Practical Earth Science Exercises

Edition: 5

Copyright: 2022

Pages: 184

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$78.75 USD

ISBN 9781792499180

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We are pleased to present the 5th edition of Practical Earth Science Exercises, a laboratory manual originally conceived by Drs. Lisa Rossbacher, David Jessey, and David Berry in 1986 during their early teaching years at Cal Poly Pomona. 

Exercises in this volume will acquaint students with practical aspects of physical geology, natural hazards, and engineering applications of geology.  The chapter sequence is organized such that fundamental concepts and definitions are thoroughly introduced before exercises involving practical applications, natural hazards, and geotechnical analysis.  Topics are chosen to compliment lecture materials covered concurrently in introductory level Earth Science, Natural Disasters, and Engineering Geology courses. Key words and/or important technical “jargon” are highlighted in underlined italics.  Instructors may select various exercises in different sequences to meet the needs of their lecture itinerary.  Each exercise is designed to provide the student with "hands on" experience in geological techniques or analysis.  Some exercises may take less than 50 minutes to complete; others may take three hours or more.  Students will find it most useful to read the introductory material for the appropriate exercise before class meetings.  We also recommend previewing the various web pages cited in the exercises to prepare for assigned problems.

Preface and Acknowledgments

Part 1: Earth Science Fundamentals

Exercise 1 Plate Boundaries and Global Population Distribution          

Exercise 2 Mineral Properties and Identification          

Exercise 3 Identifying Igneous Rocks          

Exercise 4 Identifying Sedimentary Rocks           

Exercise 5 Identifying Metamorphic Rocks          

Exercise 6 Ordering Geologic Events: Laws of Stratigraphy and Crosscutting Relationships         

Part 2: Practical Applications

Exercise 7 Fossil Preservation          

Exercise 8 Petroleum Geology          

Exercise 9 Interpretation of Topographic Quadrangle Maps           

Exercise 10 Construction of Topographic Map and Profile            

Exercise 11 Volcano Profiles, Shapes, and Volumes           

Exercise 12 Construction of Geologic Maps and Geologic Cross Sections          

Exercise 13 Geology and Groundwater Resources of Alluvial Fans         

Exercise 14 Water Table Maps, Groundwater Flow, and Seepage Velocity in Unconfined Aquifers           

Exercise 15 Drawdown and Subsidence Induced by Pumping an Unconfined Aquifer        

Part 3: Natural Hazard Mitigation and Geotechnical Analysis

Exercise 16 Volcanic Hazards          

Exercise 17 Rivers and Flood Hazards          

Exercise 18 Fault Recognition and Classification; Building in Earthquake Country            

Exercise 19 Basic Seismology:  Richter Magnitude and Earthquake Epicenter Location; Moment Magnitude and Ground Acceleration   

Exercise 20 Neotectonics: Fault Slip Rates and Earthquake Recurrence Intervals         

Exercise 21     Neotectonics: Marine Terrace Uplift     

Exercise 22 Interpretation of Seismic Hazard and Geologic Quadrangle Maps     

Exercise 23 Building in Landslide Country: Part I    

Exercise 24 Building in Landslide Country: Part II    

Exercise 25 Grading Plans; Cut and Fill Procedures    

Exercise 26 Earthquake-Induced Liquefication   

Exercise 27 Flood Control Dams of the San Gabriel River Watershed    

Exercise 28 Oroville Dam: A Disaster Waiting to Happen    

Exercise 29 Southern California Windstorm of January 21-22, 2022   

Bibliography

Jonathan A Nourse

Jonathan A. Nourse, PhD is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences in the College of Science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and both a Master of Science and PhD in Geology from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Nourse's expertise includes structural geology, tectonics, mineral exploration, engineering geology, hydrogeology, and geographic information systems (GIS). 

ERNEST W. ROUMELIS

Ernest Roumelis is a lecturer in the Department of Geological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). He teaches geology courses that introduce students to the fundamental principles of Earth science, including geologic processes, Earth's materials, and the dynamic systems that shape the planet.

Jeffrey S Marshall

Jeff Marshall, PhD is a Professor of Geological Sciences and Regenerative Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). He earned a BA in Geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MS from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. As a geomorphologist, he has more than 30 years of research and field experience studying Earth surface processes in California, Mexico, Central America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dr. Marshall's research focuses on geomorphology, geologic hazards, coastal processes, watershed systems, landscape evolution, neotectonics, earthquakes, sea level rise, climate change, and watershed restoration. His work integrates field geology with modern technologies such as UAV-based photogrammetry and LiDAR to study Earth's dynamic landscapes. In addition to his research, he has been extensively involved in undergraduate research mentoring, National Science Foundation initiatives, and interdisciplinary environmental education.

