ENVIRONMENTAL

GEOLOGY
DR. ADLY KH. AL-SAAFIN
EARTH SCIENCES DEP.
KFUPM - DHAHRAN

Lecture # 1

OVERVIEW

OUTLINE
I.I.
II.
II.
III.
III.
IV.
IV.

WHAT
WHAT IS
IS ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY?
GEOLOGY?
MAN
MAN&
&EARTH
EARTH INTRACTION
INTRACTION

V.
V.
VI.
VI.

GOALS
GOALSOF
OFENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTALGEOLOGY
GEOLOGYCOURSE
COURSE
WHAT
WHAT WILL
WILL YOU
YOU LEARN
LEARN AT
AT THE
THE END
END OF
OF THIS
THIS
COURSE,
COURSE,ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTALGEOLOGY?
GEOLOGY?

CAUSES
CAUSES OF
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
PROBLEMS
GENERAL
GENERAL FRAMEWORK
FRAMEWORK OF
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
GEOLOGY
GEOLOGY

VII.
VII. TOPIC
TOPIC DESCRIPTION
DESCRIPTION AND
ANDTIMING
TIMING
VIII.
VIII.STRUCTUR
STRUCTUR OF
OF ENVIRONMENTAL
ENVIRONMENTAL
COURSE
COURSE

GEOLOGY
GEOLOGY

STRUCTURE OF COURSE
The course will be divided into four units:
1. Earth System:

Earth as unique system, life on our planet, cycling & interrelationship

among the Earths subsystems.

2. Natural Hazards:

Volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, floods and tsunami are all

powerful forces that dramatically and catastrophically change the surface of the earth
Man,

3. Natural Resources and the Environment:

How do we affect the geologic

environment? In order to support urbanization projects, tremendous water, mineral, and
energy resources are required. The origin of our resources, how we use them, and the
impact of human activities on the terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric environments

Man,

4. Technological Development & the Environment:

have an impact on the environment Man.

Introduction to Geology:

Technological advances

In order to study the geological environment, we

must first learn about some basic geological concepts that will come up throughout
the course. These include minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle, a geologists
perspective on time, our current knowledge of the earths interior, and the
processes that shape the earths surface.

I.

WHAT
IS
GEOLOGY?

ENVIRONMENTAL

Geology the study of the earth.

earth (its materials and their
properties, history, and the processes that are shaped or
shaping its surface).

Environment anything, living or nonliving, that

surrounds and influences the living organisms.

Environmental Geology is a multidisciplinary science,

consists mainly of two majors (Geology and
Environment).
Environment

Environmental Geology the application of geology to

environmental concerns.

Environmental geology is the interaction of humans

with the Earth System.

ENVS 510: Advanced Environmental

Geology (3-0-3)
Prerequisites: GEOL 201
Examination of human interaction with the
geologic environment.
Geologic hazards such as earthquakes, floods,
landslides, and volcanic eruptions will be
considered,
Natural resource and waste management, and
Human impacts on the physical environment.

III.

Elements
Geology

of

Environmental

Studying the interrelationship between

Man and Earth Environmental Geology
ii. MAN

Human Activities

i. EARTH

Earths System

EARTH ENVIRONMENT

i. The Earth!
The Earth is the source of both resources and a hazards to
human development:
The Earth provides us with water, industrial minerals,
building materials and fuel; it provides us with the
essential elements for human endeavor.
The Earth constrains the location and architecture of our
urban settlements and transport infrastructure.
The Earth generates some of the most strong hazards to
our existence in the form of earthquakes, volcanoes and
floods.
The Earth provides us with the means for the effective
disposal of our waste products.

ii. Human Activities

n Residential

Projects
n Industrial Projects
n Agricultural Projects
n Technological Developments

Man and Earths Environment

Specialists

Earths System & Man

Man-made Activities
Pollution

Scientists
Scientists
Engineers
Engineers

At
mo
sp
he

Shortage in Natural Resources

Destructions

re

Earth scientists
Earth scientists
Other Scientists
Other Scientists Hydrosphere
Engineers
Engineers

Global Problems

Earth

Urbanization:

Man

 Residential Projects
 Industrial Projects
 Agricultural Projects.

th
Li

e
ph
s
o

re

Biosphere

Earth sciences
Earth sciences
Other Scientists
Other Scientists
Engineers
Engineers

gy

gy
o
l
eo logy
G
.
vir cal Geo
n
E edi
g.
En
M

Biologists
Biologists
Other Scientists
Other Scientists

olo
Ge

Specialists
Engineers
Engineers
Planners
Planners
Management
Management
Socio-Economists
Socio-Economists

