Lesson 1Geomorphological Risks: Floodplain Flooding, Slope Instability, Gully Erosion, and Types of Mass MovementsThis lesson looks at geomorphological risks like floods, landslides, gully erosion, and mass movements. Students will connect causes, terrain factors, and land use to mapping risks, assessing dangers, and planning ways to reduce them in Eritrean highlands and lowlands.
Floodplain zoning and flooding mapsSlope instability factors and signsGully starting and headcut movementTypes of landslides and mass movementsRainfall limits and triggering eventsRisk mapping and reduction planningLesson 2Relief and Slope Study: Hillshading, Slope Angle, Direction, and Effects on Erosion and LandslidesThis lesson covers digital elevation models, hillshading, slope, and direction analysis to understand relief. Learners will connect terrain measures to erosion, landslide risks, drainage growth, and infrastructure planning in Eritrea's varied landforms.
Sources and quality of elevation dataHillshade views and landform readingSlope angle classes and mappingDirection patterns and microclimate effectsTopographic controls on erosion ratesSlope limits for landslide risksLesson 3River Basin Shapes and Drainage Patterns: Branching, Grid, Radial, and Ancient SystemsThis lesson studies drainage basin shapes, order, and patterns like branching, grid, and radial systems. Students will relate drainage forms to rock types, structures, relief, and long-term landscape changes in Eritrea's river systems.
Watershed boundaries and stream orderBranching, grid, radial, and parallel patternsStructural and rock controls on drainageLongitudinal profiles and knickpointsBasin shape, relief, and water responseDrainage evolution and river captureLesson 4Geological Mapping and Bedrock Units: Rock Types, Layering, Structural Influences on TopographyThis lesson introduces geological mapping of bedrock units, focusing on rock types, layering, and structures. Learners will interpret how folds, faults, and rock strength affect topography, drainage, and resource or risk distribution in Eritrea.
Reading geological maps and legendsRock type units and strength differencesLayering sequences and key contactsFaults, folds, and fracture networksStructural control on ridges and valleysLinking bedrock to resources and risksLesson 5River Processes: Channel Changes, Sediment Movement, Deposition, River Bends and ShiftsThis lesson covers river processes shaping channels, including flow types, sediment movement, and bar formation. Learners will analyze bending, braiding, shifts, and floodplain building, linking processes to channel patterns and management in Eritrea.
Flow types and channel hydraulicsBedload, suspended load, and wash loadChannel patterns: straight, bending, braidedPoint bars, levees, and overbank depositsBender migration and cutoff formationShifts, branching, and channel managementLesson 6Climate Effects on Water Flow: Rainfall Patterns, Seasons, Evaporation, and Drought MeasuresThis lesson explains how air circulation, moisture sources, and land conditions control rainfall, runoff, evaporation, and drought. Learners will relate climate measures to water flow patterns and water availability in Eritrea's varied regions.
Global circulation and moisture transportRainfall seasons and intensity patternsPotential and actual evaporationSoil moisture balance and runoff responseDrought measures and water droughtClimate changes and impact effectsLesson 7Practical Data Sources: National Geological Surveys, Global Elevation Models (SRTM, ASTER), Map Repositories, and Climate Data (CRU, CHIRPS)This lesson presents key open data for physical geography and geology, including elevation models, geological maps, and climate products. Learners will evaluate resolution, accuracy, and details, and practice combining sources for regional landscape study in Eritrea.
Global and regional elevation model productsNational geological survey map portalsOnline geological map repositoriesGridded climate data and measuresData resolution, accuracy, and detailsCombining multi-source data in GISLesson 8Remote Sensing Basics for Physical Features: Using Satellite Images to Identify Landforms, River Channels, and Plant CoverThis lesson introduces satellite sensors, resolutions, and color bands used to map physical features. Students will learn to interpret images for landforms, drainage, plants, and surface moisture, and recognize common processing issues and limits in Eritrea.
Optical vs radar sensors and resolutionsColor signatures of water, soil, and rockIdentifying major landforms from imagesMapping river channels and floodplainsPlant indices and canopy conditionCommon image corrections and issuesLesson 9Surface Deposits and Soils: Alluvium, Colluvium, Weathered Bedrock, Soil Types and FertilityThis lesson examines surface deposits and soils, including alluvium, colluvium, and weathered bedrock. Students will relate parent material, texture, and structure to soil types, fertility, drainage, and land use suitability across Eritrean landscapes.
Alluvial, colluvial, and residual materialsWeathering profiles and regolith formationSoil horizons, texture, and structureMajor soil type systemsSoil fertility, nutrients, and limitationsSoil erosion risk and conservation needs
