Engineering Geology

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Engineering Geology

• Where Civilization and Earth Meet
• Soil and rock as engineering materials
• Resource extraction and usage
• Environmental impacts
• Geologic Hazards

Dr. James M. Martin-Hayden Associate
Professor [phone] Jhayden_at_UTnet.UToledo.edu
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World Population Growth
11.9
9.8
7.9
Exponential Growth
High Growth Medium Growth
Low Growth
Actual Growth
2
Population Growth per year
1
Kehew, Figure 1.4 and 1.5
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Population in Crisis

• Pandemics and food shortages are beginning to
  decrease population growth
• Contamination and global warming will only
  exacerbate the problem

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Overuse of Geologic Resources
(Geology in the News)

• 1.7 billion are joining the consumer class and
  the environment cant sustain this standard of
  living. (Worldwatch Institute, 2004)
• Emissions of Greenhouse gasses is accelerating
  global warming
• Climate change is accelerating melting of
  glaciers and driving mass extinctions (The
  Centre of Biodiversity and Conservation, Leeds
  University, UK)

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Global Oil Production to Peak

• Once oil production peaks extraction will become
  increasingly expensive.
• Alternative sources
• Coal (emissions?)
• Nuclear (waste?)
• Renewable (lagging
• technology?)

See Kehew Fig. 1.8
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Greenhouse Gasses and Global Warming
See Kehew Fig. 1.14

• Global Warming lags CO2 spikes
• CO2 concentration is higher than all maximums
  during the past 500,000 years
• And still increasing!

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Effects on Engineering Geology

• Melting of Polar ice
• Opening of new arctic shipping routes in a few
  decades
• Melting Permafrost
• Increasingly severe storms
• Sea level rise (6m in a few decades)
• Increased erosion
• Flooding
• Submerged infrastructure

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Water ResourcesUse of fresh water from the water
cycle

• Surface water
• Lakes
• Streams
• Groundwater
• Springs
• Aquifers (extracted by pumping wells)

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Water Cycle Storage and Transfer
Storage
In 106 km3
Transfer in 106 km3/yr
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Fresh Water Withdrawal Trends
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Fresh Water Withdrawal Trends
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The Cradle of Civilization Sprung from
geology of the region

• Tigris River, Iraq

http//encarta.msn.com/
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World of Geology
Geological Resources

• The Cradle of Civilization (Fertile Crescent)
• Development limited by availability, e.g., soil,
  water, energy
• Conflicts based on resources, e.g., water,
  minerals, oil, energy

http//encarta.msn.com/
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Geologic Resources

• Mineral Resources metals, fertilizers, minerals,
  petroleum, construction

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Geologic Resources

• Mineral Resources metals, fertilizers, minerals,
  petroleum, construction
• Water resources Lakes, Rivers, Springs,
  Groundwater

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Geologic Resources

• Mineral Resources e.g., Metals, fertilizers,
  minerals, petroleum, construction
• Water resources e.g., Lakes, Rivers, Springs,
  Groundwater
• Energy
• e.g., Oil, natural gas, coal, nuclear,
  silicon, hydroelectric (dams), hydrothermal
  (Earths heat)

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Geologic Resources

• The Geologists Job
• Locating and Characterizing quantity and quality
  of geologic resources
• Extracting geologic resources efficiently
• Assessing environmental effects of extraction and
  use

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E.g., Misuse of Resources
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Misuse of ResourcesDesiccation of the Aral Sea,
Kazakhstan
See Page 6
Aral Sea Over Time
1980
2000
2005
1957 1977 1982 1984 1993 2000
www.grida.no/aral/aralsea/english/arsea/arsea.htm
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Environmental Geology

• Environmental Sciences How we influence the
  earth
• Geologic Hazards How geology influences us

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Geology in the News
http//news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003
San Andreas Fault
Geologic Hazards

• Two die in 6.5 magnitude Earthquake near San Lois
  Obispo California
• Earthquake triggers mudslides

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Assessing Risk
Major Quake Likely to Strike San Francisco Bay
Region Between 2003 and 2032
Geologic Hazards

• Assessing Risks
• Avoiding Risks
• Preventing Damage
• Predicting Impact

(http//quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/seismology/wg02
/
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Earthquake Bam, Iran
Photos from AP

• A Magnitude 6.5 Earthquake hits a stone- and
  mud-house city of 100,000 in Iran 12-26-03
• 30,000 Dead
• 30,000 Refugees
• US sends aid and releases sanctions
• Relations improved

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Geological Hazards
Volcanoes (pg. 108)
Floods (see pgs., 284)
Landslides (see pg. 250)
Earthquakes (pg. 202)
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Geology in Engineering
Slope Failure Risk Assessment and Control
To prevent slope failure engineers must
understand the geology that forms and controls
the slope
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Geology in Engineering
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Geology in Engineering
The Leaning Tower Straightens Up
In Pisa the tilted one is back in business after an 11-year effort to keep it from collapsing

Committee member John Burland, an engineer,
promoted soil extraction as the best way to save
the tower.
Engineers use knowledge of geology to design,
protect and correct structures
www.smithsonianmag.si.edu