1. Philosophy

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1. Philosophy Fundamental Concepts

• Lecture outline
• Introduction to Environmental Geology
• How Geologists Work The Scientific Method
• Culture and Environmental Awareness
• Environmental Ethics
• The Environmental Crisis
• Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

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Introduction to Environmental Geology

• Earth formed about 4.6 billion years ago from
  solar nebula
• Life on earth began about 3 billion years ago
• Humans evolved during the Pleistocene in the
  last 1.65 million years (0.05 of age of the
  earth)

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Introduction to Environmental Geology

• Because of our brain development and anatomical
  build humans have unprecedented capacity to
  alter the environment
• Provide basic human needs of food, water,
  clothing, shelter
• Find, extract, and utilize natural resources
• Evaluate landscapes for human activities
• Identify, mitigate or eliminate natural hazards
  (floods, landslides, earthquakes, etc.)

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Introduction to Environmental Geology

• Geology study of Earth
• Environmental Geology branch of geology that
  studies human interactions with the environment
• Environmental opportunities (resources) and
  constraints (hazards) on human activities
• Human impacts on the environment

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Introduction to Environmental Geology

• Environment processes, materials, forms in the
  atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere
• Goal recognize potential geological problems in
  advance, then mitigate or eliminate
• Today field studies (surface, borehole,
  geophysics), lab studies, computers, maps, remote
  sensing
• In USA Canada greatest exposure to death or
  injury is from.automobile travel

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Introduction to Environmental Geology

• Typical projects
• Water resource development (groundwater surface
  water) protect quantity quality
• Waste disposal landfills, hazardous waste
• Hillslope stability avalanches, mass movement
• Seismic volcanic risk
• Erosion control water, wind, ice
• Reclamation of disturbed lands

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How Geologists Work The Scientific Method

• Most scientists have a basic curiosity about how
  the world works

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How Geologists Work The Scientific Method

• From On the Loose by Jerry Renny Russell
• One of the best-paying professions is getting
  ahold of pieces of country in your mind, learning
  their smell and their moods, sorting out the
  pieces of a view, deciding what grows there and
  there and why, how many steps that hill will
  take, where this creek winds and where it meets
  the other one below, what elevation timberline is
  now, whether you can walk this reef at low tide
  or have to climb around, which contour lines on a
  map mean better cliffs or mountains. It feels
  good to say I know the Sierra or I know Point
  Reyes. But of course you dontwhat you know
  better is yourself, and Point Reyes and the
  Sierra have helped.

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How Geologists Work The Scientific Method

• Thrill of discovery is what excites and motivates
  scientists
• Goals of science describe, explain, predict
• Discovery process starts with identifying a
  problem of interest and making observations in
  the field and/or in a laboratory

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How Geologists Work The Scientific Method

• Based on those observations, the scientist
  develops one or more questions about those
  observations
• The scientist suggests one or more possible
  answers hypotheses or multiple hypotheses

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How Geologists Work The Scientific Method

• Hypothesis is a statement about how the scientist
  thinks the world works
• Must be tested by collecting and analyzing data,
  then drawing a conclusion
• Compare the conclusion with the original
  hypothesis to either accept or reject it
• Whenever hypothesis is rejected form new set of
  hypotheses and start the process over

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How Geologists Work The Scientific Method

• Hypotheses (continued)
• If a hypothesis survives testing in a variety of
  geographical settings becomes a theory
• New evidence often disproves an existing
  hypothesis or theory
• In rare cases, a theory is found to be
  universally proven law
• Most of work of scientist is to develop and test
  hypotheses, striving to reject current ones and
  develop better ones

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Culture Environmental Awareness

• Scientists can develop and test hypotheses but to
  translate scientific understanding into actions
  to prevent, mitigate, eliminate problems requires
  appreciation ofpolitics, culture, ethics,
  religion, and aesthetics
• Recommended reading Facing Mt, Kenya by Jomo
  Kenyatta
• Consider how Americans may urge lesser developed
  countries to stop clear-cut logging, dam
  building, water pollution, soil erosion dont
  throw stones in a glass house

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Culture Environmental Awareness

• Consider differences among Americans on these
  same issues (and many others)
• Views promoted by political parties (Republicans,
  Democrats, Libertarians, Greens) on the role of
  government protecting the environment and
  regulating human activities that could affect the
  environment
• Wealthy vs. impoverished
• Views on birth control promoted by religious
  leaders
• Recommended reading Encounters with the
  Archdruid by John McPhee

