Department of Marine Sciences

Coastal Geology

School:	Of the Environment
Academic Unit:	Department of Marine Sciences
Level of studies:	Undergraduate
Course Code:	191ΘΔ5E	Semester:	F
Course Title:	Coastal Geology
Independent Teaching Activities		Weekly Teaching Hours	Credits
		Total credits	5
Course Type:	Specialised general knowledge
Prerequisite Courses:	No
Language of Instruction and Examinations:	English
Is the course offered to Erasmus students:	Yes
Course Website (Url):	https://www.mar.aegean.gr/?lang=en&lesson=1071&pg=3.1.1

After the successful completion of the course, students should be able to:

Understand the basic principles of coastal geology
Know the main types of coastal systems and understand their function
Understand the environmental factors controlling coastal geology
Understand the coastal geological processes and their interactions and how these facilitate the geomorphological evolution of the coasts
Know the hydro-meteorological hazards affecting coastal environments, including those associated with the Climate Variability and Change (CV & C)
Know the basics of the assessment of the coastal erosion risk and those of the available adaptation options (coastal protection schemes)

The course includes the following topics:

Coastal types and sediments
Beach morphology and dynamics.
Sea level and its short-and long-term changes
Progressive waves: wave theories, genesis and measurements. Wave transformation, dissipation and breaking
Nearshore waves: set up and set down, and surf and swash zone processes and wave-induced coastal flows
Beach morphology/features. Beach morphodynamics and sediment transport
Coastal (beach) response to sea level rise: forecasting models
Short- and long-term beach erosion and available options of coastal protection

Delivery:

Face-to-face

Use of Information and Communication Technology:

Teaching Methods:

	Activity	Semester workload
	Lectures	40
	Independent study	62
	Preparation of obligatory essay	20
	Final exam	3
	*Course total*	125

Student Performance Evaluation:

The final mark is defined by the weighted average of an essay (25 %) and the final exam (75 %), consisting of multiple choice questions
Students with writing difficulties are tested orally
Language of evaluation: Greek, in case of ERASMUS students: English

- Suggested bibliography:

Lecture notes
Open File Reports of the U.S. Geological Survey (Coastal and Marine Geology Program http://marine.usgs.gov/)
Komar, P.D., 1998. Beach Processes and Sedimentation, Prentice Hall, New Jersey
Soulsby, R.L., 1997. Dynamics of marine sands : a manual for practical applications, Telford, London, 249pp.
Vousdoukas, M., Velegrakis, A.F. and Karambas, Th., 2009 Morphology and sedimentology of a beach with beachrocks: Vatera Beach, Lesbos, Greece. Continental Shelf Research, 29, 1937–1947