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Laboratory Practices in Earth Sciences: Landscape Mapping

By Prof. Javed N. Malik   |   IIT Kanpur
Learners enrolled: 179   |  Exam registration: 2
ABOUT THE COURSE:
Laboratory Practices in Earth Sciences: Landscape Mapping is a thorough and practical course that explores remote sensing, fieldwork, and laboratory studies to better understand the surface and subsurface geological and geomorphological structures. The fundamental principles, techniques, and methodologies that have been used to investigate, analyze, and map landscapes across the world will be covered in this course. It is a comprehensive educational experience that incorporates theoretical ideas, real-world applications, and ethical problems. This course offers a strong basis for your career choice, irrespective of whether you want to pursue a career in the Earth Sciences or want to learn more about landform mapping techniques.

INDUSTRY SUPPORT: Any company involved in infrastructure development
Summary
Course Status : Upcoming
Course Type : Core
Language for course content : English
Duration : 8 weeks
Category :
  • Civil Engineering
Credit Points : 2
Level : Undergraduate/Postgraduate
Start Date : 17 Feb 2025
End Date : 11 Apr 2025
Enrollment Ends : 17 Feb 2025
Exam Registration Ends : 24 Feb 2025
Exam Date : 26 Apr 2025 IST

Note: This exam date is subject to change based on seat availability. You can check final exam date on your hall ticket.


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Course layout

Week 1:  Geospatial technologies, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing is used to acquire skills in satellite data analysis, processing, and visualization using specialized software such as QGIS, Global Mapper and ENVI, generate thematic maps that convey valuable information about landscapes. It will includes knowing and understanding landforms using Cartosat-1, CORONA and SRTM data.

Week 2: Georeferencing, mosaicking of these satellite data and preparation of Anaglyph and DEM from the Cartosat-1 data using ENVI software. Tectonic landform identification and interpretation using Anaglyph and DEM, preparation of Tectono-Geomorphic maps.

Week 3: Understand contour lines, elevation, and how to represent three-dimensional landscapes on two-dimensional maps. Morphometric analysis and estimation of morphometric indices to understand the landscapes evolution. Preparation of Geological cross-section – folded terrain and faulted terrain.

Week 4: Mapping of landforms such as rivers terraces, alluvial fan surfaces, topographic profiles of fault scarps, river offsets etc. through Total Station (TS) and Real Time Kinematics (RTK). TS and RTK are used to generate detailed topographic maps by measuring coordinates (x, y, and z) of points on the landscape. The combination of these instruments allows for extremely accurate data collection, crucial for precise landform mapping.

Week 5: Mapping of sub-surface utility/lithological variations using Ground Penetrating Radar survey (GPR). It used to study the soil and sediments stratigraphy. It can detect buried objects, layers, and its anomalies.

Week 6: Mapping of surface landforms using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which provide high resolution aerial imagery to generate orthophotos and DEM of the landscapes. Mapping of sub-surface lithology through Resistivity Survey.

Week 7: Sate of the art knowledge of Optically Stimulated Dating techniques, it is a valuable method to date fluvial landforms. It utilizes trapped electrons in minerals to estimate the time since the last exposure of the sediment grains to sunlight or heat. Fluvial sediments deposited by rivers and streams are often important archives of past climatic changes or tectonic activity. Dating of coarse and fine grain Quartz and Feldspar minerals. Sample Preparation: Chemical Processing, Sieving of samples to acquire the suitable grain size, Magnetic separation to separate the quartz from heavy minerals.

Week 8: OSL Lab: Sensitivity Corrections, Preheat Plateau test to estimate the preheat temperature, Recycling and Recuperation test, Single Aliquot Regenerative (SAR) Protocol, Age Models (Central Age Model, Minimum Age Model and Common Age Model), Moisture Calculation, Dose Rate estimation, Paleodose Calculation and Age Calculation.

Books and references

• Monroe, J. S., Wicander, R., and Hazlett, R. (2007). Physical Geology: Exploring the Earth. Sixth Edition. Page 690.
• Strahler, A. Introduction to Physical Geology. Pub. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. page 632.
• Keller, E. D. (2012). Introduction to Environmental Geology. Printice Hall. Page 801.
• Understanding Earth, by Grotzinger, Jordan, Press and Siever, Freeman and Company
• J. Uren, W. F. Price (auth.) - Surveying for Engineers-Macmillan Education UK (1994)
• Ravi P. Gupta (auth.)- Remote Sensing Geology-Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg (2018)
• Richard J. Lisle - Geological Structures and Maps_ A Practical Guide-Butterworth-Heinemann (2020)
• Lillesand Thomas M, Kiefer, Ralph W, Chipman, Jonathan. Remote sensing and image interpretation, John Wiley & Sons (2015)v

Instructor bio

Prof. Javed N. Malik

IIT Kanpur
- The instructor finished his Ph. D in 1998 from M. S. University Baroda, Vadodara. Gujarat (Geology), did Post-Doctrate (Japan Society for Promotion of Science) from (1999-2001) Hiroshima University, JAPAN. 
- Joined IIT Kanpur in 2001. 

Area of Specialization: Active Tectonics, Paleoseismology and Paleo-tsunami 

Current Areas of Research: 
• Active fault mapping and Paleoseismological studies along NW Himalaya and Kachchh 
• Paleo-Tsunami studies in Andaman & Nicobar Islands 
• Collaboration with Japan, US and France – related to earthquake and tsunami studies 

Research Projects: 
• Active tectonic investigation along northwestern Himalayan foothill zone, sponsored by DST 
• Active fault mapping and paleoseismic investigations in Kachchh region. Gujarat, by OYO International Japan. 
• Active Tectonic investigations around South-Middle Andaman and Car Nicobar Islands, A&N Islands, sponsored by INCOIS, Hyderabad, MoES.

Course certificate

The course is free to enroll and learn from. But if you want a certificate, you have to register and write the proctored exam conducted by us in person at any of the designated exam centres.
The exam is optional for a fee of Rs 1000/- (Rupees one thousand only).
Date and Time of Exams: April 26, 2025 Morning session 9am to 12 noon; Afternoon Session 2pm to 5pm.
Registration url: Announcements will be made when the registration form is open for registrations.
The online registration form has to be filled and the certification exam fee needs to be paid. More details will be made available when the exam registration form is published. If there are any changes, it will be mentioned then.
Please check the form for more details on the cities where the exams will be held, the conditions you agree to when you fill the form etc.

CRITERIA TO GET A CERTIFICATE

Average assignment score = 25% of average of best 6 assignments out of the total 8 assignments given in the course.
Exam score = 75% of the proctored certification exam score out of 100

Final score = Average assignment score + Exam score

Please note that assignments encompass all types (including quizzes, programming tasks, and essay submissions) available in the specific week.

YOU WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CERTIFICATE ONLY IF AVERAGE ASSIGNMENT SCORE >=10/25 AND EXAM SCORE >= 30/75. If one of the 2 criteria is not met, you will not get the certificate even if the Final score >= 40/100.

Certificate will have your name, photograph and the score in the final exam with the breakup.It will have the logos of NPTEL and IIT Kanpur .It will be e-verifiable at nptel.ac.in/noc.

Only the e-certificate will be made available. Hard copies will not be dispatched.

Once again, thanks for your interest in our online courses and certification. Happy learning.

- NPTEL team


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