Overview of environmental geology

Overview of Environmental Geology The Earth System Environmental Geology • Geology – the study of the earth, its materials and their properties, its internal and external physical, chemical, and biological properties, and its history Environmental Geology • Environment – anything, living or nonliving, that surrounds and influences living organisms Environmental Geology • Environmental Geology – the application of geology to environmental concerns Environmental Geology • Geologic processes affect every inhabitant of Earth – – – – Earthquakes Floods Landslides Volcanoes Environmental Geology • Geologic processes operate on multiple time scales – Slow geological processes • Formation of minerals • Evolution of the Earth’s atmosphere – Fast geological processes • Earthquakes • Landslides 1994 Los Angeles Earthquake Environmental Geology • Humans depend on material resources from the Earth – – – – – Minerals Metals Energy Soil Water Human Population Growth The Earth System Components of the Earth System Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – Hazardous Processes • Hazardous processes have always existed • Risk is a characteristic of the human-Earth system relationship Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – Earth Resources • We are fundamentally dependent on Earth’s resources for the conduct of modern society • Resources are limited • Earth’s resources can be managed properly Types of Resources Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – Waste • Human activities generate waste – we not throw anything “away” • Human activities can alter the Earth System – – – – – Dam building Urbanization Agriculture Deforestation Natural resource extraction Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – The Human-Earth System Relationship • Managing the Earth System involves managing human behavior Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – Earth Materials • Minerals, rocks – Internal Processes • Volcanoes • Earthquakes Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – External Processes • • • Water Wind Ice Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – Resources • • • • • Groundwater Surface water Metals Soils Energy – Fossil fuels – Non-fuel minerals Per Capita Energy Demand Solar Energy Natural Gas Oil Pumpjack Aluminum Ore [...]... Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – The Human-Earth System Relationship • Managing the Earth System involves managing human behavior Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – Earth Materials • Minerals, rocks – Internal Processes • Volcanoes • Earthquakes Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – External Processes • • • Water Wind Ice Environmental. .. existed • Risk is a characteristic of the human-Earth system relationship Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – Earth Resources • We are fundamentally dependent on Earth’s resources for the conduct of modern society • Resources are limited • Earth’s resources can be managed properly Types of Resources Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – Waste • Human activities.. .Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – The Earth System • • • • • The Earth is unique The Earth is a closed system Energy flows through the system Matter cycles through the system Geologic processes and humans operate on different time scales The Earth System The Earth System Components of the Earth System Environmental Geology • Concepts in environmental geology – Hazardous... Materials • Minerals, rocks – Internal Processes • Volcanoes • Earthquakes Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – External Processes • • • Water Wind Ice Environmental Geology • The scope of environmental geology – Resources • • • • • Groundwater Surface water Metals Soils Energy – Fossil fuels – Non-fuel minerals Per Capita Energy Demand Solar Energy Natural Gas Oil Pumpjack Aluminum