C.W. Post
Department of Earth and Environmental Science


Environmental Science I: Geology
ENV 601 - Spring 2009
Syllabus

Department Home Page
Calculators
Class Notes
Library Resources

Instructor:

Prof. Vic DiVenere

Office:

Pell Hall 229C (knock on 227)

Office Hours:

12:30-2:30 Mon, 3:30 - 6:00 Tuesdays or by appointment

Phone:

299-2034

Email:

divenere@liu.edu

WebCT: (slides & quizzes) http://webct.liu.edu (you must log in with your C.W. Post password)

HomePage:

Prof. DiVenere HomePage

Textbook:

Required: Introduction to Environmental Geology, 4th Edition Edward A. Keller
Recommended: Engineering Geology: An Environmental Approach; Perry H. Rahn
Helpful: If you have not previously studied geology, any physical geology textbook should also be helpful to have on hand.

Department of Earth and Environmental Science:

Room 133 Life Science, 299-2318

Course Objectives:
We will study geological processes that affect human activities. Attention will be paid to issues of relevance to Long Island and the New York metropolitan area.

Earth and Environmental Science Student Lounge: Pell Hall, room 129E.

Homework
Homework exercises will be assigned for most course topics.  They will normally be due - neat and complete - two weeks following being assigned.

Homework Exercises and Quizzes:
Homework exercises will be assigned for most course topics. They will normally be due - neat and complete - two weeks following being assigned. A few quizzes may be given during the course of the semester, online at the WebCT site.

Short Papers:
A short paper is required of all students, presenting a summary of a scientific journal article listing the critical points made. Articles must be approved by Prof. D no later than the date listed below.  Final papers must be accompanied by the articles. Summary papers should be the equivalent of approximately 2-3 pages typed, double-spaced, plus references in a standard bibliographic format, plus any figures. Sources must be cited in the body of the paper and cited sources must be listed in a bibliography at the end. For a summary of journals and other sources available at C.W. Post and to browse through lists of articles on various topics check out the Library Resources link.  Plagiarism will be dealt with severely - see below.

The scientific journal article must present new conclusions based on data rather than simply summaries or reviews of other work. Scientific journal article summaries must review 1) the problem posed or question asked, 2) the general background to the issue, 3) the methods used to study the problem, 4) the data/observations/information gathered, 5) the analysis or weighing of data/information, and 6) the conclusions.

Academic Integrity:
All work presented on exams, homework, and papers must be your own. Any written passages not in your own words must be in quote marks with the source noted. Papers may not be constructed by paraphrasing or simply rearranging the words of extended passages from the source. The source of ideas presented, even in your own words, must also be documented. For the case of the scientific journal article summaries you only need to cite your source article once and place a full bibliographic entry at the end. Information referred to from any other source articles must be properly cited in the body and fully listed in the bibliography.

Attendance, tardiness, and class participation will be noted and may affect your grade (for better or worse).

Cell Phones and Pagers:
All cell phones, blackberries, pagers, etc. must be turned off before entering the classroom.

Grading:

Exercises & Quizzes

25%

 

Papers

25%

 

Midterm Exam

25%

 

Final Exam

25%

 

Important Dates
Feb 17 NO CLASS - Monday classes meet
Mar 10
NO CLASS - Spring Break
Mar 17
Midterm Exam
Mar 31
Article Approvals Due
Apr 28
Papers Due
May 5 Final Exam

 

Planned Topics of Study

  Topic

  Chapter

Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks, Environmental Health 3 & 20

Weathering

supplemental

Soils and Soil Mechanics

16

Slope Processes and Mass Wasting, Subsidence

9

Groundwater Resources

12, 13

Stream Processes and Flooding

8

Coastal Processes: Coastal Erosion, Storms

10

Earthquake Hazards

6

Energy and Mineral Resources and Pollution

14, 15, 17