Environmental Geology, Geology 3004/7004

Department of Geology

Georgia State University

Spring Semester, 2002

Course Syllabus

Instructor: W. Crawford Elliott, Associate Professor

Office: 331 Kell Hall   Phone: (404) 463-9548   E-mail: wcelliott@gsu.edu

Meeting Times: Lecture: Monday and Wednesday at 9:30-10:45 am.  Laboratory: Wednesday, 1:00-3:50 pm.  Location:  Lectures and Lab meet in 314K.  Required Texts:  Environmental Geology (2^nd Edition) by Lundgren, L., and Exercises in Environmental Geology (B. Meyer and W. C. Elliott), Exercises in Environmental Geology can be purchased at Bestway Copy Center. 

Office Hours: 10-11 am, Tuesday and Thursday; or by appointment. 

Objectives

Environmental Geology is a broad topic encompassing both the effect of humankind on Earth and the effect of significant geologic processes on life on Earth. The primary objective is to present a body of knowledge useful to the study of the environmental geology drawing on knowledge covered in Chemical Principles-I (Chemistry 1211) and Introductory Geology-I (Geol 1211). A second objective is to stress the interdisciplinary nature of environmental geology. Environmental topics to be covered in this course will include the atmosphere, regolith (soil and weathered rock), natural disasters (earthquakes and volcanoes), and the movement and contamination of surface-groundwaters.  This course stresses the application of geologic knowledge and elementary chemical principles to the study of man’s impact on the quality of air, water and soil. 

Mechanism

This is a lecture and laboratory based course, and, for the second time, it is a writing intensive course. As best as possible, we will follow the schedule listed below.  The readings are in the primary text (Lundgren) and the readings on reserve in Room 314 Kell. Please read the assigned material before class.  Select films, exercises, guest lectures and field trips will comprise the laboratory.  Two field trips are planned (South Peachtree Creek Watershed, and acid mine drainage in western GA).  See the syllabus for the times of these field trips.  The course is divided roughly into four areas: Geologic Natural Disasters (i.e. volcanism, earthquakes); Atmosphere (Global Warming, Ozone and Smog); Groundwater/Surface Waters and Soils, and pollution of air, soil and water.  Given the breadth of topics and the depth of coverage of these topics presented in this course, it will be especially difficult to play “catch-up”.  Therefore, be prepared for lecture and laboratory and keep up with the material being presented.  The laboratory is intended to provide experience in solving specific problems employing concepts covered in lecture. There are two prerequisites: Chemical Principles - I (CHEM 1121) and Introductory Geology - I (GEOL 1121).  Students without these prerequisites may be admitted to the class by permission of the instructor.  Additional chemical and geologic concepts will be developed in this course as needed. Students taking this course as Geol 7004 will prepare three lesson plans in consultation with the instructor and a separate syllabus will be given to the Geol 7004 students.

Grading and Attendance

 The final grade earned in this course will be based on scores on two one-hour exams (40%), the laboratory section (15%), writing assignments (15%) and the final exam (30%).  Each one-hour exam is worth 20% of the final grade.  Missing or incomplete in-class assignments will be factored in deriving final grade.  The exam dates are listed below.  Concepts presented from the guest lectures and laboratory will be covered in the tests and the Final Exam.  Attendance is required for laboratory and exams.  Attendance will be taken (explicitly or implicitly) during lecture and lab.  Repeated unexcused absences (> 3) from lecture and laboratory will be just cause to lower the final grade one level or to withdraw the student from the course.  If an absence is anticipated resulting from participation holidays of the student’s faith, summons to jury, University curricular activity then please see me in advance  to reschedule planned laboratory assignments and exams; these absences are considered excused absences.  Laboratory exercises are due on Friday at noon of the same week.  Papers are due on Wednesday at the time of class.  A 15% penalty will be applied to unexcused late labs and papers.  Students will turn in the laboratory text each week an exercise is done; I will not accept photocopied laboratory assignments.  The Final Exam is cumulative.  One half of the material will be drawn from material covered since Test #2.  The remaining half will be drawn from material covered in Tests #1 and #2.

