Requirements to Pass this Unit

To pass this unit you must achieve a total unit mark equal to or greater than 50%.

Special Consideration

The Special Consideration Policy aims to support students who have been impacted by short-term circumstances or events that are serious, unavoidable and significantly disruptive, and which may affect their performance in assessment. If you experience circumstances or events that affect your ability to complete the assessments in this unit on time, please inform the convenor and submit a Special Consideration request through ask.mq.edu.au.

Assessment Submission Deadlines and Late Submissions

All written (uploaded) assessments must be submitted by 11.55 pm on their due date. Should these assessments be missed due to illness or misadventure, students should apply for Special Consideration. If you anticipate not being able to meet the deadline ahead of time then also apply for Special Consideration and/or a deadline extension.

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark of the task) will be applied for each day a written report or presentation assessment is not submitted, up until the 7^th day (including weekends). After the 7^th day, a grade of ‘0’ will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. The submission time for all uploaded assessments is 11:55 pm. A 1-hour grace period will be provided to students who experience a technical concern.

Late submissions will be accepted (with penalty) for the practicals and field reports.  Late submissions are not possible for the weekly quizzes.

Submission of Assessments

The two major reports must be submitted online through Turnitin, unless otherwise instructed during the unit. Links for the submission of each assignment will be available on iLearn.​ The quizzes are to be completed on iLearn, and your final exam will be hosted online through iLearn during the formal examination period. The due dates for all assessment tasks are not negotiable. If you have commitments that will significantly impact your study during the session then you must plan for this in advance as part of an effective individual study plan. 

Assessment Criteria

Assessment at Macquarie University is standards-based, as outlined in the Assessment Policy. This means that your work will be assessed against clear criteria (see below for each assessment task). Grades for each assessment item and for the unit as a whole will be awarded according to the following general criteria:

Assessment Marking and Feedback

The two major assignments will be marked through Turnitin and feedback will be noted on the assignment and provided to the class in a summarised format via iLearn. Do not submit your assignments via email or in hard copy. Your grades will be returned using the Grades Report on iLearn. Quizzes, practicals, and the final exam will be marked in iLearn, and the grades will also be made available on in the Grades Report.

Due to the number of students in the unit (>100), we aim to return your assignments with feedback within 2-3 weeks of the date that you submit your assignment, and certainly well before your next assignment is due. We appreciate your patience and will advise you through iLearn when your marked assignments and feedback are available for viewing.

At all stages in this unit we will try to give you constructive feedback on your understanding and performance.  The unit has been structured so that assessable practicals and field reports allow us to monitor your progress and understanding throughout the unit.  This includes both conceptual and practical (such as field skills) components.

If at any stage you wish to receive guidance on the content of the unit or your performance then we encourage you to approach one of the staff and arrange a meeting.  Likewise, if you would like more detailed feedback or explanation of the feedback you have received then please approach the staff member who gave this feedback to arrange a meeting.

Finally, we appreciate your (constructive) feedback too.  Our goal is to improve our teaching (and your learning) continuously.  We ask for your feedback at the end of semester and value your specific comments.  We are also happy to receive your comments throughout the semester.

WEEKLY CONTENT QUIZZES (5%)

Each week a short quiz (on iLearn) will test your knowledge and understanding of the lecture content.  The rubric related to achievement and grading is as follows:

PRACTICALS (10%, four practicals must be submitted from which two will be chosen randomly to mark)

These should be clearly presented (as opposed to beautiful) but short and not over-produced.  The main objective is to see that you have understood the content of each practical and are competent in the required skills so that we can monitor your progress.  The remaining pre and post fieldwork practicals will be used for preparation of maps or data analysis which will be used in the fieldwork reports.  The rubric related to achievement and grading is as follows:

FIELD REPORT 1 (20%)

This report is based on the first fieldtrip, the preparatory practical sessions, post-fieldwork data analysis, and your own reading and research on the topic.  You will be given a question which you must address in your report.  The research and thought which go into each report are an important part of your learning in this unit.  We expect that you will deepen your understanding of the topic and your field experience by discovering the links between your observations and previous published research in the scientific literature.  The report should be presented with a high standard of presentation (clarity and accuracy, not necessarily ‘pretty’), with diagrams, maps, graphs and tables (as appropriate) and standard scientific citation and referencing.  You will be provided with some essential and useful readings for these reports but you should also undertake your own research of the primary scientific literature.  The rubric related to achievement and grading is as follows:

