Department of Geology and
Geophysics
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| GE 16301: Environmental Issues and
Resources
|
Lecturer: Kenneth G. Galli, Ph. D. |
| Summer Session 2, 2009 |
Devlin Office: 310 |
| Tuesday and Thursday: 6:15-9:15 PM | Office Phone: 617-552-4504 |
| Devlin Hall 218 | email: mailto:gallik@bc.edu; |
| webpage: www2.bc.edu/~gallik/ � has syllabus and link to on-line text materials. | June 30- August 6, 2009 |
| GE163 counts toward the Environmental Studies Minor and is an Undergraduate Core. | See
http://www.bc.edu/schools/summer/courses/ |
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Purpose
and Scope:
Learn about the major processes at work inside and on
the surface of the Earth. Acquire skills that will help you
to make logical decisions about evaluating and purchasing land and
property. Each class is designed to give you the facts, a
historical background, and hands-on experience in analyzing and solving
real-world problems associated with environmental issues and
resources. Tie-ins to key terms and concepts will be aided by
reference to portions of John McPhee's book: The Control of Nature and through
the use of selected videos on key topics. Geology is best done in the field so our last
class will be a field trip to explore Boston College campus and describe some
important geological features that we have talked about in class. The
final exam is on the last scheduled day. The coursepack has most lecture
material.
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Class Periods: Excepting the scheduled field trip, each evening will consist of two class periods (6:15-7:45 of lecture followed by 7:55-9:15 of hands-on application) separated by a 10-minute break. Actual times will vary according to topic.
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Office Hours: Office hours are by appointment, Monday through Friday, from 9:30 to 4:30. I am in and out of my office from 9 AM to 5 PM every weekday, so it should be relatively easy to set up most appointments by seeing me before or after class or by calling or emailing me.
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Grading:
In-class Laboratory Exercises 35% ( Only one lab exercise may be missed). If labs are late, then points will be taken off.
Mid-Term Exam (one-hour): 30%
Comprehensive Final Exam (two hours): 35% of your grade. ( No make-up exams will be given)
An optional 4-page report that connects key points of a
chapter from McPhee's book to environmental geological processes and problems
may be passed in by anyone on July 16th. An excellent report
can make the difference between a B and a B+ or a C- and a C.
Maximum possible credit is 5%. Only reports handed in
on July 16th will be counted.
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Hints for Success: Summer session courses are well known for their fast pace. A term's work is done in six weeks and material must be mastered quickly. You must come regularly to class
because lab exercises make up 35% of your grade. You should read assignments before the class so that you have been exposed to the material before the lecture. As soon as possible after class, re-read the text material carefully and compare the text with your class notes. Make sure that your lecture notes are complete and make sense to you before the next class. Make use of my office hours to resolve questions you have about the material. It is not a good idea to wait until the day or so before the exam to settle questions about the material. Work with the course material regularly and see me promptly if you do not understand part of the material. If you miss a class, get notes from another student. Develop the habit of asking questions about the material and work out the answers yourself. Ask questions in class or during office visits.
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Required Text: Introduction to ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY, 4th edition, 2008, by Edward A. Keller, Prentice Hall Publisher, New Jersey.
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Required Book: THE CONTROL OF NATURE, 1989, (jm below) by John McPhee, The Noonday Press, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Publishers, New York.
Required
Coursepack: GE 16301 Environmental Issues and
Resources, for sale in the Boston College bookstore, before the class
begins.
All of these are available in the Boston College
Bookstore.
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Date |
Topic |
Readings |
June |
||
| T 30 | Introduction to Geologic Materials and
Resources LAB 1: Introduction to the Three Major Rock Types and Their Engineering Properties |
Coursepack; See web site; Text p.443-456; ch 1, skim 2, CH 3 skim 14, App. A, B |
July |
||
| TH 2 |
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Geology |
Coursepack; Append. C jm Ch 3 |
| T 7 |
Natural
Hazards, Slope Processes, and Subsidence LAB 3: IDENTIFYING LANDSLIDES & MASS MOVEMENTS ON MAPS�Knowing Where Not to Build! |
Coursepack; ch 4, 5, 9 |
| Th 9 |
Rivers and
Floods: The 1993 Mississippi River Flood LAB 4: DETERMINING FLOOD RISK |
Coursepack; CH 8, p384-386, jm Ch 1 |
| T 14 | Groundwater Systems LAB 5: GROUNDWATER MOVEMENT AND USING WELL DATA TO CONSTRUCT A WATER TABLE MAP |
Coursepack; CH 12 |
| Th 16 |
Geology,
Society, and the Future LAB 6: LAND USE PLANNING (Optional: Look at Hazard City CD: Landfill Siting for more information on related topics.) Optional McPhee reports are due |
Coursepack; CH 20 |
| T 21 |
Mid-Term Exam (one hour) Water Pollution |
Coursepack; CH 13; Text p456-463 |
| Th 23 |
Coastal
Processes LAB 8: COASTAL PROCESSES & ISOSTACY LAB |
Coursepack; CH 10 |
| T 28 |
Earthquakes and Earthquake Hazards LAB 9: GENERATING NANO-EARTHQUAKES IN THE LAB! |
Coursepack; CH 6 |
| Th 30 |
Volcanoes LAB 10: VOLCANOES Discuss Topics in McPhee: The Control of Nature |
Coursepack; CH 7 |
| T 4 |
FIELD
TRIP: THE GEOLOGY OF BOSTON COLLEGE AND SURROUNDING AREAS (Departs
Delvin 218 at 6:20 sharp/Class work if raining. |
|
August |
||
| TH 6 |
IN-CLASS FINAL
EXAM same location as class (Devlin
218) |