Reference Materials

Given the breadth of material in this course, one textbook does not cover all topics equally.  Lundgren’s text is the first geologic based text that comes close to doing this at the upper division level.  Keller’s text is a standard treatment used primarily at the introductory level.  Keller’s text is a good reference text.  The texts listed below are good to keep in mind for additional detailed reading in the areas of contaminant chemistry, and engineering approaches to environmental geologic topics.  Baird’s text is very readable text describing the chemistry of many contaminants in air, soil and water but it is very light in the areas of natural disasters and groundwater movement.  Henry and Heinke’s text provided a template for many new environmental textbooks.  This text begins with a chapter on population growth (our first exercise) as an impetus to study how humankind has affected Earth’s interrelated systems of soil, air and water.  It is very quantitative.  This text could serve as a proxy for environmental geochemistry for civil engineers.  I have these texts in my office.  You are welcome to check these texts out for a 24-hour period.  These texts have influenced my thinking for this course.  Specific data from these texts used in this course will be provided to you as handouts. 

Useful Reference Texts

C. Baird, 1995, Environmental Chemistry, Freeman, 484 p.

J.G. Henry and G.W. Heinke, G.W., 1989, Environmental Science and Engineering: Prentice Hall, 728 p.

Keller, G., Environmental Geology, Seventh Edition. Prentice Hall, 560 p.

Writing Component

Environmental Geology is a writing-intensive course for Spring Semester 2002.  Three short papers will be written on topics chosen by the students in consultation with the writing consultant for this course.  Ms. Barbara Brocks is the writing consultant and the students are required to meet with Ms. Brocks at least one time per paper to discuss choice of topics, paper organization, and other issues pertinent to writing assignments.  Deduction of 10% is assessed for failure to discuss your paper with the writing consultant.  Consider your meetings with the writing consultant as confidential peer-review.  Papers will be read and graded by Prof. Elliott.  The primary purpose of the writing assignments is to provide an opportunity for enhanced learning (i.e., learning more about a particular topic beyond the treatment in this course).  Papers will be graded on the following criteria:  organization, technical accuracy, grammar, proper citation of sources, and whether enhanced learning occurred.  We will follow the Geological Society of America citations; see Geology as an example of proper source citation. 

Each paper will count 7.5% toward final grade.  In addition, each student will present and discuss the paper with the entire class (20 minute presentation followed by discussion).  In writing these papers, the students will need to focus effectively on a given topic given the short period of time given for the assignments.  The expected length of the papers is ~ 5 pages text.  Complete citations are required.  A 15% penalty is assessed for handing in late papers.  We will meet with John Hughes of the Pullen Library to discuss strategies for obtaining the required information from the library (uses of reference material, finding journals, and electronic resources) and Hughes has provided a summary guide to library resources for this class.  This guide can be read at: http://www.library.gsu.edu/liaisons/jhughes/envgeol.htm  Consult Guidelines for Writing Papers in Environmental Geology for further details and requirements for the writing assignments. Each student will make a 15 – 20 minute presentation of one paper.  The dates of oral presentation are chosen by random draw.

Important Dates:

The important dates for this course are as follows.  Note that the Test #1 and Test #2 are given in the laboratory periods.  Please bring blue books and calculators (with exponent functions) to the tests and final exam.

February 6, 2002:       Test #1.

February 20, 2002      Paper #1 due. 

March 11, 2002:         Last Day to Withdraw and possibly receive a “W”.

March 3-10, 2002:      Spring Recess.

March 20, 2002:         Test #2.

April 6, 2002:              Field Trip, Acid Drainage

April 17, 2002:                        Paper #2 due.

April 29, 2002:            Last Class.      

May 6, 2002:               Final Exam, 10:15 am – 12:10 pm, 314 Kell.

Course Schedule: This is the general plan for the course; deviations may be necessary.

Draft: January 11, 2002