Summer Institute on Earth-surface Dynamics
The National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics has created a new teaching forum, the Summer Institute on Earth-surface Dynamics (SIESD), designed to engage young scientists in a focused topic in Earth-surface dynamics. Drawing on NCED’s approach of integrating theory, laboratory experiments, numerical modeling, and fieldwork, this two-week institute combines lectures with practical experiences in the laboratory and the field.
SIESD 2013: Subsurface to surface: recovering surface dynamics from stratigraphic records
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There has long been a disconnect between scientists studying the Earth’s past, on the scale of ‘deep time’, and those working in the modern era, typically on human/engineering time scales. A major theme of NCED, which has also found expression in recent NRC publications (NRC, 2010; Transitions, 2011) is the importance of bridging this gap. The idea is to use the Earth’s rich archival record of its own surface evolution and the value of that record to inform understanding of how Earth’s surface might change in the future, considering a spectrum of time scales because even short-term evolution is often conditioned by long-term trends. Understanding these natural trends becomes even more important as human influence grows. Sustainable solutions imply management over long periods, i.e., the goal is that current practices could be continued indefinitely without damaging the environment or depleting future resources. Sustainability thus requires forecasting the effects of current practice over multi-generational time scales. The only data available for testing such forecasts is reconstructions of the past behavior of the surface system.
Read more about past Summer Institutes:
SIESD 2012: Future Earth: Interaction of Climate and Earth-surface Processes
August 8-17, 2012
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
August 8-17, 2012
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
The 2012 SIESD focused on the interaction between climate and landscapes over a range of scales. What will the effect be of more intense rainfall events on surface morphodynamics, flooding and landslide hazards? What will the effect be of sea level rise and human impacts on coastal eco-hydrology and deltaic systems? Emphasis was placed on the study of basic processes at the intersection of water-earth-biota using examples and data from diverse landscapes. Hands-on learning opportunities included the exploration of physical experiments and theoretical models as well as landscape evolution modeling using the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS) tools. Mentoring and broader impact activities included touring the "Future Earth" exhibit of the Science Museum of Minnesota and spending time at the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment.
Click here to view presentations, readings, course materials, photos and more from the 2012 SIESD.
August 10-19, 2011
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
The 2011 SIESD focused on the biophysical dynamics and predictive evolution of deltas. Students investigated coupled models of erosion, deposition, and vegetation; responses to up- and downstream anthropogenic perturbations; and how predictive modelling can be used for restoration of these delicate ecosystems. Hands-on learning opportunities included the exploration of physical experiments and theoretical models as well as an intensive unit on the use of delta modeling tools available through CSDMS, the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling Systems.
August 18-27, 2010
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The 2010 SIESD focused on "Rivers and Vegetation." Attending students gained experience via lectures, laboratory experiments, and field work on the basic physics of water-sediment-vegetation interaction, modeling of the co-evolution of landscapes and their ecosystems, quantitative analysis of complex landscapes, LiDAR analysis of river topography and vegetation, and specifics of braided, meandering and deltaic systems interacting with vegetation. The studetns also gained hands-on experience with a suite of analytical tools including GeoNet and InVEST, a modeling environment to support environmental desicion-making.
August 12-21, 2009
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
The 2009 SIESD featured exploration of the dynamics of sediment storage and bed material transport, eco-hydrology, mathematical modeling and multi-scale analysis, and modeling the morphology and eco-hydrology of alluvial plains and deltas. The 2009 curriculum particularly emphasized the use of high-resolution digital topography in extracting critical features from the landscape and in providing for hypothesis testing and fieldwork guidance within a predictive environment.