III.
1.
1.
2.
2.

CAUSES OF
PROBLEMS

ENVIRONMENTAL

Natural
Natural Factors
Factors
Human
Human Factors
Factors

Man

Earth

CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

1. Geologic Processes

Natural Hazards due to

Geologic Processes

Natural Hazards &

Environmental Issues

Tsunami

Natural Disasters & Economic Loss

Notice:

Since the
1960s, economic losses
from natural disasters
on a global scale have
tripled,
tripled while insured
losses have quintupled.
(after Berz, 1992, Natural
Hazards, 5, 95-102)

CAUSES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

2. Human Activities

Residential Projects
Industrial Projects
Agricultural projects
Tech. development
Population Growth

Urban Machine
INPUTS
INPUTS

OUTPUTS
OUTPUTS

Energy

Urbanization Programs

Products

Water
Wastes
Soil
Pollution
Minerals
Residential, Industry, Agriculture & Technology
The
The Key
Key toto Sustainable
Sustainable Development
Development isis Effective
Effective Environmental
Environmental Management.
Management.

HOW?????
HOW?????
INPUTS
INPUTS and
and OUTPUTS
OUTPUTS Should
Should be
be Balanced
Balanced with
with NO
NO Disturbance
Disturbance for
for the
the
Natural
NaturalEquilibrium
Equilibrium ofofEarth
Earth Systems.
Systems.
Adly Al-Saafin, 2001

Role of Human Activities on the Earth

Systems (Examples!!)

1. Extraction and exploitation of the

Earth resources.
2. Disturbing the natural balance of
the Earth system by urbanization
programs.
3. Changing the natural Earths
landforms.
4. Diverting the rivers streams.

Human intervention &

Environmental Hazards
Human
Human activities
activities can
can increase
increase vulnerability
vulnerability to
to the
the
environmental
environmental hazards:
hazards:

Development
Developmentand
andhabitation
habitationof
ofthe
thelands
landsthat
thatare
aresensitive
sensitive

to
tohazards
hazards(flood
(floodplains,..)
plains,..)

Agricultural
Agricultural projects
projects (increase
(increase erosion,
erosion, and
and GW
GW
mining,..)
mining,..)

Changing
Changing natural
naturallandform
landform(Dam
(Damconstruction)
construction)

Industrialization
Industrialization (Toxic
(Toxic gases,
gases, CO
CO22 emission,
emission, Acid
Acid
Rain,...)
Rain,...)

Urbanization
Urbanization (Disturbance
(Disturbance of
of Natural
Natural equilibrium
equilibrium of
of the
the
Earth
Earthsystem,
system,Wastes
Wastes&
&Pollution,
Pollution,..
..))

Deforestation
Deforestation(CO
(CO22,,Global
Globalwarming,)
warming,)

Natural
Naturalresources
resourcesextraction
extraction(subsidence,.)
(subsidence,.)

Environmental Geology
Studying the interrelationship between Man
and Earth Environmental Geology

MAN

Human Activities

EARTH

Geologic processes

IV.

GENERAL
FRAMEWORK
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY

1.EARTH SYSTEM
2.NATURAL HAZARDS
3.HUMAN
ACTIVITIES

OF

&

NATURAL RESOURCES (MAN-MADE

HAZARDS)

4.TECHNOLOGICAL

HAZARDS

V.

GOALS OF ENVIRONMENTAL
GEOLOGY

Utilization of geologic principles to

resolve environmental issues in land
use,
land
management
and
development.
Methods of acquiring, compiling, and
applying geologic information for site
assessment
and
environmental
impact.

VI.
1.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN

THE END OF THIS COURSE?

UNDERSTANDING THE

BY

FUNDAMENTAL CONCEPTS

OF

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY.

2.

ROLE

OF

NATURAL

HAZARDS

ON

THE

EARTHS

ENVIRONMENTS.

3.

ROLE OF URBANIZATION PROGRAMS (HUMAN ACTIONS) ON

THE EARTHS ENVIRONMENTS.

4.

IMPACTS

OF

NATURAL

&

MAN-MADE

HAZARDS

HUMAN-LIFE.

5.
6.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND POLLUTION PROBLEMS.

HOW TO TACKLE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS?

HOW?.... HOW?...

ON

VII. Topics Description, Timing, and

Grading
l Topics;
l Timing;
l Evaluation;
l Grading

(Syllabus)

Environmental Problem is a
Multidisciplinary Issue.
In
In order
order to
to understanding,
understanding, evaluating
evaluating and
and
controlling
controlling an
an environmental
environmental issue,
issue, the
the matter
matter
should
should be
be handled
handled in
in aa great
great care
care with
with several
several
specialists:
specialists:
Scientists
Scientists:: geologists,
geologists, chemists,
chemists, physicists,
physicists, biologists,
biologists,
mathematicians
mathematicians

Environmental
Environmental Engineers
Engineers
Management
Management and
and Planners
Planners
Socio-economists
Socio-economists