FIELD REPORT 2 (30%)

This report is based on the second fieldtrip, the preparatory practical sessions, post-fieldwork data analysis, and your own reading and research on the topic.  You will address a research question in your report, tailoring the presentation and discussion of your results to answer the question and placing them within a context revealed by your readings.  The report should be presented in the format of scientific report, with a high standard of presentation (clarity and accuracy, not necessarily ‘pretty’), with diagrams, maps, graphs and tables (as appropriate) and standard scientific citation and referencing.  You will be provided with some essential and useful readings for these reports but you should also undertake your own research of the primary scientific literature.  The rubric related to achievement and grading is as follows:

EXAMINATION (35%)

The exam will be scheduled in the regular University examination period.  The exam is 2 hours in length and will cover all subjects covered in the lectures, practicals and fieldtrips.  There is a combination of short answer and longer problem-solving questions.  Past exam papers can be found on the library web site.  The rubric related to achievement and grading is as follows:

Classes and Attendance

The class timetable can be found through the Timetable portal.

A detailed class schedule with workshop and practical topics, assessment due dates, etc. will be made available to all enrolled students through iLearn.

• Each week you must attend one 3-hour practical class.
• Each week you should attend two 1-hour live lectures (slides provided on iLearn and recordings posted to Echo360 for revision purposes).
• Attend two compulsory fieldtrips for all students: 22nd-23rd March or 23rd-24th March (1.5 days, overnight), and 10th or 11th May (1 day).

In week 1, each student should attend one practical class (in a laboratory) and two lectures.

PRACTICAL CLASSES comprise a practical exercise, including map and air photo interpretation, numerical analysis, examination of rocks and sediments or local fieldwork.  Practicals provide hands-on experience of the topics in each module and are designed to assist learning by encouraging your active participation. The week 1 practical is held in 11WW 220 and some other practicals will be held in the field within a short distance from the university. Each student must bring the appropriate equipment to the practical session and pre-read the practical description.  Equipment may include; pencils, ruler, calculator, field note book.  You should also wear appropriate clothes for the laboratory (e.g. week 1) and field: closed shoes, sun protection etc.

LECTURES are designed to give depth and background to the practical learning. They provide you with a framework with which to focus your study of the subject and are an essential and important component of the course.  They are by no means exhaustive on each and every topic, and you are expected to supplement them by reading especially from the textbook but also from the current journals, where the most up-to-date information can be found.  There is a reading list for you to use as a starting point later in this document, and additional material will be referred to during the workshop/lecture program. Slides will be available on-line through https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/ for viewing and/or printing but they are not a replacement for attending classes.  

FIELD WORK There are two compulsory weekend fieldtrips in this unit during which a range of natural and human-modified landscape features are examined. Each of these fieldtrips reinforces and extends the content of the Soils and Coasts modules (first fieldtrip) or Catchments and Rivers module (second fieldtrip). The major assignments are based on these fieldtrips.  In addition, three of the weekly practicals (Pracs 2, 3 and 7) will be conducted in the field within the normal practical class times. Equipment and safety issues for field work are described below.

Scaffolding of workshops, practicals, fieldwork and assessment

All modules will ‘lead’ with practical experiences and will be followed by large group teaching (lectures or zoom meetings) to back up and provide depth to the practical experience.

The fieldtrips build on knowledge, concepts and skills developed in the workshops/lectures and practicals.  You should prepare for each fieldtrip by reading the recommended papers, attending the workshops/lectures and practicals.

Four practicals (two out of four submissions will be marked) and the fieldtrips (field reports) are directly assessable.  Knowledge and understanding of lecture content is assessed in the mid-year examination.

Textbooks and Essential Readings

The following texts are suggested as being valuable reading. You are not required to purchase them, but may find them useful.  There are some copies in the library.

• Paton TR, Humphreys GS and Mitchell PB, 1995.  Soils: A New Global View. UCL Press.
• National Committee on Soil and Terrain, 2009. Australian Soil and Land Survey Handbook, 3^rd edition. CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
• Fryirs, K.A. and Brierley, G.J., 2013. Geomorphic Analysis of River Systems: An Approach to Reading the Landscape. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-1-4051-9274-3. Associated online resources: www.wiley.com/go/fryirs/riversystems 
• Summerfield MA. 1991 Global Geomorphology: An introduction to the study of landforms. Longmans, London. 537 pp.

