone:  684-7194

                   Web-site:  http://www.vims.edu/~ckharris (will have a link for class)

 

Date

Topic

Wed

15-Jan-03

Organizational meeting

Thurs

16-Jan-03

Sediment properties.

Tues

21-Jan-03

Settling velocities.

Thurs

23-Jan-03

Reading:  sediment properties

Tues

28-Jan-03

Fluid flow; turbulence; boundary layers.

Thurs

30-Jan-03

Reading:  coastal bottom boundary layers.

Tues

4-Feb-03

Bed roughness; ripples and dunes.

Thurs

6-Feb-03

Reading:  bedform geometry.

Tues

11-Feb-03

Initiation of sediment motion.

Thurs

13-Feb-03

Reading:  critical shear stress.

Tues

18-Feb-03

Bedload transport.

Thurs

20-Feb-03

REVIEW: Problem set 1..

Tues

25-Feb-03

Form drag correction.

Thurs

27-Feb-03

Reading: nearshore or estuarine transport.

Tues

4-Mar-03

Spring break

Thurs

6-Mar-03

Spring break

Tues

11-Mar-03

Suspended sediment transport.

Thurs

13-Mar-03

Reading; shelf suspension.

Tues

18-Mar-03

Suspended sediment transport.

Thurs

20-Mar-03

Reading:  nearshore or estuarine transport.

Tues

25-Mar-03

Erosion and deposition.

Thurs

27-Mar-03

Reading:  seabed modifications.

Tues

1-Apr-03

Sediment / animal interactions.

Thurs

3-Apr-03

Reading:  bioturbation.

Tues

8-Apr-03

Guest lecturer.

Thurs

10-Apr-03

Reading:  flocculation.

Tues

15-Apr-03

Cohesive sediment.

Thurs

17-Apr-03

REVIEW:  Problem set 2.

Tues

22-Apr-03

Timescale issues.

Thurs

24-Apr-03

Reading:  modeling long timescales.

 

All assigments are open book. You are allowed to discuss the papers and problem sets with each other, but each individual is expected to turn in their own work. Due dates are firm; and work that is in my mailbox by the time I leave that day is accepted as being turned in on time. Late work penalized 5% per day unless we discuss extenuating circumstances.  The term paper and review paper should be double-spaced and typed. The problem sets should be legible, be written or printed on paper, and have enough detail to earn partial credit.

 

The term paper should be a 5 page paper that discusses a topic of sediment transport processes that pertains to your research interests and summarizes recent literature in this topic.  Suggestions are to review current transport process theory within an environment (estuarine, nearshore, etc.) or location (Adriatic Sea, New York Bight, etc.) of interest to you.  Alternatively, you can explore a specific transport mechanism and review current theory that pertains to it.  By February 13th, you should have chosen the topic for your research paper, at this time you should turn in a paragraph that describes the topic. The final paper should include an abstract and references in addition to the body of the paper.

 

The review paper should be a 2-5 page paper that reviews one of the journal articles that we read during the sessions. The review paper is due the date that the article is covered in class. Your review might include a summary of the research described in the article, a discussion of how this article contributes an interesting or novel approach, and insight into implications that the paper might have for other studies or future research.

 

Due Dates and fraction of grade:

 

13-Feb-03

Term paper topics due.

0%

 

26-Feb-03

First problem set due

13%

 

25-Apr-03

Second problem set due.

13%

 

2-May-03

Term paper due.

25%

 

Floating

One review paper due day paper is discussed.

25%

 

Constant

Participate in discussions

24%