David R Berry

We are pleased to present the 5th edition of Practical Earth Science Exercises, a laboratory manual originally conceived by Drs. Lisa Rossbacher, David Jessey, and David Berry in 1986 during their early teaching years at Cal Poly Pomona. 

Exercises in this volume will acquaint students with practical aspects of physical geology, natural hazards, and engineering applications of geology.  The chapter sequence is organized such that fundamental concepts and definitions are thoroughly introduced before exercises involving practical applications, natural hazards, and geotechnical analysis.  Topics are chosen to compliment lecture materials covered concurrently in introductory level Earth Science, Natural Disasters, and Engineering Geology courses. Key words and/or important technical “jargon” are highlighted in underlined italics.  Instructors may select various exercises in different sequences to meet the needs of their lecture itinerary.  Each exercise is designed to provide the student with "hands on" experience in geological techniques or analysis.  Some exercises may take less than 50 minutes to complete; others may take three hours or more.  Students will find it most useful to read the introductory material for the appropriate exercise before class meetings.  We also recommend previewing the various web pages cited in the exercises to prepare for assigned problems.

Preface and Acknowledgments

Part 1: Earth Science Fundamentals

Exercise 1 Plate Boundaries and Global Population Distribution          

Exercise 2 Mineral Properties and Identification          

Exercise 3 Identifying Igneous Rocks          

Exercise 4 Identifying Sedimentary Rocks           

Exercise 5 Identifying Metamorphic Rocks          

Exercise 6 Ordering Geologic Events: Laws of Stratigraphy and Crosscutting Relationships         

Part 2: Practical Applications

Exercise 7 Fossil Preservation          

Exercise 8 Petroleum Geology          

Exercise 9 Interpretation of Topographic Quadrangle Maps           

Exercise 10 Construction of Topographic Map and Profile            

Exercise 11 Volcano Profiles, Shapes, and Volumes           

Exercise 12 Construction of Geologic Maps and Geologic Cross Sections          

Exercise 13 Geology and Groundwater Resources of Alluvial Fans         

Exercise 14 Water Table Maps, Groundwater Flow, and Seepage Velocity in Unconfined Aquifers           

Exercise 15 Drawdown and Subsidence Induced by Pumping an Unconfined Aquifer        

Part 3: Natural Hazard Mitigation and Geotechnical Analysis

Exercise 16 Volcanic Hazards          

Exercise 17 Rivers and Flood Hazards          

Exercise 18 Fault Recognition and Classification; Building in Earthquake Country            

Exercise 19 Basic Seismology:  Richter Magnitude and Earthquake Epicenter Location; Moment Magnitude and Ground Acceleration   

Exercise 20 Neotectonics: Fault Slip Rates and Earthquake Recurrence Intervals         

Exercise 21     Neotectonics: Marine Terrace Uplift     

Exercise 22 Interpretation of Seismic Hazard and Geologic Quadrangle Maps     

Exercise 23 Building in Landslide Country: Part I    

Exercise 24 Building in Landslide Country: Part II    

Exercise 25 Grading Plans; Cut and Fill Procedures    

Exercise 26 Earthquake-Induced Liquefication   

Exercise 27 Flood Control Dams of the San Gabriel River Watershed    

Exercise 28 Oroville Dam: A Disaster Waiting to Happen    

Exercise 29 Southern California Windstorm of January 21-22, 2022   

Bibliography

Jonathan A Nourse

Jonathan A. Nourse, PhD is Professor and Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences in the College of Science at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). He earned a Bachelor of Science in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines and both a Master of Science and PhD in Geology from the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Nourse's expertise includes structural geology, tectonics, mineral exploration, engineering geology, hydrogeology, and geographic information systems (GIS). 

ERNEST W. ROUMELIS

Ernest Roumelis is a lecturer in the Department of Geological Sciences at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). He teaches geology courses that introduce students to the fundamental principles of Earth science, including geologic processes, Earth's materials, and the dynamic systems that shape the planet.

Jeffrey S Marshall

Jeff Marshall, PhD is a Professor of Geological Sciences and Regenerative Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona). He earned a BA in Geology from the University of California, Santa Barbara, an MS from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University. As a geomorphologist, he has more than 30 years of research and field experience studying Earth surface processes in California, Mexico, Central America, Australia, and New Zealand.

Dr. Marshall's research focuses on geomorphology, geologic hazards, coastal processes, watershed systems, landscape evolution, neotectonics, earthquakes, sea level rise, climate change, and watershed restoration. His work integrates field geology with modern technologies such as UAV-based photogrammetry and LiDAR to study Earth's dynamic landscapes. In addition to his research, he has been extensively involved in undergraduate research mentoring, National Science Foundation initiatives, and interdisciplinary environmental education.

David R Berry