Earth Systems: An Environmental Geology Perspective - GOL 110 at Patrick & Henry Community College
https://courses.vccs.edu/colleges/phcc/courses/GOL110-EarthSystemsAnEnvironmentalGeologyPerspective
Effective: 2022-03-31
Course Description
Introduces concepts in earth systems including earth materials, plate tectonics, weathering, surface and groundwater, wasting, volcanoes, earthquakes and coastal, as well as pollution and climate change. Explores major topics relating human interaction with the physical environment through case studies. Reinforces applications through laboratory experiments, demonstrations, and field studies. This is a Passport and UCGS transfer course.
Lecture 3 hours. Laboratory 3 hours. Total 6 hours per week.
4 credits
The course outline below was developed as part of a statewide standardization process.
General Course Purpose
This course examines Earth Systems from an Environmental Geology Perspective.
Course Objectives
- Scientific Literacy
- Explain phenomenon using scientific principles
- Demonstrate proper usage of credible and relevant scholarly sources in support of inquiry
- Identify or apply methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge
- Organize and interpret quantitative or qualitative evidence
- Draw conclusions based on evidence
- Fundamentals of Environmental Geology
- Humans Role in the Geologic Environment
- Utilize the Scientific Method in Conducting Investigations in the Natural World
- Describe the concept of Geologic Time
- Describe how geologic time and the rate at which natural processes operate impact how humans respond to environmental issues
- Describe how Earth operates as a system and the interaction with humans
- Explain how population growth impacts resource use and environmental hazards
- Describe the concept of sustainability
- Earth and Space
- Explain the nebular hypothesis and the evolution of objects in the solar system.
- Explain the formation of the Earth and its role in the universe and solar system.
- Explain how extremophile bacteria are related to life on Earth.
- Explain habitable zones and Earth's place in the solar system
- Explain how comet and asteroid impacts have shaped Earth processes through Geologic time.
- Describe how the Moon was formed and its importance to the evolution of life on Earth
- Earth Materials
- Explain how atoms are created and assembled in minerals and rocks
- Describe why rock forming minerals are important to geologic studies
- Describe the earth materials and processes in the rock cycle
- Identify minerals and rocks
- Explain how rock are used to interpret ancient environments
- Plate Tectonics
- Explain the dynamics of large and small scale plate movements and their impact on humans and the environment
- Describe the types of Earth's internal heat and their influence on internal and external movements
- Describe forces that deform rock
- Illustrate the Earth's external and internal structure
- Describe the process of seafloor spreading
- Major types of plate boundaries and the surface feature indicators
- Hazardous Earth Processes
- Earthquakes
- Explain seismic waves and why some are more damaging than others
- Explain the difference between intensity and magnitude
- Explain difference between short- and long-term earthquake predictions
- Describe factors that affect ground shaking and structural damage
- List ways humans can minimize loss of life and property damage from earthquakes
- Describe how earthquake magnitude and depth are influenced by the type of plate boundary.
- Volcanoes
- Describe how the tectonic settings are defined by different types of volcanoes
- Explain the factors causing violent eruptive behavior of volcanoes
- List the types of volcanic hazards associated with active eruptions and dormant periods
- Describe the tools for eruption forecasts and how they can minimize damage effects
- Mass Wasting
- Characterize factors that affect slope stability
- Describe the different types of planes of weakness
- Describe ways in which water destabilizes slopes
- Characterize triggering mechanism for mass wasting event
- Describe the types of fast and slow mass wasting processes
- Describe ways humans reduce the mass wasting risks
- Streams and Flooding
- Explain the hydrologic cycle and its processes and reservoirs
- Describe the connection between stream channels, drainage basins and divides
- Describe how streams erode, transport, sort, and deposit sediment
- List human activities that affect severity of floods
- Recognize landforms created by fluvial processes.
- Coastal Hazards
- Explain differences between tides, currents, waves
- Explain how waves from deep ocean transition to shallow along the shore
- Discuss process of longshore currents the transport of sediment
- Explain how hurricanes form and cause destruction and loss of life along the coast
- Explain causes of shoreline erosion and retreat
- Explain how tsunamis form and why they are a hazard to property and people
- Describe types of coastal engineering and their consequences
- Earth Resources
- Soil
- Describe how soils form from rock and its composition
- Describe how soil horizons develop
- Characterize the relationship between soil erosion and sediment control strategies
- Describe ways to mitigate soil loss
- Describe how agricultural practices and deforestation impact soil and water quality.
- Water
- Describe the effect of porosity and permeability in runoff and infiltration
- Analyze issues in water demand and resulting pollution
- Describe how groundwater mining and over drafting can create water use problems
- Mineral/Rock
- Discuss the degree to which people in industrialized societies rely on rock and mineral resources.
- Explain why the properties of certain minerals make them useful in specific applications.
- Characterize the difference between mineral reserves and resources.
- Explain what is meant by an economic deposit.
- Explain the key geologic processes that concentrate minerals into economic deposits in the basic rock types: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
- Discuss mining operations and factors of their environmental impact.
- Energy-Fossil Fuels/Alternative
- List the basic forms of energy, and describe some of the common transformations between different energy forms.
- Characterize how organic matter accumulates geologically and is transformed into coal or petroleum.
- Discuss why it will take years to scale up production of nonconventional oil resources to make up for declining supplies of conventional oil.
- Explain why conservation and efficiency must play key roles in limiting the impact of future shortages.
- Global Picture
- Pollution and Waste Disposal
- Explain the difference between point source and nonpoint source pollution.
- Describe methods of hazardous waste disposal
- Explain the impact human behavior has on different types of pollution.
- Climate Change
- Explain how the greenhouse effect operates.
- Describe how humans have disrupted the carbon cycle and how this affects Earth's climate system.
- Discuss how climate change can be triggered by orbital variations and then amplified by positive feedbacks.
- Describe the role the oceans play in shaping Earth's climate and weather patterns.
- Explain how the study of glacial ice core and glacial feedback mechanisms have led to a better understanding of the climate system.
- Discuss what a threshold is and how it relates to abrupt and dramatic changes in climate.
- Describe the basic mitigation strategies for reducing carbon dioxide emissions and why it is imperative to begin making immediate and significant reductions.
- Laboratory Skills
- General Skills
- Use and identify Earth Materials such as minerals, rocks, and sediments in Geological Studies
- Utilize Topographic maps and Google Earth for analysis and interpretation
- Conduct on-site or virtual field studies to determine natural and human environmental issues
- Utilize GPS, compass
- Utilize field methods and equipment for water, soil quality, mapping, sample collection
- Write formal field and lab reports
- Engage with the connections between society and climate
- Connect topics discussed in lecture and laboratory observations
Major Topics to be Included
- Fundamentals of Environmental Geology
- Human Role in the Geologic Environment
- Earth and Space
- Earth Materials
- Plate Tectonics
- Hazardous Earth Processes
- Earthquakes
- Volcanoes
- Mass Wasting
- Streams and Flooding
- Coastal Hazards
- Earth Resources
- Soil
- Water
- Mineral/Rock
- Energy-Fossil Fuels/Alternative
- Global Picture
- Pollution and Waste Disposal
- Climate Change
- Laboratory Skills
- General Skills