Instructor Manul
with Lab Exercises
and Answer Key for
Environmental
th
Geology 5 Edition
By James Reichard
Part 1: Instructor Manual
Part 2: Lab Exercises
Part 3: Lab Exercises Keys
, Part 1: Instructors Manual
Chapter 01 – Humans and the Geologic Environment
CHAPTER 1
HUMANS AND THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT
Chapter Outline
Introduction
What is Geology?
Scientific Inquiry
How Science Operates
Science and Society
Environmental Geology
Environmental Problems and Time Scales
Geologic Time
Environmental Risk and Human Reaction
Earth as a System
The Earth and Human Population
Population Growth
Limits to Growth
Sustainability
Ecological Footprint
Environmentalism
Box Readings:
Case Study 1.1: Harmful Algae Blooms and Humans Interacting with the Earth System
Case Study 1.2: Collapse of a Society and its Fragile Ecosystem
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the major focus of the discipline called environmental geology.
2. Characterize how scientists develop hypotheses and theories as a means of understanding the
natural world.
3. Describe the concept of geologic time and how the geologic time scale was constructed.
4. Explain how geologic time and the rate at which natural processes operate affect how
humans respond to environmental issues.
5. Describe how Earth operates as a system and why humans are an integral part of the system.
6. Explain the concept of exponential population growth and how it relates to geologic hazards
and resource depletion.
7. Define the concept of sustainability in terms of the living standard of developed nations and
also in terms of the human impact on the biosphere.
1
© McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
,Chapter 01 – Humans and the Geologic Environment
Chapter Summary
This chapter introduces geology as the scientific study of the solid earth and environmental
geology as the subset of geology that deals with the study of how humans interact with the
geologic environment, especially with regard to geologic resources and hazards. To acquaint
students with science and the process of scientific inquiry, the scientific method is described
along with the terms hypothesis, scientific theory, and scientific law. The vastness of geologic
time and the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems are emphasized as a basis for understanding
how natural geologic processes and human-induced environmental change can have wide-spread
implications for the many interconnected systems within the environment, on which we depend.
Exponential population growth has exacerbated problems associated with geologic hazards and
resource consumption as exponentially greater demands are placed on Earth’s limited resources
and greater numbers of people will live in hazard zones. Humanity’s current ecological footprint
is not sustainable. Population stabilization and conservation of resources are necessary for
humans to live sustainably.
The first case study provides an example of how human modifications to the Earth system can
lead to undesirable consequences for society. A second case study explores how Easter Island is
often used as warning of what can happened to a society when its ecosystem collapses.
Student Activity
Look around your house/apartment/dorm room and make a list of five different materials that
relate to geology. For example, do you have a granite countertop? Slate floor or pool table? Salt
in your kitchen? Drywall (made from gypsum)? Metal objects? Plastic items (made from
petroleum)? Indicate those items that can be recycled. If you currently do not recycle, describe
what would cause you to start recycling.
Critical Thinking Questions
• Why do environmental scientists stress the importance of maintaining the health of Earth’s
ecosystems? Why is this important to you personally?
Because healthy ecosystems are what provides us with the clean air and water that we
humans depend on. We also depend on a clean environment to enjoy a wide variety of
outdoor activities.
• How does our human perception of time differ from geologic time? Why is it important to
understand the difference?
Humans tend to view time on a much finer scale than the scale over which geologic
processes operate. To an individual person, decades or even hundreds of years may seem
like a long time, but in terms of geology, it commonly takes millions of years for significant
changes to take place. This is important because many environmental problems result from
our failure to understand natural processes that operate over longer time scales.
• What is a sustainable society, and why is it important? How can you personally help?
2
© McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
, Chapter 01 – Humans and the Geologic Environment
Answers should include the need to maintain the Earth system so it can continue to support
future generations. Students should recognize the need to limit population growth and to
limit their personal consumption of resources.
Your Environment: YOU Decide
Describe whether or not you agree with the viewpoint that what happened to Easter Island’s
ecosystem is a small-scale example of how humanity is affecting Earth’s global ecosystem.
Provide one or more reasons to support your answer.
Answers will vary, but most students should see the parallel between Earth’s fragile ecosystem
and limited resources and the need for humans to live in a sustainable manner.