The following articles are essential reading (also see the Leganto block on iLearn):

• ToG (Treatise on Geomorphology) is an eBook which you can search for on the Library search page and save to your computer.  Note that after section 11.9 you need to search by page number (upper right).
• Bishop PM, Mitchell PB and Paton TR (1980) The formation of duplex soils on hillslopes in the Sydney Basin, Australia. Geoderma.  23: 175-89.
• Lambeck, K. and Chappell, J., 2001. Sea level change through the last glacial cycle. Science, 292: 679-686.
• Lees, B.G., 2006. Timing and formation of coastal dunes in northern and eastern Australia. Journal of Coastal Research, 22: 78-89.
• Lewis, S.E., Sloss, C.R., Murray-Wallace, C.V., Woodroffe, C., Smithers, S.G., 2013. Post-glacial sea-level changes around the Australian margin: a review. Quaternary Science Reviews 74, 115-138 10.1016/j.quascirev.2012.09.006.
• Macklin, M.G., Brewer, P.A., Hudson-Edwards, K.A., Bird, G., Coulthard, T.J., Dennis, I.A., Lechler, P.J., Miller, J.R. and Turner, J.N. 2006. A geomorphological approach to the management of rivers contaminated by metal mining. Geomorphology, 79: 423-447.
• Mould, S., Fryirs, K., 2018. Contextualising the trajectory of geomorphic river recovery with environmental history to support river management. Applied Geography 94, 130-146 10.1016/j.apgeog.2018.03.008.
• Nanson, G.C. and Croke, J.C.  1992.  A genetic classification of floodplains, Geomorphology, 4, 459-486.
• Short AD and Wright LD (1983)  Physical variability of sandy beaches, in Sandy Beaches as Ecosystems (A. McLachlan and T Erasmus, eds).
• Thom BG and Roy PS (1985)  Relative sea level and coastal sedimentation in southeast Australia in the Holocene. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 55: 257-264
• Thompson, C.H., 1981. Podzol chronosequences on coastal dunes of eastern Australia. Nature, 291: 59-61.

Methods of Communication

We will communicate with you via your university email or through announcements on iLearn. Queries to convenors should be placed on the iLearn discussion board (for general questions of relevance and interest to the class) or sent to the lecturer/convenor (firstname.lastname@mq.edu.au) for any individual questions.  We only have access to your university email address and all iLearn announcements are sent to that address.  Please add your university email address to your mail app and check regularly.

Technology Used and Required

This unit will use iLearn and associated technology. See the Instructions on how to log in to iLearn and the links below which will help you:

• Getting started
• Activities
• Assignments and grades
• Online study tips
• Discussion forums
• Lecture recordings
• Zoom Live Transcription

You can gain access to powerpoint slides used for each lecture by visiting the iLearn page for ENVS2266. iLearn will be used by staff to send reminders and notices concerning fieldtrips, practical classes and lectures. You should check the site regularly, especially the day before lectures/pracs. There is also a discussion forum between students; please feel free to use this to discuss issues relating to any aspect of the unit and geomorphology in general.  For specific questions of the lecturers, email them directly.  For practicals 4 and 8 you should use ArcMap GIS software.  You will be able to access this on University laptops in the pracs, in the 11WW computer labs after hours.  You may also be able to install a copy on your own computer (not on Macs), requiring a licence code issued by the University.

The major assignments must also be submitted electronically through Turnitin, via the iLearn page for this unit. This software provides a means of gauging the timing of submission, an originality checker to test for potential plagiarism and a paperless grading system, more information on this program can be found at (http://turnitin.com/) and (http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/assignments.htm) and a ‘quick guide’ in ilearn next to the Turnitin link. Many of the readings (scientific papers) are available on-line from the library.

Student Workload

We recommend that you complete the full unit workload and attempt all assessment tasks. 

ENVS2266 is a 10 credit point unit and, according to University guidelines, you should spend at ~10 hours on the unit each week, or 150 hours over the 15 week session.  The following is a guideline as to how that time should be spent:

COVID Information

On-campus teaching continues to be scheduled for Session 1, 2024. Masks are not compulsory for classes in indoor spaces but please consider the safety of others and do not attend classes if you are experiencing symptoms.

