Geography 360
GEOMORPHOLOGY FALL 2006
EXERCISE 7 EXERCISE 7 – SALMON CREEK FIELD TRIP
Due Monday, December 4Wednesday, Nov. 29, will be our final field experience in this class. We will visit Salmon Creek beach area, north of Bodega Bay. Because this is our final exercise and final field trip, I’d like to change the format somewhat.
1. I’d like to have you pull together all that you’ve learned in this class, from our initial discussions of systems, the role of climate and tectonics in geomorphic systems, feedbacks, equilibrium at various time scales, and driving and resisting forces, all within the context of what you see today.
2. Within this context, I’d like you to focus on the two main categories of geomorphic processes that we will see at this site, coastal and eolian processes.
3. You should also consider the other processes that you see in action here, including tectonics (affects of the San Andreas fault system), weathering, mass movements, and fluvial processes. You will see the interplay between all of these processes at Salmon Creek.Treat this trip as if you were hired to produce a report on the geomorphic context of this site in relation to … (you pick – site stability/instability trends, environmental impact re potential development, archaeological site survey/interpretation, vulnerability to degradation from various sources, etc.) This is your first overview of the study site. You are the researchers/collaborators on this trip. I will give you some background material in the form of topographic map and air photos, soils descriptions, geologic map.
Based on what you observe at the site, ask yourselves the following:
1. What are the major questions you would want to try to answer here?
2. What methods of study/data collection would you use to answer these questions?
3. What other data/information resources would you need?
4. What other questions would you want to ask that you would be unable to answer within the scope of this study, but that would still be relevant for future research?You will make detailed observations and discuss/comment with your peers regarding the meaning of what you see. You may want to focus on one or two aspects of the site, or observe/take notes/discuss the great range of features/processes that are displayed at this site.
Final product: Please turn in your notes and reflections on what you learned on this trip.