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Geology 264: Methods in Environmental Geology Spring 2003
Savage Course Policies
Course Goals
This course is intended to provide you with applied experience investigating environmental problems related to surface and near-surface media, focusing on soils, surface waters, and ground waters. We will work with field, laboratory, and analytical methods.
By the end of the course, you will be able to
• identify characteristics typically investigated for soil, surface water, and ground water;
• describe the essential physics basis for several analytical techniques, recognizing that most techniques rely on interaction between energy and matter;
• evaluate the quality of geochemical analytical data, especially water analyses;
• design and implement a sampling and analytical plan for a potentially contaminated site;
• communicate your findings to interested parties (e.g. property owner, public, regulatory agency).
Plan
Each medium (soil, surface water, ground water) will be addressed in turn over periods of 3-4 weeks. You will work in teams which will be shuffled at the end of each materials unit. We will finish the semester with a group project involving all three media.
Class and Laboratory Time
This class will use a problem-based learning format. That means that, although I will spend some time lecturing (particularly on analytical techniques) much of your time will be spent working with one another to define what information you need to solve a problem, researching that information through various resources, reporting back to your team, and moving forward with the problem resolution. We will do most of our environmental field work during scheduled lab times.
Assignments
For each materials unit, you will integrate your field and analytical observations, as well as any relevant information from reading and research, into a portfolio. The portfolio will provide you with a reference source you can turn back to if needed later in your career.
For the group project, you will each make and present a poster highlighting your analytical results in relation to the data collected by your classmates. You will be assigned an audience for your poster (property owner, public, regulator), and we will invite geology department members and other interested parties in to hear your poster presentations.
The take-home final exam will provide you with a limited data set related to a site unfamiliar to you, along with contextual information such as potential contamination sources. You will outline an appropriate sampling and analytical program for the site, justifying your choices.
Grade Basis
Portfolios (3): 60%
Poster and Presentation: 20%
Final Exam:20%
You will have the opportunity to revise one of your portfolios to earn a better grade, if desired.
Resources
Our textbook is Site Characterization: Sampling and Analysis, by the Hazardous Materials Training and Research Institute at the Eastern Iowa Community College District. I will also use handouts and direct you to web and library resources, as appropriate. I encourage you to seek out additional information on your own.
Schedule
1/9/03 Th Team Exercise #1: Centennial ParkTeam Exercise #1: Centennial Park
1/14/03 T Course overview; introduction to soil
1/16/03 Th Student presentations: soil orders. Team Exercise #2: Sampling plan for Centennial Park
1/21/03 T Portfolio overview; Soil sampling plan considerations; Richelle Allen-King
1/23/03 Th Field observations for soils; In-class exercise: Soil Knowledge concept map.TE#3 David Wood property - finding maps/resources and defining questions
1/28/03 T Soils analysis: lab physical and chemical techniques
1/30/03 Th Plan and prepare for soil coring: locations, equipmentTE#4 Soil Coring and field characterization: Centennial Park
2/4/03 T Unload and weigh wet soil
2/6/03 Th Intro to surface water: team exercise/discussionTE #5 Lab characterization: Centennial Park cores
2/11/03 T Surface water: physical processes (streamflow) (Soil moisture, density, pH)
2/13/03 Th Surface water: physical processes (stream response)Lab characterization: Centennial Park cores:
2/18/03 T Surface water: Chemical processes (intro) (Particle size analysis; organic carbon)
2/20/03 Th Surface water: Chemical processes (dissolution)TE#6 Green roof at Neuhoff
2/25/03 NO CLASS - Savage out of town
2/27/03 Th Surface water: Chemical processes (thermo/kinetics)Water analysis: techniquesSoil portfolios due
3/4/03 T NO CLASS! Spring Break
3/6/03 Th NO CLASS! Spring Break
3/11/03 T Surface water: Water analysis: data quality
3/13/03 Th NO CLASS! GSA
3/18/03 T Ground water: Physical processes (aquifers, hydraulic head, Darcy's Law)
3/20/03 T hGround water: Physical processes (pump tests)TE #7 Field pH, alkalinity and dissolved oxygen measurement
3/25/03 T Ground water: Chemical processes (composition/types)
3/27/03 Th Ground water: Team exercise #8Surface water portfolios due
3/29/03 SAT David Wood's property
4/1/03 T Ground water: Chemical processes (analytical)reading from Moore
4/3/03 Th Ground water: Site investigationsOn-site ground water well tests?
4/8/03 T Ground water: Team exercise #9
4/10/03 Th David Wood's property?Ground water portfolios due
4/15/03 T Communicating results: good practices
4/17/03 Th Work on posters
4/22/03 T Poster presentations
5/1/03 Th 5:00 p.m. TAKE-HOME EXAM DUE (handed out 4/24: one week prior)
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