GEOL 2071: Geologic Hazards and Forensic Geology
Students explore how the geosciences contribute to criminal and military investigations, and to the understanding, prediction, and mitigation of geologic hazards. Students investigate the magnitude, frequency, causes, and impacts of geologic hazards such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, landslides, and meteor impacts. Students develop skills for the prediction, monitoring, assessment, and determination of causes of damage. Students examine the role of geosciences for national security and geological methods used in criminal investigations.
Learning outcomes
- Locate and identify the different tectonic plate boundaries, identify places in the world most prone to earthquake hazard, use seismic data to locate an earthquake epicenter, name the different types of seismic waves and understand how they travel through or over Earth.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the various factors that impact earthquake intensity, use seismic data to determine earthquake magnitude, use online seismic data to monitor earthquakes, read a simple geologic map, use geologic cross sections to interpret paleoseismisity, explain why some structures fail and others do not in a single earthquake event, and know what to do in the event of an earthquake.
- Locate and identify areas that are most vulnerable to tsunamis, explain the motion of waves of oscillation and waves of translation, the characteristics of tsunami waves, and the relationship between the physical characteristics of these waves and their impacts on coastlines.
- Plot and calculate the time it will take a tsunami to travel to different locations, given certain parameters, explain tsunami warning systems, emergency plans, and know what to do in the event of a tsunami.
- Locate regions and identify particular conditions on earth that are prone to different types of geologic hazards, and why.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the basic principles of hydrology and ground water hydrogeology, calculate and plot recurrence intervals of floods, maximum discharge, know what is meant by a 100-year flood, the factors that can alter the behaviour of drainage basins, and how this influences probability curves.
- Solve problems in forensic geoscience, know factors that can influence data collection, and the geologic principles, techniques, tools, materials and other evidence used to solve a variety of criminal acts ranging from modern and ancient murders to art forgery and theft, and illegal and irresponsible disposal or spillage of hazardous wastes.
- Describe the roles and tools of forensic geoscience and geoscientists in espionage, national security, military activities, solving war crimes.
Course topics
- Unit 1: Introduction to Geological Hazards, Climate Change and Forensic Geoscience
- Unit 2: Earthquakes, Tsunami and Volcanoes
- Unit 3: Mass Wasting, Storms and Flooding
- Unit 4: Wildfires and Forensic Geology
- Unit 5: Applications of Forensic Geology
Required text and materials
The following Open Education Resources (OER) textbook, free of charge, is required for this course:
- Earle, S. (2021, December). Environmental Geology. Thompson Rivers University.
https://environmental-geol.pressbooks.tru.ca/
Assessments
Please be aware that should your course have a final exam, you are responsible for the fee to the online proctoring service, ProctorU, or to the in-person approved Testing Centre. Please contact exams@tru.ca with any questions about this.
To successfully complete this course, students must achieve a passing grade of 50% or higher on the overall course, and 50% or higher on the mandatory final exam.
| Assignment 1: Geological Hazards, Climate Change, and Forensic Geoscience | 12% |
| Assignment 2: Earthquakes, Tsunami, and Volcanoes | 12% |
| Assignment 3: Mass Wasting, Storms, and Flooding | 12% |
| Assignment 4: Wildfires and Forensic Geology | 12% |
| Assignment 5: Applications of Forensic Geology | 12% |
| Mandatory Final Exam | 40% |
| TOTAL | 100% |
Open Learning Faculty Member Information
An Open Learning Faculty Member is available to assist students. Students will receive the necessary contact information at the start of the course.
