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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT OMAHA
Undergraduate Course Syllabus
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Course
Envirorlmenj;al Geol--2...9.Y _ _ _ __
Course Title
NumbE~r
3
Hours Credit
Catalog Description:
This is an introductory co u rse for non-majors
designed to matce students aware of their ptlysical erlvironnlent and those
factors that should influence where we site our homes and communities.
Topics will include hazards associated with volcanoes, earthquakes,
landslides, floodplains and the problems associated with to):ic waste
disposal ~
Prerequisites:
non€':.\
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t;'-;~e
Submitted by:
--.-~ft/;if2
Instructc ,-
Recommended by:
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Date
_ _ _-.3 /~L9~
CDmmi ttet?
Approved by:
App,-oved by:
D·:::d;e
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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBHASKA AT OMAHA
Co U r ~; e .i II S tit: i
Geology 101
Geography-Geology
Department
1.
ion F I) r r.1
Environmental Geology
Course
Title
This Course is:
a.
b.
2.
Course
Number
C.l t
A replacement or revision of an existing
co~rse.
If yes, ple~se indicate below the
course being revised or replaced.
An addition to present course offerings
_. __ , (i. e .• , ..:a.n_ ._~_~c,re~s,~ i,n, "th.~_ ..num~~~ 9 f
courses offered by this department.
- Yes
x
No
x
Yes... ........ :No
.....,
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...
Will ~ new resources (funds or positions) be required now or in
the future by -this c.o.u.r..se1...-E.l.ease explain why or why not. No.
No.
--
.._-
This is a lecture course for which the department already has sufficient variety of
slides. Several videotapes which will be used in this course already exist in the
library and one of the best films is available free.
The course
will require no additional faculty positions because of minor
r- E: EI ci j U ~~. t ITt E~ ',-', t s i n (c 1..\ (. teEt c: h j n (J ~:::, c:: h E~ d t ,_ 1 e ,:;" I,J E' t'J i ] 1 not h e tea c: h i n CI ct s
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Indicate the student audience for which this course is designed
and the anticLpated enrollment.
This course is designed primarily for non-science majors in all Colleges with natural
science requirements. The enrollment in the course will probably be 40=100 per section.
This figure is based on enrollment in our other 100 level 3 credit hour courses Geography
100 and Geography 102.
4.
How often will this course be offered?
This course will probably be offered once a semester and at least once per summer. The
number and frequency of offerings is tied to thenecessity of covering all the required
courses within the geology program. Anyone of the geology faculty is capable of
offering the program in any given semester.
...
\1
Course Justification Form
5.
IE it appears that this cour:je mi'jt1t" involve pl1tcl1tial duplicatil)n
of, e Efor t ?e tINe e n J e p.1 r t rol e 11 t ~;, pro 'J (.J In ~j, 0 reo 1 1 '-~ (3 e s, pro v ide
w~ltten eVidence that .111 ·)ther jepartillt!rlt31 tlnit~ 'which ni'lhL be
atf~cted have reviewed the propo::;eJ course.
T~h~ r1ppropri.)tf~
chalrpers~ns should s~gn below to indicate concurrence or provide
accomp~nYing ex~lanatl?nS of concerns they may wish brought to the
Educational POllCY Advisory Committee's attention.
The title of the course Environmental Geology might give the impression that the course
is in potential conflict with biology courses. However, a look at the syllabus and
course outline clearly shows that this is a geology course emphasizing geological
phenomena and man's interaction and manipulation of the environment with no concern
for the geology of an area. The emphasis of the course is on the physical environment:
soils, bedrock, structures, aquifers etc .
.
,
"
6.
If t~is course is an addition to the present curriculum provide a
detalle~,narr~tive justification of the need for this c~urse
II
This course is needed to help make more students aware of the many ways that the geology
of any area affects the environment and can lead to potentially hazardous living
I
conditions. During just this past semester when this material was studied by honors
.
students several major disasters in Mexico City, Colombia and Puerto Rico occurred which I
brought some of the problems associated with volcanoes, earthquakes, and landslides in ~
focus. Other major problems associated with ground collapse nnd subsidence, floods and I
water supply, waste disposal etc. will also be covered as aprt of the course.
The need for this course is consistent with the present and future direction of the
Department's academic and research interests. Greater emphasis is being placed on toxic
wastes, water resources, and pollution as well as expanded development into more
hazardous physical environments.
7.