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Environmental Ethics

• Ethics principles, values, moral choices held
  by individuals, families, organizations,
  communities, states, regions, countries
• Call for development of a Land Ethic
• philosophical framework for human behavior that
  leads to sustainable economy environment (8
  concepts forthcoming)
• Understand the earth as a set of ecosystems
  community of organisms interacting with the
  non-living environment in which materials cycle
  and energy flows

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Environmental Ethics

• Recommended reading
• A Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold

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The Environmental Crisis

• Irreversible environmental degradation of air,
  land, water, plants, wildlife
• Because of overpopulation, urbanization, and
  industrialization
• Environmental degradation transcends political
  systems and religious beliefs
• We have made real progress toward identifying
  problems
• Most progress in prevention, mitigation,
  elimination of problems has occurred in developed
  countries

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 1. Population Growth
• The number one environmental problem is the
  increase in human population

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• Population Growth (continued)
• Current world pop. 6.2 billion
• Growth birth rate death rate
• By 2050 at present growth rate 9-10 billion
• Current growth rate 1.6
• Doubling time 70/1.6 44 years
• Ultimately will be controlled be natural
  disasters, mass starvation, ecological degradation

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 2. Sustainability
• Sustainability is the environmental objective
• Environmental awareness advocacy groups, Earth
  Day
• Environmental education K-12 universities
• Environmental legislation to protect critical
  environments or regulate BIG

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 3. Systems
• Understanding the Earths systems and their
  changes is critical to solving environmental
  problems. The earth itself is an open system
  with respect to energy, but essentially a closed
  system with respect to materials

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 4. Limitation of Resources
• The earth is the only suitable habitat we have,
  and its resources are limited

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 4. Limitation of Resources (continued)
• Human impact (population) x
• (resource use per person) x
• (environmental impact per unit of resource use)
• Consider energy use, water use, food
• Reduce, reuse, recycle

Aerial view of un-reclaimed coal mine spoils, NW
Colorado
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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 5. Uniformitarianism
• The physical processes modifying our landscape
  today have operated throughout much of geologic
  time. However, the magnitude and frequency of
  these processes are subject to natural and
  artificially-induced change

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 6. Hazardous Earth Processes
• There have always been earth processes that are
  hazardous to people. These natural hazards must
  be recognized and avoided where possible and
  their threat to human life and property minimized

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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 7. Geology as a Basic Environmental Science

A fundamental component of every persons
environment is the geologic component, and
understanding our environment requires a
broad-based comprehension and appreciation of the
earth sciences and related disciplines
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Fundamental Concepts of Environmental Science

• 8. Our Obligation to the Future

The effects of land use tend to be cumulative,
and therefore we have an obligation to those who
follow us
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Careers in Environmental Geology

• Lecture outline
• What is an environmental geologist?
• What do environmental geologists do?
• Where do they work?
• What is the job and salary outlook?

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What is an Environmental Geologist?

• Geologists pursuits are fun but also useful
• Understand how the earth works and how it has
  evolved from a landscape of barren rock to the
  complex landscape dominated by life we see today
• To apply that understanding to better manage our
  environment

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What is an Environmental Geologist?

• Environmental geologists are curious about the
  Earth
• Appreciate the incredible diversity of geological
  settings on Earth
• Thrill of discovery is what excites and motivates
  most scientists
• Love of travel, maps

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Want to understand causes of geological hazards
  (ranked below in terms of magnitude/frequency,
  loss of life, economic loss, long-term impact)
• Floods river erosion
• Earthquakes
• Volcanic eruptions
• Tsunamis
• Expansive soils
• Sea-level rise
• Dust storms
• Mass movement
• Beach erosion

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Is this task important? Relevant?
• Average annual worldwide death toll from natural
  disasters 150,000
• Average annual worldwide economic loss 20
  billion

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Evaluate landscapes for development,
  environmental impact
• Agriculture
• Mining
• Urbanization
• Forestry
• Water development

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Is this task important? Relevant?
• Demand for resources increasing because
• Population increasing (45 year doubling time!)
• Desire to improve quality of life
• Careful site selection can avoid problems later

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Understand the hydrologic processes of
  groundwater and surface water
• As processes affect water supply
• As processes affect water quality (incl.
  pollution)

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Is this task important? Relevant?
• Conflicts over water may initiate wars
• Pollution of surface and groundwater sewage,
  landfills, mining wastes, deep-well disposal,
  feedlots, industry
• Groundwater mining
• 75,000 dams in USA

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Evaluate rocks and soils to determine
• Potential use as resources
• Effects on human health