Students are requested to minimise the risk of spreading COVID to themselves and others in accordance with the university and NSW Health guidelines: For the latest information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please refer to the Coronavirus infection page on the Macquarie website: https://www.mq.edu.au/about/coronavirus-faqs. Remember to check this page regularly in case the information and requirements change during semester. If there are any changes to this unit in relation to COVID, these will be communicated via iLearn.

Please see the weekly class schedule provided on iLearn and the laboratory manual (to be issued in week 1).

There are lectures and a practical in week 1 (see the iLearn for details)

We always tinker a little to try and make things better. Lectures, practical classes and fieldwork will be face-to-face as long as Covid health and safety provisions do not change.

FIELDWORK

Weather: We never cancel fieldtrips for bad weather!  You must be prepared to work in the rain with the appropriate clothing.  Likewise you should always protect yourself from the sun and dehydration.

Transport: You will need to arrange your own transport for these fieldtrips.  Ideally you should arrange to drive to each site with several other students from your practical class. There are usually a limited number of spaces available in staff vehicles.

Arrival: See the prac book for the arrival time for your fieldtrip.  For Seal Rocks there are two options starting either (1) 8 am Friday morning, (2) midday Saturday.  For Macdonald River there will be day-trip options starting at 9 am (details to be confirmed).

Cost: You must cover your own food and transport costs and pay for accommodation.  We book accommodation on behalf of the group and you must pay your money using the form to be provided on the iLearn page BEFORE THE TRIP.

Food: We will advise you of plans depending on which fieldtrip option you choose. You will need lunches to eat in the field and to provide your own breakfast.  Depending on which fieldtrip option you choose you may need to bring one or two dinners. There are no shops nearby so you must bring everything with you for the duration of the fieldtrip.

Accommodation: Field accommodation is in bunk rooms with communal kitchens, dining, bathroom/toilet and work areas.  You should bring (apart from the gear listed below) a sleeping bag, pillow and towel. 

Departure: We aim to leave the field by: Seal Rocks -  midday Saturday (first option) or 5 pm on the Sunday afternoon (second option), Macdonald River: by 5 pm each day, after all field equipment is returned and the accommodation cleaned.  You must sign off before returning home.

Personal Field Equipment: Each student should bring the following aids/comforts on each field trip:

• sturdy shoes - no sandals, thongs, or high heels! (no visible skin below the ankles)
• water bottle (at least 1 litre)
• wet weather gear - we go whatever the weather!!!  Cheap plastic ponchos will not survive walking through scrub.
• hat (with a wide brim, front and back), insect repellent and sunscreen
• field note book and pencils (see note below)
• calculator, hand lens, small pocket knife
• camera
• your lunch, drinks & snacks for the day - we do not stop at shops!!!
• a back pack to store it all in

FIELD EQUIPMENT YOU SHOULD PURCHASE

• Field notebook
• Hand lens

Each student MUST purchase a small hardcover notebook for use in the field.  It should be bound down the spine on the left side, or across the top (but NOT spiral bound). The notebook does not necessarily have to be used only for this unit (you may have used it on previous trips) but it should be good quality and able to withstand a week in the field – in what may be wet conditions.  The best, and most expensive, option is a waterproof Rite-in-the-Rain, Markrite or Chartwell notebook. There are several versions but the best options are 1. Geological (Rite in the Rain 540F), with columns, lines and grids (good for sketching and data), included classifications; 2. Small Rite in the Rain notebook (200T) which can be inserted in a hard cover (200C).  The first will last you several fieldtrips (and units), the second will probably last you this Unit. 

These items can be bought online, for example, Prospectors Supplies.  They can be used in many ENVS, BIOL and EESC units.

SAFETY IN THE FIELD AND LABORATORY

Any student who has a disability that may limit their participation in field work or that could result in a medical emergency in the field should notify the unit convenor immediately.  As a general guide to the level of physical fitness required, you should be able to walk 10 km over open undulating terrain in 3 hours.

Each student must ensure his/her own safety at all times during field excursions.