We in the depa r~ment see more of our411aj or$ ·'g01 ng into these fi e 1ds & work-tng oDgeotechnrtd:ajl
geohydrologica1 and environmental problems. However, there is a very strong need and
I
even an obligation on our part to provide the material in this course to UNO students
at large. They are the ones who will be going out there and making decisions about how
to conserve our natural resources, where a landfill should or should not be sited and
whether or not a toxic waste dump should be located in their community. It is our
responsibilty to provide them with a basic understanding of the concepts and facts
available in these areas so that they make inforllled decisions. The students :shoulij be
given enough background information so that they will know where to look for other
resources to assist them in their decision. (see continuation on separate sheet)
If a new graduate course, the dean having budgetary responsibility
for the department should sign here to indicate that resources
currently are available to add the course to the curriculum.
Dean
OM
3/18/83
I
~.--
6.
Continued
This type of material can only be touched on to a limited extent in a Physical Geology
(GEO.117) course which has much broader goals. Geology 101 -is a bonafide attempt to
give students a firm foundati-on in the basic geological aspects of the environment
we live in.
Environmental Geology
9.Et£!.1.9..£l.:Lli~!J:..
Detailed Syllabus
I ntl-oduc t i ens
Geologists' role in environmental problem assessment
Geologic hazards in an increasingly urban world
Expansion of population centers into previously unsuitable areas
Focus of geological studies in new urban developments
Relationship between the physical environment~ population growth, urban
expansion and economic reality
Investigative tools and techniques
Topographic maps
Geolc'gic mctps
Soil maps
Land use maps
?-)er i a].
Hyd',-erlogic: dc:d;,;:t
Remote sensing analysis
Geophysical studies
Volcanic hazards
Distribution of volcanoes on earth's surface
Correlation between volcanic types and plate tectonic regimes
Types of hazards associated with volcanoes
Geologic mapping in volcanic areas
Concept of extinct, dormant and active volcanoes
Prediction vs warning of eruptions
Case histories: Nevado del Ruiz; Mt. St. Helens, etc.
Mitigation of volcanic hazards
Film: The Eruption of Mtn Stn Helens
Ea.r thquakes
Definition of an earthquake
Location and measurement of seismic events
Correlation between earthquake foci and plate tectonic regimes
Inadequacies of historical record
Geologic Evidence for past earthquakes
Causes of earthquake damage
Mapping of seismic risk areas
Earthquake resistant structures
Zoning and other mitigation strategies
Predicting earthquakes- Science fiction/fact
Increasing public awareness (earthquake insurance)
Warning systems- Japan & China
Case histor-ies
Film: San Francisco City Waiting to Die
Physical properties and uses for rock
Rock mechanics
Basic engineering properties of rock
Testing physical properties of rock
Physical weathering
Chemical weathering
Soil-forming processes
Rock and stone as construction materials
Surficial geology and deposits
Regolith vs soil
Transportation sediments and depositional systems
Alluvial
Glacial
Marine
Lacustrine
Eolian
Filled land (man made)
Residual depositional systems
Erosional processes and controls
Introduction to soil mechanics
Soil characteristics
Physical parameters
Tests and measurements of soils
Classification of soils
Clay mineralogy and the effect of clays on soil properties
Deformation of soils
Problem soils
Case histories <videotape of Swedish farm)
Soil maps
Landslides and other mass movements
Ptinciples of mass movement
Definition of mass movement types
Slope stability analysis
Natural vs man-induced mass movement
Recognition of landslide-prone areas
Economic costs- Who pays for slope failures?
Case histories
Development and zoning of slopes
Mitigation of existing slope problems
Low-risk development in high-risk areas
Subsidence
Definition
Natural processes
Man-made processes
Consolidation
Fluid withdrawal
Hydrocompaction
Sinkhole collapse (karst)
Piping
Oxidation of organic materials
Thermokarst
Mine subsidence
Economic impact of subsidence
Case histories
Planning in subsidence-prone areas
"
Water Supply and Quality
Hydrologic cycle
G~-(:rund wa·t;e)Movement of ground water
Aquifer characteristics
Piezometric surfaces
Movement of ground water
Geological constraints on ground water quality
Artificial recharge
Surface water supplies
Impoundment structures and aqueducts
Water distribution in the UuS.
~·Jater·
}. a~\1
Ground water vs. surface water (quality and reliability)
Cas's h:i.stor·:i.es i:\nd r::;peci·fl.c pr'obl(-?:'m areas
Videocasette~
NOVAg Where Did the Colorado Go?
