INTRODUCTION TO

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY
 Limits of resources
Non renewable: rocks, minerals & fossil fuel

Renewable resources: water, plants &

alternative sources of energy are often
removed or polluted faster than replaced

Wars over resources e.g. Invasion of Iraq

over oil.
Pollution from Resource Extraction

Mine waste rock and tailings,

Domestic & industrial waste dumps,
Sewage and waste water,
Nuclear waste
Air pollution, from industry & transportation
Other?
 Limited space
Overcrowding
(i) personal level: increased disease and
intolerance, especially of visible ethnic minorities
(ii) national level: territorial protectionism, wars
e.g. Middle East, Israel vs Palestine

Aesthetic considerations
Maintaining the appearance of the land,
Resort areas for revitalization of people.
The Role of Geological Sciences
Understand the history of the earth
Are environmental changes part of natural cycle or caused
by people?
Global warming: is it real?
Study climate back through geologic time, record in ice
cores, lake sediments, fossils, microfossils, pollen.

Predict long term effect of people on the environment

e.g. Extracting energy, water & mineral resources
Study passage of heavy metals, radioactive material &
organic pollutants through the geological environment
Help to solve present environmental problems
Safe place to bury nuclear waste
Find cleaner coal for power stations
Extract heavy metals from contaminated soil.

Prevent or ameliorate future environmental

problems.
Advise designers of waste disposal facilities or
dams to prevent failure or leakage
Find new mineral and energy deposits extractable
with minimal environmental pollution
Improve mineral processing