Geomorphology
Research in Surface Processes is aimed at understanding complex interactions among sediment transport and water flow, the evolution of landscapes from micro to macro scales, the rates of surface denudation as a function of climate and tectonic forcing, and the response of terrestrial systems to anthropogenic change. At Boston University, research in Geomorphology typically involves extensive fieldwork buttressed by detailed numerical modeling, laboratory experimentation, chemical analyses, and radiometric control using state-of-the-art techniques and facilities available in our Department. See also the closely related Hydrology and Coastal and Marine Sciences research groups.
Our department offers graduate research in Surface Processes leading to M.A. and Ph.D. degrees, as well undergraduate degrees in both Earth Sciences and in Environmental Earth Sciences. In addition, members of the Surface Processes research group participate in the new Terrestrial Biogeosciences Ph.D. certificate program offered jointly by the departments of Earth Sciences, Geography and Environment, and Biology.
Examples of Ongoing Research Projects
- Hydrology, ecology, and geomorphology of coastal marshes and riverine systems; hillslope stability (Fagherazzi)
- Response of tidal inlets, marshes, and barriers to rising sea level (FitzGerald)
- Landform evolution of a nutrient enriched salt marsh (Fulweiler, FitzGerald, Fagherazzi)
- Land-ocean fluxes of weathering-derived solutes and organics from the Fly River, Papua New Guinea (Kurtz)
- Landscape evolution and climate change of Antarctica: Analogs for landscape evolution and climate change on Mars (Marchant)
- Estimation of evaporation and water balance from satellite remote sensing (Salvucci)
- Pore-scale analyses of evaporation from porous media (Shokri)
Faculty
- Sergio Fagherazzi geomorphology, hydrology, marine geology
- Duncan FitzGerald coastal marine geology
- Robinson Fulweiler marine biogeochemistry
- Andrew Kurtz low-temperature geochemistry, soils
- Amala Mahadevan physical and biogeochemical oceanography
- David Marchant Surface processes, sedimentology, geomorphology
- Richard W. Murray paleoceanography, marine geochemistry
- Maureen Raymo paleoceanography, marine geology
- Guido Salvucci hydrology
- Nima Shokri Experimental soil physics
Surface Processes Research Facilities
A Selection of Relevant Graduate-level Courses
ES 514 Dynamic Landsurface Hydrology
ES 533 Quantitative Geomorphology
ES 534 Ice Age Systems
ES 531 Coastal Processes
ES 543 Estuaries and nearshore systems
ES 576 Aquatic Geochemistry
ES 671 Geochemistry
ES 683 Geodynamics II: Fluids and fluid transport
ES 701 Quantitative methods I: Mechanics of earth materials
ES 702 Quantitative methods II: Analysis and modeling of geologic processes
ES 762 Nonmarine terrigenous clastic deposits and processes
ES 830 Advanced topics in surface processes
Note: A complete list of our departmental course offerings is available here.
