Environmental geology focuses on how to live wisely on the earth, given the complex and dynamic system that it is.
This web site is in a state of perpetual reconstruction. It is intended for use by students in Environmental Geology (GEOL 1010) courses taught by Dr. Harmon D. Maher Jr. at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Others are welcome to peruse and comment.
Course time commitment minimum: 2.5 hours of class attendance each week, plus on average 3.5 hours peer week outside class effort.
Text: Introduction to Environmental Geology, Edward Keller.
Approximately 50% of the test questions will be covered in the text. We will not cover the text in a linear manner, but jump around.
Grade: Your grade will be based on 4 components:
a) Midterm 25%
b) Final 25%
c) In-class exercises 25%
d) Short paper 25%.
The midterm and final will be mixed format – matching, short answer, diagrammatic. There will be 6 in-class exercises, of which your highest 5 will be used to calculate your grade. You can not make-up an in-class exercise. The paper will be 5 pages in length, and detailed instructions are forthcoming. Cheating is not worth it – don’t do it. The penalty will minimally be failure of the course. If you have questions with regard to what is acceptable please ask.
Office hours for this course: T, Th 2-2:30PM and 3:45-5 PM in DSC 266, W 4-5PM in EAB 203, or by appointment. 554 2250
Lectures
Some foundational material:
1) Introduction, course overview. Text reading: Chapt. 1
2) Population dynamics and their significance. Text reading: Chapt. 1
3) Chaos, prediction, and risk. Web reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaos_theory , Text reading: Chapt. 5 p. 134-148
4) Boxes and arrows – system science.
Water:
5) Hydrologic cycle. Chapt. 12.
6) Flooding, and flood control structures. Text. Chapt. 8
7) Porosity, permeability and other basics of groundwater. Chapt. 12
8) Groundwater contamination and clean-up, landfills. Chapt. 13
9) Nebraska’s water resources. Web reading: http://water.unl.edu/hydrology (please explore included links).
Landscape processes and related hazards:
10) Slip-sliding away – forms of mass wasting. Chapt. 9
11) Soils and related environmental concerns. Chapt. 16
12) Karst terranes.
13) Arctic landscapes, permafrost and glaciers.
14) Storms and coastal processes and hazards. Chapt. 10
Midterm
Internal earth processes and hazards:
15) Plate tectonics and the distribution of earthquakes and volcanoes. Chapt. 2.
16) Earthquake hazards. Chapt. 8
17) Volcanic hazards. Chapt. 7
Resources:
18) Energy sources/production. Chapt. 15
19) Peak oil. Chapt. 15
20) Clean/dirty coal. Chapt. 15
21) Nuclear energy. Chapt. 15
22) Geothermal, hydropower and other alternates. Chapt. 15
23) Ores, mining, and the legacy. Chapt. 14
Global perspective
24) Global Climate change in the past. Chapt. 19
25) Global Climate change now. Chapt. 19
26) Sustainability and the future.
Final
You are always encouraged to ask questions.
Glaciated terrane on Spitsbergen Norway. Long island in distance is Prins Karls Foreland.