Welcome to Geology 218: Environmental Geology

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Welcome to Geology 218 Environmental Geology

• Dr. Ralph Dawes, Instructor
• Todays plan.
• Introductions
• Syllabus
• Active learning is key.
• Geology learned by reaching out, taking part.

HP Compaq tc4200tablet computer and Earth, ca.
2005
Image Source http//www.dell.com
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Talk to another student and introduce her or him
to the rest of the class in terms of

• First and last name
• Town where they live
• Geologic hazard or environmental issue most
  interested in

Image Source http//www.k5geosource.org/content/
esimage/sea.html
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Thinking about Earth / Environment

• Scientific Method
• Empirical, experimental, theoretical approaches
• History of science/geoscience
• Evolution and environment
• Population growth and human??Earth interactions
• Earth systems science
• Dynamic Earth Systems
• Links Cycles Among Earth Systems Matter and
  Energy

Image Source http//www.nasa.com
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The Scientific Method

• Ideas about nature in terms that are logical,
  rational, verifiable, repeatable, and yield
  manipulative/predictive power
• Mathematical most elegantly logical
• Measurable, observable
• Hypothesis (what most people mean when they say
  theory)
• Theory Verified, repeatedly confirmed, powerful,
  insightful, predictive.
• Some common misconceptions

Image source http//courses.ncssm.edu/math/CPTA/d
ata/DECAY/decay.gif
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Empirical, experimental, theoretical

• Empirical based on many careful measurements and
  observations
• Experimental controlling the variables
• Theoretical
• may or may not be mathematically expressed
• provides explanations that account for the
  evidence
• makes predictions that prove true

E mc2
Image Source http//www.stevespanglerscience.com
/product/1274
Image Source http//www.science.smith.edu/depart
ments/Geology/Structure/fieldphotos/4_03/
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History of science/geoscience

• Geology was one of the leading sciences that
  arose from the Enlightenment
• Ranks with physics, chemistry, biology
• In 1800
• Chemistry still separating from alchemy
• Astronomy separate from astrology for 200 years
  (since Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo)
• Biology post-Linnaeus, pre-Darwin
• Physics 100 years since Newton
• Geology still over 200 years old, but age of
  Earth not resolved

Image Source http//www.scottishgeology.com/hist
ory/people/james_hutton_image.html
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Evolution and environment

• Given that natural selection favors those most
  well-adapted to the environment, changing
  environments are a key factor in evolution
• 10,000 years ago wooly mammoths, mastodons, giant
  elk, etc. existed, but soon after became extinct,
  probably due to environmental change
• At that time the earth warmed up from the last
  glaciation of the Pleistocene ice ages, driving
  rapid environmental change
• Changes in future earth environments will also
  change ecosystems and cause extinction of species

Image sourcehttp//www.cr.nps.gov/seac/mam-mis.h
tm
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Population growth and human??Earth interactions

• As populations grow and societal infrastructure
  expands, so does exposure of society to earth
  hazards
• Hurricanes striking increasingly populated coasts
  is just one example
• More humans require more resources (or do they?)
• Population growth causes
• More land developed
• More air, water, and soil pollution
• More floods (why?)
• Climate change (why?)
• etc.

Image Source http//blog.frogbody.com/frogblog/2
005/01/
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Earth systems science
Atmosphere
Geosphere
Hydrosphere
Biosphere
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Dynamic Earth Systems

• Follow a molecule of water in the ocean
• Into an altered basalt on the ocean floor
• Down a subduction zone
• Into magma (molten rock)
• Up a volcano
• Out with a steam-exploded eruption
• Into the atmosphere
• Down as rain
• EtcOne tiny example.

Image Source http//www.island-air.com/ScenicTou
rs/Mt20St20Helens.htm
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Links Cycles Among Earth Systems Matter and
Energy

• The earths surface gets much of its energy from
  the sun
• Wind
• Rain
• Rivers
• Erosion
• Hurricanes
• Etc.

• The earths interior gets its energy from remnant
  heat of earth formation plus natural
  radioactivity in the rocks
• Volcanoes
• Mountain range uplift
• Earthquakes
• Plate tectonics

Image Source http//www.noaanews.noaa.gov/storie
s2005/s2372.htm
Image Sourcehttp//www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/
Archive/Phys-earth-core.html
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Earth Systems

• 4 main systems
• Atmosphere
• Biosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Lithosphere (Geosphere)
• Lithosphere also has other meanings

• Each ?? Other
• Boundaries arbitrary
• Energy and matter
• Reservoirs and fluxes

• Image Sourcehttp//seis.natsci.csulb.edu/rbehl/3
  00i-L01.htm

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Earth systems compositions

• Atmosphere
• Biosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Lithosphere (Geosphere)

• Image Sourcehttp//seis.natsci.csulb.edu/rbehl/3
  00i-L01.htm