3
© McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
with Lab Exercises
and Answer Key for
Environmental
th
Geology 5 Edition
By James Reichard
Part 1: Instructor Manual
Part 2: Lab Exercises
Part 3: Lab Exercises Keys
, Part 1: Instructors Manual
Chapter 01 – Humans and the Geologic Environment
CHAPTER 1
HUMANS AND THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT
Chapter Outline
Introduction
What is Geology?
Scientific Inquiry
How Science Operates
Science and Society
Environmental Geology
Environmental Problems and Time Scales
Geologic Time
Environmental Risk and Human Reaction
Earth as a System
The Earth and Human Population
Population Growth
Limits to Growth
Sustainability
Ecological Footprint
Environmentalism
Box Readings:
Case Study 1.1: Harmful Algae Blooms and Humans Interacting with the Earth System
Case Study 1.2: Collapse of a Society and its Fragile Ecosystem
Student Learning Outcomes
1. Describe the major focus of the discipline called environmental geology.
2. Characterize how scientists develop hypotheses and theories as a means of understanding the
natural world.
3. Describe the concept of geologic time and how the geologic time scale was constructed.
4. Explain how geologic time and the rate at which natural processes operate affect how
humans respond to environmental issues.
5. Describe how Earth operates as a system and why humans are an integral part of the system.
6. Explain the concept of exponential population growth and how it relates to geologic hazards
and resource depletion.
7. Define the concept of sustainability in terms of the living standard of developed nations and
also in terms of the human impact on the biosphere.
1
© McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
,Chapter 01 – Humans and the Geologic Environment
Chapter Summary
This chapter introduces geology as the scientific study of the solid earth and environmental
geology as the subset of geology that deals with the study of how humans interact with the
geologic environment, especially with regard to geologic resources and hazards. To acquaint
students with science and the process of scientific inquiry, the scientific method is described
along with the terms hypothesis, scientific theory, and scientific law. The vastness of geologic
time and the interconnectedness of Earth’s systems are emphasized as a basis for understanding
how natural geologic processes and human-induced environmental change can have wide-spread
implications for the many interconnected systems within the environment, on which we depend.
Exponential population growth has exacerbated problems associated with geologic hazards and
resource consumption as exponentially greater demands are placed on Earth’s limited resources
and greater numbers of people will live in hazard zones. Humanity’s current ecological footprint
is not sustainable. Population stabilization and conservation of resources are necessary for
humans to live sustainably.
The first case study provides an example of how human modifications to the Earth system can
lead to undesirable consequences for society. A second case study explores how Easter Island is
often used as warning of what can happened to a society when its ecosystem collapses.
Student Activity
Look around your house/apartment/dorm room and make a list of five different materials that
relate to geology. For example, do you have a granite countertop? Slate floor or pool table? Salt
in your kitchen? Drywall (made from gypsum)? Metal objects? Plastic items (made from
petroleum)? Indicate those items that can be recycled. If you currently do not recycle, describe
what would cause you to start recycling.
Critical Thinking Questions
• Why do environmental scientists stress the importance of maintaining the health of Earth’s
ecosystems? Why is this important to you personally?
Because healthy ecosystems are what provides us with the clean air and water that we
humans depend on. We also depend on a clean environment to enjoy a wide variety of
outdoor activities.
• How does our human perception of time differ from geologic time? Why is it important to
understand the difference?
Humans tend to view time on a much finer scale than the scale over which geologic
processes operate. To an individual person, decades or even hundreds of years may seem
like a long time, but in terms of geology, it commonly takes millions of years for significant
changes to take place. This is important because many environmental problems result from
our failure to understand natural processes that operate over longer time scales.
• What is a sustainable society, and why is it important? How can you personally help?
2
© McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
, Chapter 01 – Humans and the Geologic Environment
Answers should include the need to maintain the Earth system so it can continue to support
future generations. Students should recognize the need to limit population growth and to
limit their personal consumption of resources.
Your Environment: YOU Decide
Describe whether or not you agree with the viewpoint that what happened to Easter Island’s
ecosystem is a small-scale example of how humanity is affecting Earth’s global ecosystem.
Provide one or more reasons to support your answer.
Answers will vary, but most students should see the parallel between Earth’s fragile ecosystem
and limited resources and the need for humans to live in a sustainable manner.
3
© McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
