Environmental Geology

First day follow up

2007-08-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

A few key points:

Come to class, I like to see you. How else can I remember who you are? Plus, you are paying good money to see me.

Read a little each day. (Really!)

Come to seminar, Tuesday for some, Friday for some, check your schedule.

In seminar this week, we will check out the lab and look at maps. We will talk a bit more about class requirements.

See you there.

Welcome!

2007-08-16T12:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Environmental Geology

I hope to put occasional notes on here: things I forgot to say in class, stuff that might help you prepare for an exam, relevant news items, etc. No guarantees, but if you check here every now and then, you might find something worth while.

I will also leave posts from previous semesters if I think they still provide helpful information.

If you feel like replying, please do so!

Project Reminder

2007-06-05T11:55:00.000-07:00

Key items I will look for in your report:

Natural Hazards: floods, radon gas, steep slopes, earthquakes
Human-Induced Hazards: mine subsidence, nearest LUST, nearest USEPA-listed site, and where your trash and sewage go.
Resources: water source, other resources in your area (eg. soil, coal, silica sand, sand & gravel, limestone)

The best way to approach hazards is to describe whether they directly effect you or your neighborhood; if not, say so and how you know. You can also give the nearest occurrence.

You can (and should) research all of these areas on line, F2F with neighbors and relatives, and by visiting the library and calling &/or visiting the mayor, water dept., sewer dept., fire dept., etc. Most important of all is to go out and look around.

Be creative! Ask questions!

Exam 2

2007-05-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

Exam two will look a lot like exam one (with new questions).

My hope is that you are able to put some thought into the answers to apply what you have learned.

(What?)

If a question asks you to discuss factors that would indicate a slope, volcano, or river is a risk, think about what you know about that hazard. In class, we drew a slope and discussed what might make it more or less likely to fail. You were able to come up with some reasonable answers without consulting the book.

For essay questions, there may not be a single "right" answer. When grading, I am just as concerned with why you gave the answer you did.

The bottom line is this, there is not enough time for you to memorize the book and notes. There is enough time to go over the material and construct a mental picture of how hazardous process work. Once you have that mental construction, assessing risk and figuring out logical responses should follow.

See you in the morning. You will be given around 10-15 minutes with you book and notes prior to the end of the exam.

Env. Geology Progress

2007-05-30T13:56:00.001-07:00

Thursday, May 31, we will use the Environmental Research site (http://www.ivcc.edu/phillips/geology/environmental_research.htm) to begin looking at web resources.

What you should do now: Identify natural hazards around your house. Prepare for Friday's Exam.

Let's use rivers as an example:

Is there a river or stream near your house? A ditch?
Do any of these have the potential to flood?
Have there been floods in the past? (ask around!) interview sample
Are there other flood risks? (eg. low places where water pools after a big rain)
Has the drainage been altered recently? (eg. by a new road, subdivision, house, store, etc.)
use the FEMA web site (FEMA flood maps) to find the flood insurance rate map (FIRM) for your area. Create a FRIMette and include it as part of your report.
Is bank erosion a potential problem?

If you find something or observe something, write it down and be sure to record the source. Take a picture of the location. Mark the spot on a map. (Visuals are great for the final report and for your talk.)

Follow the same process for coasts (if you live next to a lake), slopes, earthquakes, & radon gas.

This work will help as you prepare for the exam.

Coming up, this weekend: Follow the same process for resources and human-induced hazards. (Read ahead, just skim to get an idea of what we will be talking about.