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Is this task important? Relevant?
• Geologic controls on trace elements important to
  health lead, fluorine, iodine, zinc, selenium
• Relation between soft water and heart disease
• Relation between radon gas and lung cancer
• The most productive soils are being depleted 7
  per year

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Problems in environmental geology that Dr.
  Marston has addressed in his own research
• What are geologic controls on movement of
  leachate from Norman City Landfill into Canadian
  River?
• Have erosion control measures been placed in
  effective places in a arid, badland watershed in
  Wyoming?
• Does clearcut logging affect the dimensions of
  stream channels and the role of large woody
  debris in those channels?
• What factors control the potential for dust
  storms in the Chihuahuan Desert?
• What is the impact of military maneuvers on
  sandstorms?

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Problems in environmental geology that Dr.
  Marston has addressed in his own research
  (continued)
• What factors affect floods and mass movement in
  the Nepal Himalaya?
• Does clearcut logging accelerate mass movement in
  all mountain landscapes of SE Wyoming?
• How do river channel changes affect floodplain
  vegetation along the Snake River, WY, and the Ain
  River, France?
• Has channelization of the Rio Grande affected
  streamflow available downstream and seepage into
  shallow groundwater?

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What do Environmental Geologists do?

• Problems in environmental geology that Dr.
  Marston has addressed in his own research
  (continued)
• Has reclamation of a surface mine in NW Colorado
  been successful?
• What are the prospects for future water supply in
  the worlds largest border community, El
  Paso-Ciudad Juarez?
• How are glaciers changing in the Wind River
  Range, WY, and how important are they do water
  supply?
• What portions of Oregon Coastal sand areas are
  most sensitive to impact from ORVs, housing
  developments?

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Where do Environmental Geologists work?

• Private sector
• Environmental geology section w/i resource
  extraction firms
• Oil and gas
• Minerals
• Water development
• Forestry
• Environmental/engineering consulting firms
• Service organizations

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Where do Environmental Geologists work?

• Government sector
• International UN agencies
• Federal
• Regulatory agencies EPA
• Research, data collection USGS, DOE, NOAA
• Resource management USFS, BLM, NRCS, BOR, USACOE
• Intelligence DOD, CIA
• State DEQ, OWRB, OCC, OGS
• Local planning

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Where do Environmental Geologists work?

• Education service
• Public education
• Secondary earth science teachers
• Universities
• Service organizations
• Private foundations
• Environmental organizations

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Where do Environmental Geologists work?

• Working conditions
• Office data analyses, modeling, writing
• Field
• Surface collect samples, mapping
• Subsurface drilling, geophysics
• Lab
• Sample dating
• Physical and chemical properties of rocks, soil,
  water

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Where do Environmental Geologists work?

• Where are Dr. Marstons former M.S. students
  working?
• Government agencies 12 (Dolan, Dudding, Ferree,
  Massey, Miller, Neto, Newton, Norsby, Pickup,
  Smith Veryzer, Wrazien)
• Environmental consulting 6 (Dupuy, Furin, Haire,
  Hope, Marshall, McNamera)
• Currently pursuing doctoral degree 5 (Bayer,
  Borges, Castro, Nordberg, Wolken)
• Research Labs 4 (Arneson, Berelson. Mills,
  Saunders)
• Teaching extension 4 (Green, Greer, Thorburn,
  Wick)
• University professor 1 (Gillespie)
• Intelligence agencies 1 (Varuska)
• Outside Geology 2 (Clarendon, Davison)

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What is the job and salary outlook?
Source AAPG Explorer May 2001
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What is the job and salary outlook?

• Approximately 50,000 geologists (all specialties)
  employed in USA
• Of recent hires in the geosciences
• 27 were in oil gas business
• 38 in environmental, hydrological, geotechnical
  business
• 11 in academia
• 11 in government
• 6 in mining industry
• 6 in research labs

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What is the job and salary outlook?

• Essential job skills training, experience,
  aptitude
• Technical writing and oral communications
• Statistics, algebra
• Computer skills GPS, GIS, remote
  sensing, Microsoft office
  applications
• Computer modeling (Rockworks)
• Knowledge in basic concepts of geology
• Geological techniques well logging, aquifer
  testing, field mapping, soil sampling,
  stratigraphic analysis, shallow geophysics

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What is the job and salary outlook?

• Choosing a career
• Find something you like to do and will help make
  the Earth a better place to live
• Obtain education and training to prepare yourself
• Find someone to pay you
• Make everyday your masterpiece