Natural Sciences

MAURIZIO DEL MONTE
FRANCESCA VERGARI

Expected learning outcomes

To promote the awareness that Earth relief results from the opponent action of endogeneous and exogeneous agents.
To allow comprehending the way the exogenous agents act and the processes they are responsible for, also relating them to climate and to the geo-structural characteristics of the territory.
To generate the awareness that the interpretation of present landforms allow reconstructing the territory geomorphological evolution and predicting its future modifications.




Dublin Descriptors
Knowledge and understanding
Successful students will have acquired knowledge and comprehension of:
- the mode of action of the main elements of marine and continental hydrosphere and of cryosphere;
- the agents and mechanisms of the exogenous morphogenetic processes and of their relationships with climate and structural conditions;
- the different relief landforms deriving from exogenous morphogenetic processes.

Applying knowledge and understanding
Successful students will have acquired:
-skill in the elaboration and interpretation of hydrological, glaciological and meteomarine data;
-skill in interpreting landforms on the basis of topographic maps examination;
- skill in reconstructing the morphological evolution of relief also on the basis of morphological maps interpretation;
- skill in doing interpretative morphological profiles;
-skill in reconstructing the past morphological evolution of Earth relief and in predicting its future evolution

Making judgements
Successful students will be able to:
- evaluate the stability or instability conditions of relief slopes in different morphoclimatic contexts;
- evaluate the hydrological and geomorphological conditions that help flood occurrences;
-recognize human activities that are responsible for soil accelerated erosion and beach erosion.

Communication skills
Successful students will be able to:
- communicate information, ideas, problems and solution concerning the phenomena of geomorphological instability and the deriving risks:
-discuss about environmental impact with knowledge of the facts;
-to write simple reports on the Geomorphology of a territory, based on the interpretation of geothematic maps.

Learning skills
Successful students will have acquired the necessary skills to tackle the more complex studies, concerning Applied Geomorphology and Environmental Geology in an independent and critical way.

Preliminary knowledge of Physical Geography, Geology, and other basic knowledge of the three-year degree course in Natural Sciences.

(PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY AND GEOMORPHOLOGY)

Professor: Maurizio Del Monte, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, II floor,
room 206, ph. 06-49914920 e-mail: maurizio.delmonte@uniroma1.it

Students target: 3rd year

Unit Level: introductory/specialist

Pre-requisites: Basic knowledge of Geology and Physical Geography

Credits: 9 CFU

Description of content:

Geomorphology: Geomorphology and climate. Weathering. Slope processes and landforms. Runoff landforms. Fluvial processes and landforms. Karst geomorphology. Aeolian geomorphology. Glacial geomorphology. Periglacial geomorphology. Coastal processes and landforms. Structural geomorphology. Volcanic geomorphology. Geomorphological maps

Physical Geography: Environmental geology and land management. Environmental resources. Resources and reserves. Renewable and nonrenewable resources. Genesis and geo location of resources. Population growth and resources. The hydrological cycle and water resources. Surface water and groundwater. Energy resources. Fossil fuels. Alternative and complementary energy resources. Environmental risk. Hazard, vulnerability and elements at risk. The vulnerability of groundwater. Seismic risk. The seismic risk in Italy. Volcanic risk. The volcanoes in Italy. Flood hazard. The risk for landslide. Beach erosion and coastal defense. Remote sensing. Geographic information systems. Geothematic maps: basic carthography and hazard and risk maps.

Ciccacci S.- Atlante di Geomorfologia , Mondadori –Sapienza, Milano, 2011
Del Monte M. - La Geomorfologia di Roma - Sapienza Università Editrice, 2018

The assessment of the knowledge acquired by the student and his / her ability to autonomous interpretation will take place through oral discussion and practical tests. The determination of the final vote will take into account: a) the logic followed in resolving the question; b) the correctness of the procedure identified; c) the adequacy of the proposed solution according to the skills that the student should have acquired; d) the use of an appropriate language. The satisfaction of the first three aspects (a, b, c) is a necessary condition for passing the exam; higher grades will be awarded to students whose tests meet all four aspects listed above.During these tests may be used thematic maps, aerial photos, technical tools.

• 7 cfu di lezioni frontali


• 2 cfu di attività pratiche e sul terreno