Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Overview of Environmental Geology

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "Overview of Environmental Geology"— Presentation transcript:

1 Overview of Environmental Geology

2 The Earth System

3 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

4 Environmental Geology
Environment – anything, living or nonliving, that surrounds and influences living organisms

5 Environmental Geology
Environmental Geology – the application of geology to environmental concerns

6 Environmental Geology
Geologic processes affect every inhabitant of Earth Earthquakes Floods Landslides Volcanoes

7 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

8 1994 Los Angeles Earthquake

9 Environmental Geology
Humans depend on material resources from the Earth Minerals Metals Energy Soil Water

10 Human Population Growth

11 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

12 The Earth System

13 The Earth System

14 Components of the Earth System

15 Environmental Geology
Concepts in environmental geology Hazardous Processes Hazardous processes have always existed Risk is a characteristic of the human-Earth system relationship

16 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

17 Types of Resources

18 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

19 Environmental Geology
Concepts in environmental geology The Human-Earth System Relationship Managing the Earth System involves managing human behavior

20 Environmental Geology
The scope of environmental geology Earth Materials Minerals, rocks Internal Processes Volcanoes Earthquakes

21 Environmental Geology
The scope of environmental geology External Processes Water Wind Ice

22 Environmental Geology
The scope of environmental geology Resources Groundwater Surface water Metals Soils Energy Fossil fuels Non-fuel minerals

23 Per Capita Energy Demand

24 Solar Energy

25 Natural Gas

26 Oil Pumpjack

27 Aluminum Ore


Download ppt "Overview of Environmental Geology"

Similar presentations


Ads by Google