Environmental Science 342: Environmental Geology

Spring 2012

Steven Dutch, Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Office: LS 463, Phone: 465-2246
email: dutchs@uwgb.edu, HOME PAGE:  http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs
Course material is NOT on D2L

Syllabus

Part I. Geology and the Environment
Jan. 23- Jan. 27	Introduction, Earth Processes
Jan. 30 - Feb. 3	Geologic Hazards
Part II. Processes that Affect Human Activities
Feb. 6- Feb. 10	Earthquakes	Ch. 3,4
Feb. 13 - Feb. 17	Volcanoes	Ch. 5
Feb. 20 - Feb. 24	Meteor Impacts		Feb. 24  Exam I
Feb. 27 - Mar. 2	Floods	Ch. 6
Mar. 5 - Mar. 9	Coastal Processes	Ch. 7
Mar. 10- Mar. 18	Spring Break
Mar. 19 - Mar. 23	Slope Failures, Soils	Ch. 8, 9, 11
Part III. Human Effects on Earth Processes
Mar. 26 – Mar. 30	Surface Water Hydrology	Ch. 10, 16
Apr. 2 - Apr. 6	Ground Water Hydrology	Ch. 10, 15	Apr. 6  Exam II
Apr. 9 - Apr. 13	Resources and Reserves; Mineral Resources	Ch. 12
Apr. 16 - Apr. 20	Energy Resources	Ch. 9, 13, 14
Apr. 23 - Apr. 27	Military Impacts on the Environment
Part IV. Geology and Environmental Law
Apr. 30 - May 4	Environmental Law and Environmental Impact	Ch. 17, 18, 19	May 2: Paper due

Text: Carla W. Montgomery, Environmental Geology

Final Exam Wednesday May 9, 8-10 AM in MAC 237

Grading:

Item	Percent of Grade		Score	Letter Grade
Exam I	15		90%+	A
Exam II	15		85-90	AB
Paper	15		80-85	B
Final	40		75-80	BC
Attendance, Participation	10		70-75	C

Paper Topics (8 Pages) Pick One Topic

• Pick one of the following areas and discuss its water supply issues:
  • Texas Panhandle
  • California Central Valley
  • Central Florida
  • San Antonio, Texas
  • Atlanta, Georgia
  • Spokane, Washington
  • Palm Springs, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • Los Angeles, California
• Seismic or Volcanic hazards (or both) of one of the following:
  • Tokyo, Japan
  • Naples, Italy
  • Istanbul, Turkey
  • Mexico City
  • Beijing, China
  • Goma, Congo
• Report on one of the following:
  • 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami
  • 2010 Chilean earthquake and tsunami
  • 2010 Haiti earthquake
  • 2011 Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake
  • 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami

Papers must be in proper scientific format with correct citations in text and bibliography. Encyclopedia articles (printed or electronic) are not acceptable references.

Basic Goals of the Course (What we are Trying to Do)

Earthquakes

• Describe the Richter, Seismic Moment and Mercalli Scales
• Describe how seismographs work
• Define epicenter and focus and describe how they are determined
• Describe the principal seismic waves and how they propagate through the earth
• Describe the following historically significant earthquakes (year, size, location, effects):
  • Lisbon, 1755
  • New Madrid, 1811-1812
  • Charleston, 1886
  • San Francisco, 1906
  • Tokyo, 1923
  • Anchorage, 1964
  • Tangshan, 1976
  • Indonesia, 2004
• Describe the effects of local geology on earthquake intensity
• Describe how different types of buildings respond to earthquakes
• Describe tsunamis, their causes, and how to address tsunami hazards

Volcanoes

• Describe how magma chemistry determines types of volcanoes and eruptive hazards
• Describe the principal types of volcano
• Describe the principal volcanic hazards, risks posed by them and protective measures
• Describe the various modes of caldera formation
• Describe the Volcanic Explosivity Index
• Describe the following important volcanoes: location, risk, major eruptions:
  • Mount Rainier
  • Mount St. Helens
  • Mount Shasta
  • Mount Hood
  • Mount Mazama
  • Santorini
  • Mount Vesuvius
  • Mount Etna
  • Mount Fuji
  • Iceland
  • Mount Pelee
  • Yellowstone Caldera
  • Long Valley Caldera
  • Jemez (Valles) Caldera

