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Overview of Environmental Geology
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The Earth System
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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
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Environmental Geology
Environment – anything, living or nonliving, that surrounds and influences living organisms
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Environmental Geology
Environmental Geology – the application of geology to environmental concerns
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Environmental Geology
Geologic processes affect every inhabitant of Earth Earthquakes Floods Landslides Volcanoes
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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
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1994 Los Angeles Earthquake
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Environmental Geology
Humans depend on material resources from the Earth Minerals Metals Energy Soil Water
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Human Population Growth
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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
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The Earth System
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The Earth System
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Components of the Earth System
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Environmental Geology
Concepts in environmental geology Hazardous Processes Hazardous processes have always existed Risk is a characteristic of the human-Earth system relationship
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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
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Types of Resources
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Environmental Geology
Concepts in environmental geology Waste Human activities generate waste – we do not throw anything “away” Human activities can alter the Earth System Dam building Urbanization Agriculture Deforestation Natural resource extraction
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Environmental Geology
Concepts in environmental geology The Human-Earth System Relationship Managing the Earth System involves managing human behavior
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Environmental Geology
The scope of environmental geology Earth Materials Minerals, rocks Internal Processes Volcanoes Earthquakes
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Environmental Geology
The scope of environmental geology External Processes Water Wind Ice
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Environmental Geology
The scope of environmental geology Resources Groundwater Surface water Metals Soils Energy Fossil fuels Non-fuel minerals
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Per Capita Energy Demand
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Solar Energy
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Natural Gas
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Oil Pumpjack
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Aluminum Ore
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