GEOL 2391: Environmental Geology
Students examine geological processes and material and their interaction with human activities, environmental planning, and management.
Learning outcomes
- Describe how natural geologic processes - such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and slope failures - create conditions impacting human infrastructure and activities.
- Explain how human activity - including human-caused climate change - impacts natural geological systems and the natural geo-environmental setting on local, regional and global scales.
- Describe how the impact of these natural and human-induced processes-human suffering, property damage and economic disruption can be mitigated by proper consideration of geologic factors in planning.
Course topics
- Unit 1: Earth Systems, Natural Climate Change and Glaciation
- Unit 2: Soils, Clay Minerals and Slope Failures
- Unit 3: Earthquakes and Volcanic Eruptions
- Unit 4: Earth Resources, Sustainable Energy and Water Supplies
- Unit 5: Geological Issues in Waste Disposal and Geological Implications of Climate Change
Required text and materials
The following materials are required for this course:
- Earle, S. (2021). Environmental Geology. Thompson Rivers University.
This open textbook is available free of charge at https://environmental-geol.pressbooks.tru.ca.
- GEOL 2391 Lab Kit
This kit is supplied by TRU when students register for the course.
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.
The 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: Past Climate Change, Glaciation | 12% |
| Assignment 2: Clay, Soils, Slope Failure | 12% |
| Assignment 3: Earthquakes, Volcanoes | 12% |
| Assignment 4: Resources, Energy, Water | 12% |
| Assignment 5: Waste Disposal, Climate Change | 12% |
| Final Exam (mandatory) | 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.