Meteor Impact

• Describe the processes that happen during a large Meteor Impact
• Describe the Torino impact hazard scale
• Describe possible ways of dealing with an impact hazard
• Define what is meant by probability of impact

Floods

• Describe the following historically important floods (year, location, cause, area affected, significant effects)
  • Mississippi River 1927, 1993
  • Huang He, China (several)
  • Banqiao, China, 1975
  • Red River, North Dakota, 1997
  • St. Francis Dam, California, 1928
  • Teton Dam, Idaho, 1976
  • Rapid City, South Dakota, 1972
  • Hurricane Camille, 1969
  • Hurricane Agnes, 1972
  • Johnstown, Pennsylvania (several)
  • Channeled Scablands, Washington (Pleistocene)
• Define Jokulhlaup
• Describe piping as a cause of dam failure

Coastal Processes

• Describe coastal erosion and deposition processes
• Describe how erosion affects coastal property value
• Describe the causes of coastal submergence in Louisiana
• Describe the following major coastal flood events
  • Galveston, Texas, 1900
  • Bangladesh, 1971, 1991
  • Indonesia and Sri Lanka, 2004
  • Myanmar, 2008
  • Katrina, 2005

Slope Failures

• Describe the following slope failure disasters (Location, year, causes, effects):
  • Yungay, Peru, 1970
  • Aberfan, Wales, 1966
  • Vaiont, Italy, 1963
  • Lituya Bay, Alaska, 1958

Soils

• Describe how soils evolve
• Describe limitations on soil development
• Describe how soils are classified
• Name and describe the twelve soil orders
• Describe why mollisols and alfisols are so critical
• Describe the limitations of farming tropical soils

Surface Water Hydrology

• Describe the principal water reservoirs on earth: salt versus fresh, liquid versus solid, surface versus subsurface
• Discuss the global scope of the water problem
• Discuss the limitations of desalinating sea water
• Discuss the effects of water diversion in the following areas:
  • Los Angeles and the Owens Valley, California
  • The Aral Sea

Ground Water Hydrology 

• Define aquifer, aquitard, and artesian
• Define recharge zone, cone of depression
• Why is "piezometric surface" preferred to "water table?"
• Describe the ground water system in the Green Bay area
• Describe karst landscapes and their formation
• Why does dissolving carbon dioxide make it easier for water to dissolve carbonate rocks?
• Describe hydrothermal systems

Mineral Resources

• Describe the principal prospecting techniques
• Define the different types of mineral reserves
• Discuss the relative hazards of different mining methods
• Describe the processes in the concentration and smelting of ore
• Describe the waste disposal process in mining
• Describe the importance of sulfur to acid runoff and acid rain

Energy Resources

• Describe the origin and principal components of coal
• Describe the origin and principal components of petroleum
• Define hydrocarbon and sketch a typical molecule
• Describe the principal petroleum traps
• Describe the Hubbert Curve
• What is meant by "peak oil?"
• Why is there so much oil in the Middle East?
• Describe methane hydrates and their potential importance and environmental risks
• Discuss the limitations of geothermal energy

Military Impacts on the Environment

• Describe the principal effects of military operations on the environment
• Define the difference between strategic and tactical
• Describe some major strategic military modifications of the environment
• Describe some ways military actions can preserve the environment

Environmental Law and Environmental Impact

• What kind of government is specified by the Constitution?
• Name the three branches of government and describe the checks each has over the other two
• What are the Constitutional grounds for environmental laws?
• What grounds does the Federal Government have for owning land?
• Where does it say corporations have the same rights as individuals?
• Describe the differences between civil and criminal law
• Describe:
  • Principal legal approaches to ownership of surface and ground water
  • Principal legal approaches to ownership of suburface mineral rights
  • Mining Law of 1872 and its effects
  • The Superfund
  • The Love Canal disaster
  • Law of the Sea Treaty
  • Laws governing Antarctica