Composition and internal structure of the Earth. Plate tectonics theory. Classification of continental margins. Sea-floor spreading. Orogenesis. Earthquakes and their distribution. Main types of rocks: igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. Rocks cycle.
Brittle and ductile deformation. Fractures, faults and folds. Subaerial processes: erosion, particle transport and deposition. Lithification, diagenesis, burial. Stratigraphy: basic concepts and principles. Fundamentals of Geological maps.
Coastal systems and main factors influencing their evolution. Coastal forms. The main types of coastline and their classification criteria.
Sea level oscillations and their morphological and sedimentary effects on the coasts. Coastal depositional sequences. Quaternary climatic oscillations and glacio-eustatic sea level changes. Vertical movements of the coasts and the relative sea level changes. Tectonic, volcano-tectonic and isostatic processes.
Marine terraces. Coral reefs. Submerging coasts: Rias and Fjords.
Waves: wave generation and propagation in shallow waters (shoaling, refraction, breaking, diffraction and reflection phenomena). The longshore currents and sediments transport.
Tides: causes, distribution and main effects on the coasts. Microtidal, mesotidal and macrotidal regimes. Tides measuring. Estuaries and tidal flats.
Beaches: Beach profile and sedimentary structures. The littoral sedimentary balance. Beach morphodynamic classification: reflecting, intermediate and dissipative beaches. Lagoons and ponds. The coastal Dunes formation. Spits and lagoon-barrier systems.
Delta and their classification: wave-, tide- and fluvial-dominated delta systems.
Tropical coasts: coral reefs, their distribution and origin. Barrier reefs and mangroves.
The high coasts and their morphoevolution. Coastal cliffs, wave cut platforms and tidal notches.
Coastal investigation by geophysical prospection methods and borehole analysis.
Present-day climate changes and their impacts on the coasts. Coastal risk: high and low coasts erosion, marine flooding processes. Thematic cartography