GEOLOGY FOR

CIVIL ENGINEERS
MELBERT V. ALABANA BSCE - 1C
 GEOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE WORLD AROUND US
AND THE WAY IT WAS FORMED. THE STUDY EXPANDS
BEYOND THE EARTH AND INCLUDES THE BUILDING
BLOCKS OF THE WHOLE UNIVERSE. WITHOUT THE
DEFINE AND STUDY OF GEOLOGY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY
DIFFICULT TO BUILD THE MODERN WORLD AROUND US.
DISCUSS FOR ONE THING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO
LOCATE BUILDING MATERIALS FOR OUR ROADS,
GEOLOGY HOUSES, AND OFFICE BUILDINGS. WITHOUT READY
ACCESS TO METALS LIKE GOLD, WE WOULD NEVER
(INCLUDING HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE THE WIDE RANGE OF
ELECTRICAL DEVICES LIKE CELL PHONES AND DIGITAL
THE CAMERAS THAT WE ALL DEPEND ON. THE EARTH
SYSTEM IS ITSELF AN INTEGRATED SYSTEM, BUT IT CAN
SUBSYSTEM BE SUBDIVIDED INTO FOUR MAIN COMPONENTS, SUB-
SYSTEMS OR SPHERES: THE GEOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE,
OF EARTH). HYDROSPHERE AND BIOSPHERE. ALL FOUR MAJOR
GEOLOGICAL SUBSYSTEMS OF EARTH CAN FUNCTION
INDEPENDENTLY FROM EACH OTHER, BUT FOR THE
MOST PART, THERE IS SOME TYPE OF INTERACTION
BETWEEN THEM.
HOW DOES GEOLOGY AFFECT OUR EVERYDAY
LIVES? (DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF GEOLOGY, BUT
ALSO IN TERMS OF ECONOMIC AND POWER)
GEOLOGY PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN MANY AREAS OF THE ECONOMY.
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY, AS WELL AS SOCIETAL WELL-
BEING, WILL REQUIRE RELIABLE SUPPLIES OF ENERGY AND RAW
MATERIALS, A DEPENDABLE SUPPLY OF CLEAN WATER AND THE SECURE
AND SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION OF FOOD. ALL THIS WILL BE CONTINGENT
ON SUSTAINED INVESTMENT IN TECHNOLOGY, INFRASTRUCTURE,
EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT. LOCATING AND EXTRACTING
GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ARE VITAL TO A NATIONS GDP, TAX REVENUES
AND ECONOMIC GROWTH. THE USE OF RAW MATERIALS FOR INDUSTRIAL
AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES, AND OF FOSSIL FUELS FOR
ENERGY, UNDERPIN OUR PROSPERITY AND ARE MAJOR CONTRIBUTORS TO
THE ECONOMY IN THEIR OWN RIGHT. THE EXTRACTION OF OIL, GAS,
COAL AND CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL MINERALS MAKES UP A
SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE GDP OF A NATION’S ECONOMIC GROWTH. A
NATIONS’ HIGHLY GEOLOGICAL DEVELOPED RESEARCH AND HIGHER
EDUCATION SECTOR MAKES IT IDEALLY PLACED TO PLAY A LEADING ROLE
IN THE GLOBAL KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY.
DESCRIBE SOME OF THE MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL
ISSUES THE HUMANKIND ARE FACING.
GLOBAL WARMING HAS BECOME AN UNDISPUTED FACT ABOUT OUR CURRENT
LIVELIHOODS; OUR PLANET IS WARMING UP AND WE ARE DEFINITELY PART OF THE
PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THIS ISN’T THE ONLY ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM THAT WE
SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT. ALL ACROSS THE WORLD, PEOPLE ARE FACING A
WEALTH OF NEW AND CHALLENGING ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS EVERY DAY. SOME
OF THEM ARE SMALL AND ONLY AFFECT A FEW ECOSYSTEMS, BUT OTHERS ARE
DRASTICALLY CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE OF WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW. POLLUTION
OF AIR, WATER AND SOIL REQUIRES MILLIONS OF YEARS TO RECOUP. INDUSTRY AND
MOTOR VEHICLE EXHAUST ARE THE NUMBER ONE POLLUTANTS. WHILE WATER
POLLUTION IS CAUSED BY OIL SPILL, ACID RAIN, URBAN RUNOFF, AIR POLLUTION IS
CAUSED BY VARIOUS GASES AND TOXINS RELEASED BY INDUSTRIES AND FACTORIES
AND COMBUSTION OF FOSSIL FUELS; SOIL POLLUTION IS MAJORLY CAUSED BY
INDUSTRIAL WASTE THAT DEPRIVES SOIL FROM ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS. INTENSIVE
AGRICULTURE PRACTICED TO PRODUCE FOOD DAMAGES THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH
THE USE OF CHEMICAL FERTILIZER, PESTICIDES AND INSECTICIDES. OVERPOPULATION
IS ALSO ONE OF THE CRUCIAL CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS. DEFORESTATION
SIMPLY MEANS CLEARING OF GREEN COVER AND MAKE THAT LAND AVAILABLE FOR
RESIDENTIAL, INDUSTRIAL OR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES.