Welcome to Environmental Geology Online
(GEOL120, section 1784)

Geology and the Environment (5th edition) by B.W. Pipkin, D.D. Trent, R. Hazlett and P. Bierman

Environmental Geology (GEOL120) Online is an introduction to the scientific study of earth processes and how they affect people. The course is a 3-credit physical science course. The course satisfies the same transfer credit, general education credit, and graduation requirements as other 3-credit physical science courses. It is intended to achieve the same learning outcomes as a more traditional 3-credit classroom-based course in environmental geology. There is no lab associated with GEOL120.

This course is organized around four major topics, which will be covered approximately in this order during the semester.

1. Principles of Geology
   • origin of the solar system and the earth
   • earth systems and cycles
   • minerals and rocks
   • plate tectonics
2. Geologic Hazards
   • earthquakes
   • volcanoes
   • tsunamis
   • landslides
   • flooding
   • oceanic hazards
   • climate change and climatic hazards
3. Geologic Resources
   • soil resources
   • water resources
   • fossil fuel resources
   • alternative energy resources
   • mineral resources
4. Human Impacts on the Environment
   • waste disposal
   • contaminants and pollution
   • atmospheric change

1. Apply plate tectonic concepts to explain the origin of major Earth surface features.
2. Evaluate the origin of major geologic hazards, using plate tectonic concepts where applicable.
3. Compare and contrast mitigation methods for major geologic hazards.
4. Explain the origin of major geologic resources.
5. Evaluate human impacts on the geologic environment and on geologic resources.

I have been a geologist for 45 years. Over that span of time I have worked in industry, exploring for oil shale, uranium and talc, and have taught at colleges in Canada (Calgary), Montana (Bozeman), and San Diego County. This is my fourth semester at MiraCosta College. I also teach at Southwestern College in Chula Vista, and have taught at Grossmont College, InterAmerican College, San Diego State University, Antelope Valley College (Lancaster, CA), Montana State University, and the University of Calgary.

I am an active member of the San Diego Association of Geologists. I served as an officer for 4 years, becoming president in 2006. I co-edited the volume "Geology and History of Southeastern San Diego County California." SDAG has meetings on the third Wednesday of every month, with a wide range of subjects covered, especially environmental geology. I'll try to give you a "heads-up" as meetings are scheduled.

If you are thinking about registering for this course because you think it will be easier and less work than a traditional classroom course, please do yourself a favor and do not take this course.

This course will require MORE SELF DISCIPLINE and MORE COMMITMENT from you than a traditional course. Because the course has no scheduled meeting times and no required lectures, you will be almost entirely responsible for your own education in this course. This course involves MORE READING and MORE WRITING than most traditional classroom-based science courses. The type of work is different, but the overall workload will be equal to or even greater than that in a traditional classroom course. You must be prepared to give this course the same weekly time commitment required of regular classroom-based courses, and you must keep up with all the weekly deadlines without being prompted. You must also be sure that your computer hardware and software function properly throughout the semester.

Should you take this course? Students who do not succeed in this course (i.e. they eventually either drop or fail the course) usually have one or more of the following things in common:

• The student cannot keep up with deadlines -- he/she is the type of person who needs a lot of outside prompting to get things done.
• The student has never been particularly interested in science, and sees this course as an obstacle rather than a learning opportunity.
• The student has general difficulty with either reading or writing.

IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH READING COMPREHENSION OR WRITING, YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS COURSE. You will be much better off taking a traditional classroom-based course.

On the other hand, if you are a motivated person with a history of self-discipline and the ability to get things done without outside prompting, you are likely to succeed in this course. Furthermore, if you are the type of person who gets easily interested in many things, especially science, this class will probably be a great experience for you. Many (though not all) students find the independent, self-educational approach of this course to be as fruitful, and perhaps more rewarding, than a traditional instructor-led classroom course.

There are no required in-class meetings. All assignments, quizzes, and exams are completed independently online. You will complete a research project, due toward the end of the class. This can take one of two forms: a traditional research paper (a.k.a. "term" paper) of length 1500 - 2000 words, or a "geo-photo" project pertaining to environmental geology.

Your work in this course will consist mainly of the following:

• Completing weekly reading assignments from the textbook.
• Reviewing weekly lessons developed by the instructor.
• Taking weekly quizzes based on the corresponding instructor lessons and textbook reading assignments.
• Completing weekly writing assignments beyond the textbook and lessons. These assignments will be based reading of online scientific articles, geologic internet sites, or other resources, as specified by the instructor.
• Posting information for group discussion, and responding to group discussion questions on the class web site.
• Writing a term paper or constructing a photo research project.
• Completing a comprehensive, essay-based Final Exam.

1. 
   
2. BUY THE REQUIRED TEXTBOOK BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF THE COURSE (information about the book is given at the top of this page).
3. 
   
4. BE SURE YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING SKILLS, HARDWARE, and SOFTWARE:
   • Regular access to an internet-enabled computer.
   • A fast and reliable internet connection (cable or DSL connection strongly recommended).
   • An up-to-date Internet browser such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, with an up-to-date version of Javascript turned on (enabled). I do not yet know if Google's new browser works with ETUDES-NG. The AOL browser does NOT work, however.
   • An email account.

Assuming you are registered for the course, to log into ETUDES-NG, go to this site for your login information: etudes.org/gateway/login-mcc.html

REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH READING COMPREHENSION OR WRITING, YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE THIS COURSE. You will be much better off taking a traditional classroom-based course.