12.102 | Fall 2005 | Undergraduate

Environmental Earth Science

Readings

Readings for the class were assigned for the sessions below.

WEEK # TOPICS READINGS

2

Geologic Time, Isotopic Tracers

Introduction to Rocks and Minerals

Merritts, D., A. de Wet, and K. Menking. Environmental Geology: an Earth System Science Approach. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1998, chapters 2, 3. ISBN: 9780716728344.

Liu, Jianguo, Gretchen C. Daily, Paul R. Ehrlich, and Gary W. Luck. “Effects of household dynamics on resource consumption and biodiversity.” Nature 421 (January 30, 2003).

Bartlett, Albert A. “The World’s Worst Population Problem.” Wild Earth 7, no. 3 (Fall 1997): 88-90.

Population and the Environment (PDF)

Eberstadt, Nicholas. “Population Sense and Nonsense.” AEI Online, Sunday, September 1, 2002.

3

Rock and Mineral ID Mineral Resources and Hazards Hands on Mineral Lab

Energy Resources: Fossil Fuels, Alternative Energy

Water as a Resource

Nuclear industry exec picked to head Yucca Mountain project,” Las Vegas Sun, September 09, 2005, Associated Press.

DOE proposes spending cuts for Yucca Mountain scientists,” Las Vegas Sun, September 14, 2005, Associated Press.

Brumfiel, Geoff. “Senate nod prompts fresh analysis of nuclear waste dump.” Nature 418 (July 18, 2002).

———. “Kerry pledges to axe Yucca Mountain nuclear-waste dump.” Nature 430 (August 19, 2004).

———. “Fake papers hamper plans for nuclear store at Yucca Mountain.” Nature 434 (March 24, 2005).

Macilwain, Colin. “Out of sight, out of mind?” Nature 412 (August 30, 2001).

Kerr, Richard A. “Nuclear Waste Disposal: Science and Policy Clash at Yucca Mountain.” Science 288, no. 5466 (April 28, 2000): 602.

Ewing, Rodney C., and Allison Macfarlane. “Yucca Mountain.” Science 296 (April 26, 2002).

5

Pedogenesis and Soils

Waste Management

 Merritts, D., A. de Wet, and K. Menking. Environmental Geology: an Earth System Science Approach. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1998, chapters 4, 5. ISBN: 9780716728344.

6

Geology and Resources

Mineral Resources and Extraction

Geologic Hazards and Catastrophes

Plate Tectonics

de Wit, Maarten J. “Valuing copper mined from ore deposits.” Ecological Economics 55 (2005): 437-443.

 Dallmeyer, R. D. Physical Geology: Laboratory Text and Manual. 6th (Book and CD) ed. Dubuque, Iowa: Kendall Hunt Pub. Co., September 1999, exercise 18. ISBN: 9780787259587.

8

Seismology and Earthquake Hazards

Volcanism

 Merritts, D., A. de Wet, and K. Menking. Environmental Geology: an Earth System Science Approach. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1998, chapter 7. ISBN: 9780716728344.

13

Carbon Cycle and the Greenhouse Effect

Geology of Nuclear Reactor Siting and Waste Disposal

 To review for the test: Merritts, D., A. de Wet, and K. Menking. Environmental Geology: an Earth System Science Approach. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman and Company, 1998, chapters 6, 8, 9, and 12. ISBN: 9780716728344.

Course Info

As Taught In
Fall 2005