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  • Overview of Environmental Geology

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    Alli Alm
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    Environmental geology is the application of geology to understand how geological processes influence living organisms and the environment. It examines how humans depend on resources from the Earth and how geological hazards have always posed risks. Key concepts include the closed Earth system with cycling matter and energy, the different timescales of geological and human processes, and how human activities can alter the environment through waste, development, and resource extraction. The scope of environmental geology encompasses earth materials, internal and external geological processes, and natural resources like water, soils, metals, and energy.

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    Overview of Environmental Geology (2)

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    Environmental geology is the application of geology to understand how geological processes influence living organisms and the environment. It examines how humans depend on resources from the Earth and how geological hazards have always posed risks. Key concepts include the closed Earth system with cycling matter and energy, the different timescales of geological and human processes, and how human activities can alter the environment through waste, development, and resource extraction. The scope of environmental geology encompasses earth materials, internal and external geological processes, and natural resources like water, soils, metals, and energy.

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    30 views27 pages

    Overview of Environmental Geology

    Uploaded by

    Alli Alm
    Environmental geology is the application of geology to understand how geological processes influence living organisms and the environment. It examines how humans depend on resources from the Earth and how geological hazards have always posed risks. Key concepts include the closed Earth system with cycling matter and energy, the different timescales of geological and human processes, and how human activities can alter the environment through waste, development, and resource extraction. The scope of environmental geology encompasses earth materials, internal and external geological processes, and natural resources like water, soils, metals, and energy.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    of 27

    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
    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 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 do 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

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