FloCrd hc\zards
Recognition and mapping of the floodplain
Geomorphic controls of flooding
Flood record- historical and geologic data
Statistical models of flood magnitude and frequency
Warning systems- flood gaging and forecasting methods
Zoning and protection of the floodplain
Flclod Irlsurance
Engineering solutions
Alternative floodplain management strategies
Improved data collection, warning and mapping programs
Case histories
~'Jaste
Dispose'l
Landfills
Arec\ methcld
Trench method
Depression method
Problems associated with landfills
Leachi:-:\tE~
Biochemical Degradation
Gases- odors & explosions
Sub!:.:; i oerH:e
Ex~ gravel pits in Denver
Leachate reaches water table
Plume of contaminant
Concentration gradient
Monitoring wells
Ideal site location
Above water table- taking into account fluctuations
Low gradient of piezometric surface
On impermeable soil horizon
Soil con<::l:i.tions
F i 1 "ter"/ c:tqu i tctr-d
Permeability/particle size
Presence and concentration of organics
Cation exchange capacity
Site selection
Attempts to quantify site parameters with weighted factors
Geologic factors
Nature of bedrock
Type Bnd thickness of soil
Grain size Isorting/fractures
Topography
Hydrologic factors
Local hydrologic cycle
Water table fluctuations
Direction of ground water movement
Location of usable aquifers
Economic factors
$5-100 per ton
Social factors
Local awareness and concern
Education
Aesthetics
Case histories
Mining tailings
Salt water injection wells
Radioactive wastes
Septic tanks
Cattle feedlots- nitrates
Chemical wastes
Coastal zone hazards
Coastal processes
Influence of tides and nearshore currents
Coastal sediment budget
Coastal geomorphology
Coastal erosion
Structural solutions to erosion
Coastal stabilization plans
Coastal zone management
Hazard insurance
Tropical storm systems
Seismic sea waves
Case histories
Geology and land planning
Improved land use in hazardous areas
Acceptable levels of risk
Educating and informing the public
Social and economic costs of unwise land use
Human response to hazards
Hazard insurance- Who should bear the cost of natural disasters?
Land use compatible with the geology of urban areas
Examples of recent land management strategies
Method of Instruction and Evaluation
This will be a standard lecture-type course format with a few
additional presentations by outside speakers from the Corps of
Engineers and local geotechnical companies. In addition several
film/videotape series will be shown to illustrate the Mt. St. Helens
eruption, the earthquake potential of the San Andreas fault in the
San Francisco areS5 landslide potential in Scandinavia, the use and
misuse of the Colorado River water and the cleaning up of the
Willamette River system. These films will be used to focus the
material presented in the text and lectures. The emphasis will be on
recognizing and solving problems associated with the physical
environment. Students will be encouraged to read media reports on
national and international events (major earthquakes, floods,
volcanic eruptions, etc.) and to ask questions about these during the
class.
There will be three one-hour examinations and a final using a
con~inBtion of formats (short answer, definition5 fill-in-the-blank,
recognition of map/diagram features and multiple choice. An extra
credit project may be offered to the students which will consist of a
collection of pertinent articles and a short analysis of the
environmental impact of the event or problem outlined in the articlen
The textbook to be used in the class will be: SURFICIAL GEOLOGY:
Building With the Earth by John E. Costa and Victor R. Baker;
John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1981n
Environmental Geology - Bibliography
Applied Hydrogeology - C.
w.
Fetter, 1980
Beach Processes and Sedimentation - P. D. Komar,
1976
Cities and Geology - Robert F. Legget, 1973
Clay Mineralogy - Ralph E. Grim,
1968
Coastal Engineering I and II - R. Silvester, 1974
Earthquakes, A Primer - Bruce Bolt, 1978
Earthquakes and Volcanoes - Scientific American,
Environmental Systems 1984
1980
In Dn White, DuN. Mottershead and S. J.
Harrison~
Evaluation and Prediction of Subsidence - Surrendra K. Saxena, Ed.,
1979
Fluvial Processes in Geomorphology - L. B. Leopold, M. G. Wolman and
Jp P. Miller, 1964
Geologic Hazards, Resources and Environmental Design - Gary B.
Griggs and John A. Gilchrist~ 1983
Geology and Man -
Janet
Watson~
1983
Geology of Soils - Cn Bn Hunt, 1972
Geomorphology in Environmental Management - Rn U. Cooke and J. en
Doornkamp, 1974
Glacial and Quaternary Geology - R. F. Flint, 1971
Hydrogeology - Sn N. Davis and R. J. M. DeWiest, 1981
Landslides Analysis and Control: Special Report 176 - National
Academy of Sciences, 1978
Liquefaction of Soils During Earthquakes - National Research
Council~
1985
Physical Processes of Sedimentation - J. Ru L. Allen,
1970
Principles of Engineering Geology - Ph Bn Attewell and In
W~
Farmer,
1976
Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice - K. Terzaghi and R. Bn Peck,
1967
Stone: properties, durability in man's environment - E. Mn Winkler,
1975
Terra Non Firma -
James M. Gere and Haresh Cn Shan, 1984
'.
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...
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II.....
Volcanoes - Gordon Au Macdonald, 1972
Water - Luna B. Leopold, 1974
Water in Environmental Planning - Thomas Dunne and Luna Ba
Leopold, 1978