Environmental Geology: Summative Project
The purpose of this project is for you to apply what you have learned in this class. You will be researching a location and determining the interaction of humans and the environment. You may choose the location where you intend to live in the future (your dream location or somewhere you hope to visit) or where you currently live. Sign up for your location on D2L.
Location: Describe your location. Use latitude and longitude, along with the city and state. It is best to pick a house or at least a neighborhood in a city to be able to answer some of the questions, like the flood and mass wasting questions.
Rocks: What type of bedrock is under your location? Is that a good rock for houses?
Plate Tectonics and Earthquakes: What is the nearest plate boundary and what type (convergent, divergent, or transform) is it? Are earthquakes common at your location? What size are they and how frequently are they? Does your community have a hazard plan in place to deal with Earthquakes?
Tsunami and Volcano: Is there a tsunami or volcanic hazard at your location? If so, describe the hazard and the hazard plan that is in place. If not, what is the nearest volcano to your location?
Floods: Is your location on a flood plain? Check https://msc.fema.gov/portal/ website to find out. If so, how is it protected from flooding? If not, what is the nearest stream and what is your location’s elevation above the nearest stream?
Mass wasting: What is the slope of the land at your location? Is there any evidence on your location or neighboring properties of a past mass wasting event? What types of mass wasting are likely?
Shorelines: Is there a shoreline at your location? If so, what has been done to protect it from erosion? Is there a chance of damage from hurricanes? What will happen if sea level rises? If not, what is the nearest shoreline?
Groundwater: What are the sources of groundwater pollution near your location? Is there any evidence of current pollution at your location? You should check Leaking UST websites for any published data.
Soil: Identify the type of soil (classification) present at your location. Is it best used for residential uses or is there a better use for it? Be sure to check the soil survey at the USDA to answer this question.
Water: Describe your source of water, how it is delivered to your location, and how it is processes so it is made clean enough to drink.
Electricity: Describe where your electricity comes from by finding your utility’s environmental disclosure statement. Be sure to indicate the type of fuel that is used to produce it and the pollution that is caused by its use. Find out where the waste from the fuel is stored or released into the environment.
Sewage: Describe the process that your sewage goes through before it is released to the environment. Be sure to indicate where this occurs, including where the water is released to the environment.
Landfills: Where does your trash go? What protections are used at the facility to protect the groundwater and air from pollution? What is the actual location of the landfill or incinerator?
Superfund: Where is the closest Superfund site and what is its status?
Other issues: Are there any other environmental issues that we have studied this semester that would make living in this location difficult?