ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY IN THE NEWS:
 Geologic Processes Affecting People's Lives

Active Volcanoes
(photos © j hemzacek)

  
Behind the double rainbow and the storm clouds are
Mount Ruapehu and Ngauruhoe, active volcanoes that are perhaps
best known for their roles in the Lord of the Rings movies as "Mt. Doom"

More images of Ngauruhoe:


Another view of Ruapehu:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

announcements  -URGENT!! important correction!!

                    and       intro to term project

review notes  -  finalized

term project:        intro to term project;  read this first! 
         class wiki  (term project details)   project rubric
   
course documents  "hard copy" / printable version     
resources and other web links:
      ^{"This is an especially good course for you if....".}
       Images used in class:  
           ^{World Population Clock        planet earth general info
           population growth1      growth2      animation}
           Hazard, vulnerability, exposure, and risk
           elastic rebound theory        magnitude           mag & intensity
           isoseis AR M7.7       isoseis CA M7.9        historic world eq    largest world eq
                                                                                     
          rock cycle      1        2         3       a     .
      water cycle      1        2      .
      maps:   active volcanoes       world population distribution
                                  depth of earthquakes    
          Japan earthquake facts      New Madrid           Illinois faults and nuclear power
          some earthquake images:               
               http://geology.uprm.edu/Classes/aaronfolder/earthquakes.ppt

         volcano videos:  1- plate tec     2-kilauea    3-pompeii   4-pyrocl 
                               5-montserrat    6-pinatubo    7-predicting? NZ      8-ring of fire
              VEI     volcanic risk
               virtual volcano                           white island     volcano resources
               Colombia-Nevado del Ruiz map       Santa Maria risk ;   eruption history
          Other videos FYI:
                 The East African Rift     rift, part 2      rift, part 3      rift, part 4

          resources:
           US strategic materials 2010
           solar panels       wind turbines            batteries1           types
           SPR               energy information administration
           oil spills                    
           climate:
           glacier monitoring program

           From the IPCC report on Climate Change: FAQ's
                 available in html version and
                    pdf version ("high" or "low resolution")
          Milankovitch cycles
          Why Do Human-made Greenhouse Gases Matter When Water Vapor Is the Most
                Potent Greenhouse Gas? From Common Questions about Climate Change
          Data.GISS: Forcings in GISS Climate Model
          natural and human forces in climate change

publishing scientific papers; peer review
http://climatecommission.gov.au/topics/the-critical-decade/
http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/
             global warming         LECZ maps

         "climategate"    and climategate debunked     debunk2
             (coverage about "climategate debunked" was minimal)
         ‘Global warming comes from within’ - a response (why the earth's core is not to blame)
         Climate change myths/ corrections - sea level rise

         Fact Check: truth about political rhetoric on global warming

about glaciers
http://news.discovery.com/earth/how-stable-is-the-west-antarctic-ice-sheet.html
WAIS initiative
http://nsidc.org/sotc/iceshelves.html

Soil:  FAO maps          IL farmland

Flood:  video1      2        3        4        5         6
    animation/ interactive module                global flooding 1985-2006
                                   other flood visualizations

^{http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/map/physical_world_map.htm}

^{http://www.shadedrelief.com/natural2/index.html}

chapter 10 from newest text edition
 

alternate scenario
 

Course Handouts
and Other Important Stuff

printable versions of course documents:
course syllabus (includes schedule of topics, grading, etc.)
rubric for selected assignments
 criteria for homework - see assignment page
additional course information:
General Education program goals

 

some documents are in .pdf form;     
if you do not have Adobe^® Reader^®,     
click here to download.      

1.  If you already have a google account, go to step 2.  If you do not have a google account, you first need to create one, as follows: 
Go to google.com; click on "sign in" (top right); then click "sign up for a new account" (at the top).  Follow the instructions; then, check your email for a confirmation from google (be sure to check your spam folder if you don't see an email!).  When you receive the confirmation email, follow those instructions to complete the process of creating your account.  Keep track of your password!  Forgetting your password is the number one trouble that people have with logging in to the wiki!!!

2.  Send me an email, from the account that you used to create your google account.  As the subject, please use "ESCI 123 wiki account".  I will add your email address as a collaborator for the google site.   Send the email to my NEIU email address!  And identify yourself by name in the email!

3. After I have added your email address as a collaborator for the wiki, you will receive an email notification that you have been added.  Click on the link in that email: it will take you to the log-in page for google sites.  (If you are using neiu email, right-click the link and choose "open in new window".  For some reason, this makes a difference!)
If you have not received an email invitation to the wiki, it is because you have not yet sent me an email (see step 2)- you should do this immediately!

4.  The wiki page will appear and, after you have signed in**, you should see a box at the top right labeled  "edit page".  If the wiki page loads without a sign-in page, scroll to the bottom of the wiki page, and click "sign in" -- at the left of the (small) menu at the bottom.   If you are on the wiki page and are signed in, but still do not see the "edit page", let me know.   **After clicking the link to go to the wiki page, look for your user name at the top right.  If it is not there, you are not yet signed in.  Scroll down: at the bottom of the page, there is a (small!) menu list.  Click on "sign in", and open your google account.  You should now see your user name and the edit box at the top.

5.  Information about the project is on the home page of the wiki.  At the upper left of the home page are links to the other wiki pages, including "topics" - where you will sign up for your project topic.  Please note that if someone else has already signed up for the same topic, you will need to pick something different!

6.  Along the way, if you need help on any aspect, including how to choose a topic, how to create the desired format for your project, or other aspects of your project, I would be happy to consult with you!

7.  When you complete your project, it will be submitted via the wiki: you will upload your completed project to the "Project Documents" page.  Your classmates' projects will be there, too: hopefully you will take a little time to browse the information that they provide! 

A rubric for the final project is available here: use it as your "check list" as you work on your project!
 

As demonstrated in the last couple of class sessions, the assignments have been migrated to their own page.  Click the link at the top of this page to find all the information you need...

       <sup>You plan to be a teacher                    
            or you want to be a journalist             (... if you will be in a position to inform others)

       You hope to be a politician,
           or a business administrator                 (... or in a position to make decisions about environmental
             ... or</sup> if you plan to vote!                         <sup>issues based on information supplied by others)
    
       You are considering a career in geoscience       (...come see me to sign up as a major!)

       Your major is not earth science, but you plan
           to apply your major (any major!) in an environmental career

       You simply want to understand better, and not just through the eyes of the media and/or
           special interest groups, about natural hazards, resources, and other important earth issues

    OR
      You simply are interested in the earth and the environment...
              after all, it is your home!!</sup>