ANALYSIS OF GEOLOGICAL AND GEOMORPHOLOGICAL PROCESSES

The course aims to provide students with knowledge of the main geological and geomorphological processes responsible for the shape of the terrestrial landscape. Some basic elements will also be given for reading topographical and geological maps.

The course is organized as follows:

-traditional lectures, carried out using a participative approach in order to obtain the maximum involvement of the students;

- practical exercises on rock samples, geological and topographic maps.

At the end of the course the students will acquire knowledge on the following topics:

erosion processes and modeling of terrestrial relief;
transport and sedimentation processes;
lithologies and shapes of the relief;
topographic maps and profiles;
elements of a geological map;
basics of stratimetry;
relationships between strata structure and slope morphology;
classification and macroscopic recognition of the main rock types.

If the teaching is given in mixed or remote modalities, the necessary changes may be introduced with respect to what previously stated, in order to respect the program envisaged and reported in the syllabus.

Exams can also be carried out in remote modality, should the conditions require it.

Part I: causes responsible for the shape of the terrestrial relief.

Chemical and physical factors of land erosion; fluvial, glacial, karst forms; sediment transport and deposition processes; relationship between lithotypes and forms of the relief; tectonic processes and relief shapes.

Part II: elements of cartography.

Recognition of relief shapes on a topographic map; topographic profiles. Elements of a geological map; strata orientation; relationships between strata structure and slope morphology.

Part III: lithogenic process; classification and macroscopic recognition of the main rocks.

Volcanic, metamorphic, sedimentary processes; macroscopic classification schemes for rocks; macroscopic recognition of the main volcanic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks.

1. Pompeo L. Casati - Scienze della terra vol.1 - Elementi di geologia generale

2. Francesco Carraro - Geologia del quaternario. L'evoluzione geologica degli ambienti superficiali

3. Mario Panizza - Elementi di geomorfologia. Pitagora ed.

4. Dispense e “slides” fornite dal docenti