Welcome to Geology 218: Environmental Geology

1. Welcome to Geology 218: Environmental Geology • Dr. Ralph Dawes, Instructor • Today’s plan. • Introductions • Syllabus • Active learning is key. • Geology learned by reaching out, taking part. HP Compaq tc4200tablet computer and Earth, ca. 2005 Image Source: http://www.dell.com

2. Talk to another student and introduce her or him to the rest of the class in terms of… • First and last name • Town where they live • Geologic hazard or environmental issue most interested in Image Source: http://www.k5geosource.org/content/esimage/sea.html

3. Thinking about Earth / Environment • Scientific Method • Empirical, experimental, & theoretical approaches • History of science/geoscience • Evolution and environment • Population growth and humanEarth interactions • Earth systems science • Dynamic Earth Systems • Links & Cycles Among Earth Systems: Matter and Energy Image Source: http://www.nasa.com

4. The Scientific Method • Ideas about nature in terms that are logical, rational, verifiable, repeatable, and yield manipulative/predictive power • Mathematical: most elegantly logical • Measurable, observable • Hypothesis (what most people mean when they say “theory”) • Theory: Verified, repeatedly confirmed, powerful, insightful, predictive. • Some common misconceptions… Image source: http://courses.ncssm.edu/math/CPTA/data/DECAY/decay.gif

5. Empirical, experimental, & theoretical • Empirical: based on many careful measurements and observations • Experimental: controlling the variables • Theoretical: • may or may not be mathematically expressed • provides explanations that account for the evidence • makes predictions that prove true E = mc2 Image Source: http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Geology/Structure/fieldphotos/4_03/ Image Source: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/product/1274

6. History of science/geoscience • Geology was one of the leading sciences that arose from the Enlightenment • Ranks with physics, chemistry, biology • In 1800… • Chemistry still separating from alchemy • Astronomy separate from astrology for ~200 years (since Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo) • Biology post-Linnaeus, pre-Darwin • Physics 100 years since Newton • Geology still over 200 years old, but age of Earth not resolved Image Source: http://www.scottishgeology.com/history/people/james_hutton_image.html

7. Evolution and environment • Given that natural selection favors those most well-adapted to the environment, changing environments are a key factor in evolution • 10,000 years ago wooly mammoths, mastodons, giant elk, etc. existed, but soon after became extinct, probably due to environmental change • At that time the earth warmed up from the last glaciation of the Pleistocene ice ages, driving rapid environmental change • Changes in future earth environments will also change ecosystems and cause extinction of species Image source:http://www.cr.nps.gov/seac/mam-mis.htm

8. Population growth and humanEarth interactions • As populations grow and societal infrastructure expands, so does exposure of society to earth hazards • Hurricanes striking increasingly populated coasts is just one example • More humans require more resources (or do they?) • Population growth causes: • More land developed • More air, water, and soil pollution • More floods (why?) • Climate change (why?) • etc. Image Source: http://blog.frogbody.com/frogblog/2005/01/

9. Earth systems science Atmosphere Geosphere Biosphere Hydrosphere

10. Dynamic Earth Systems • Follow a molecule of water in the ocean • Into an altered basalt on the ocean floor • Down a subduction zone • Into magma (molten rock) • Up a volcano • Out with a steam-exploded eruption • Into the atmosphere • Down as rain • Etc…One tiny example. Image Source: http://www.island-air.com/ScenicTours/Mt%20St%20Helens.htm

11. Links & Cycles Among Earth Systems: Matter and Energy • The earth’s surface gets much of its energy from the sun: • Wind • Rain • Rivers • Erosion • Hurricanes • Etc. • The earth’s interior gets its energy from remnant heat of earth formation plus natural radioactivity in the rocks: • Volcanoes • Mountain range uplift • Earthquakes • Plate tectonics Image Source: http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2005/s2372.htm Image Source:http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/Phys-earth-core.html

12. Earth Systems • 4 main systems: • Atmosphere • Biosphere • Hydrosphere • Lithosphere (Geosphere) • Lithosphere also has other meanings Each  Other Boundaries arbitrary Energy and matter Reservoirs and fluxes Image Source:http://seis.natsci.csulb.edu/rbehl/300i-L01.htm

13. Earth systems compositions • Atmosphere • Biosphere • Hydrosphere • Lithosphere (Geosphere) Image Source:http://seis.natsci.csulb.edu/rbehl/300i-L01.htm