• Do not undertake fieldwork alone.  You must work with at least one other person.
• You must be adequately equipped to undertake fieldwork, including wet weather clothing, warm clothing, hat and sun protection, protective footware (closed toe boots or shoes).
• You should bring a first aid kit if you have one (they will be provided to each group but do not include any drugs/creams etc).
• Do not undertake any activity you feel to be unsafe.  Discuss with the fieldtrip leader any concerns you have about particular tasks.
• Be watchful of the safety of your fellow students, if they become separated from the group or are at some other risk.  Tell the fieldtrip leader as soon as you notice a potentially dangerous situation.
• If you have any medical condition (including allergies) that require medication then you should bring medication with you.  We do not have and cannot provide any medication (including non-prescription).

Laboratory work in this unit does not involve hazardous chemicals.  Nevertheless, in the laboratory you must wear safe (closed) footwear and generally follow safe practice.  Where items of equipment are to be used, do not use them until you have received adequate training.

All students taking ENVS2266 are eligible for the Geoff Humphreys Prize for proficiency in this unit.  The prize is for $300 (cash).

Geoff Humphreys was a lecturer in Physical Geography from 1994 to 2007 but had an association with Macquarie extending back to the early 1970s when he began his undergraduate degree here.  Geoff was an energetic and enthusiastic researcher and teacher in soil science and geomorphology.  His great passion was researching the processes of soil formation, especially the role of the biosphere in soil turnover and movement – bioturbation.  Geoff was very much at home in the field and greatly enjoyed teaching students in the bush where it is possible to see processes in action and also the landscape context of detailed measurements.

Geoff was instrumental in devising the curriculum of ENVS2266 and taught in the unit for many years.  This prize, first awarded in 2007 following Geoff’s sudden death, is awarded to the student who shows the most proficiency in this unit which attempts to convey some of Geoff’s fascination with how landscapes work.

AIMS AND SCOPE OF ENVS2266

ENVS2266 aims to present a unified picture of processes, materials and forms occurring at the surface of the earth.  That means how and why the earth's surface looks and behaves as it does and includes the soils, sediments and landforms as well as the processes important to them.  Given its antiquity, along with its geographic, tectonic and climatic character, Australia has a distinctive and diverse landscape.  The unit therefore draws unashamedly on Australian, and often local, examples which have immediate relevance to Australian environmental problems.  The principles and ideas, however, are certainly global and possibly universal (at least applying to the solar system).  We aim to give you the 'tools' to understand landscape processes no matter where you are.  Time constraints prevent coverage of all aspects of geomorphic enquiry.  Emphasis is placed on soil materials, slope, river and coastal environments, although the arid interior of Australia and other exotic places are also examined briefly and the role of human activities is examined.  Connections between various aspects of the landscape will be stressed, aiming to provide an integrative perspective on surface processes.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AT MACQUARIE

ENVS2266 is a core 2000-level unit in the Environmental Science major (Bachelor of Environment) and Earth and Environmental Science major (Bachelor of Science) and is the main prerequisite for the 3000-level units ENVS3238 (Environmental Quality and Assessment), ENVS3439 (Geomorphic Analysis of Rivers and Wetlands for Conservation and Management), ENVS3240 (Environmental Change) and ENVS3241 (Active Environments).

Earth Surface Processes describes the study of the earth’s surface, the diverse physical processes found there and the connections between them.  As the name suggests, it lies at the nexus between earth systems and biological systems – it is often concerned with landscapes and the landforms, sediments and soils within them but also, and crucially, the interaction of plants and animals in directing processes and shaping habitat.  Earth Surface Processes combines aspects of Geomorphology, Soil Science, Natural Hazards, Environmental Management and Ecology.  As a consequence, graduates gain skills essential for management of natural resources, including rural rivers and lands, and highly altered landscapes, including urban environments and mining areas.

Graduates enter a wide range of workplaces including: environmental and geotechnical consultancies, local government (environmental officers), state government departments (Infrastructure, Planning and Natural Resources; Environment and Conservation), National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney Water, mining companies (environmental officers), teaching (primary and secondary) and research.

Earth Surface Processes is offered within the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Environment.  It is also suitable as a component of other specialised programs, including Environmental Management, Biology and Archaeology.

Please feel free to discuss your program with any of the staff in the unit at any time during the semester.

You can also find more information about the Bachelor of Environment program and units of study at: https://coursehandbook.mq.edu.au/2024/courses/C000003

and about the Bachelor of Science, Earth and Environmental Sciences major at: https://coursehandbook.mq.edu.au/2024/aos/N000264