GEL 1007
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY

Study Guide
General Guidance | Exam 1 | Exam 2 | Exam 3

Exams: The exams are a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions. The short answer questions often ask you to explain or describe; this gives you the opportunity to show your knowledge of a concept even if you do not remember a specific term or description from the book. You will be required to write out all short answers as sentences.

Textbook

• figures - these take key pieces of information and put them in an easy to remember form.
• key terms and section headings - these words are in bold face type in the text; since the exams are part multiple choice, these words are often used as answers or as words to define.

  Lecture: The lecture follows the format and content of the text book. The questions provided in the study guide below highlight key points.

  Seminar: Seminars are designed for in-depth discussions between the students and instructor. If you are confused by something, the seminar is an excellent place to ask.

  Study guide: The following lists several areas in which to further focus your studies; it is not a list of exam questions, but key areas you should know.

EXAM 1
General Guidance | Exam 1 | Exam 2 | Exam 3

Chapter 1

• What are geology and environmental geology?
• How does science work?
• Describe the nine fundamental concepts are listed in the chapter.

Chapter 2

• What are the characteristics of the Earth's internal layers?
• What is the general concept of plate tectonics?
• What are the characteristics of the plates?
• What are the characteristics of the plate boundaries?
• What is the impact of plate tectonics on the features and rocks of the earth's surface?

Chapter 3

• What are minerals? What are their properties? (see the lab book)
• What are the three rock types? What are their characteristics/properties? Know the rock cycle!
• What happens to rock when it is stressed? what affects a rock's strength?

EXAM 2
General Guidance | Exam 1 | Exam 2 | Exam 3

Chapter 5

• How are hazards evaluated by scientists? How are those hazards explained to the public?
• How do people perceive the risk of natural hazards? Why?

Chapter 6

• What causes an earthquake?
• What are the hypocenter (focus), epicenter, rupture, and fault?
• Where (on the planet) are most earthquakes found?
• What are the different types of seismic waves? What are their properties?
• What causes damage during an earthquake? What affects the amount of damage an area receives?
• What can be done to minimize the effects of an earthquake?
• What are the magnitude and intensity scales? What do they mean?
• What determines if a fault zone is considered active, inactive, or dormant?
• How is seismic risk expressed? (as the percent chance of occurrence of a maximum magnitude over a given period of time)

Chapter 7

• What causes a volcano?
• What hazards are associated with a volcano? What are their characteristics?
• What are some ways to prevent damage from the hazards?
• How can a volcanic eruption be forecast?

Chapter 8

• What causes flooding and what are the different types of floods?
• What hazards do floods pose?
• How is flood probability expressed? (be able to explain the recurrence interval)
• What is the effect of human land use on flooding?
• What effects the amount of damage caused by a flood?
• What can be done in response to a flood hazard? What are the consequences?

Chapter 9

• What causes slope failure?
• What are the different types of slope movement?
• What features are evidence of an unstable slope?
• What can increase or decrease the chance of a slope failure?
• What effects do human activities have on slope stability?
• What causes land subsidence?
• What are sinkholes and where do they occur?

Chapter 10

• What are the hazards of living along the coast?
• What is a storm surge?
• How much damage does a hurricane cause, and how large of an area does it affect?
• What are waves? Where do they come from? What do they do?
• What is long shore (littoral) drift? How does it affect the coast?
• How can coastal erosion be reduced?
• What effect do shoreline structures have on the beach?

EXAM 3
General Guidance | Exam 1 | Exam 2 | Exam 3

Chapter 12

• Where are Earth's fresh water resources located? Which source holds the most fresh water?
• What factors influence surface water runoff?
• What is the source of groundwater?
• How is groundwater flow measured?
• Know what the following are: vadose (unsaturated) zone, saturated zone, water table, capillary fringe, water table, cone of depression, hydraulic conductivity, hydraulic head, porosity, permeability, artesian well, spring, confined aquifer, unconfined aquifer, perched water table, aquiclude.  web extra!
• How quickly does groundwater travel in different rock types?
• What is the difference between instream, offstream, and consumptive use of surface water?

Chapter 13

• What are some common water pollutants and what are their sources
• What are some of the effects of water pollutants?
• What happens to water pollutants in the environment?
• How can water pollution be treated?
• What are some of the important laws governing water use?

Chapter 14

• What are some common mineral resources, where are they found, and for what are they used?
• What are resources and reserves?
• How can resource consumption be reduced?
• What is a mineral ore?
• What are the ways minerals can become concentrated? Which geologic processes are involved?
• How are minerals extracted from the earth and refined? What are the impacts? What can be done to minimize them?
• What are the benefits of recycling?

Chapter 15

• What are the primary energy sources used in the world and the US?
• How does coal form? What are the types of coal? What are their characteristics?
• What are the characteristics of an oil field?
• Where are the largest oil reserves?
• What are the advantages and disadvantages of the various types of energy resources? (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, geothermal, wind, solar, hydro, tidal? Which are renewable?
• How are energy resources extracted from the earth and refined? What are the impacts? What can be done to minimize them?