HUMANS AND THE GEOLOGIC ENVIRONMENT Flashcards
what is the forces driving the motion of plates?
ridge push and slab pull
what are the indication of environmental geology
tragedy of the commons
disconnection from the natural environment
EGGA 2004
Engineering Geological and Geohazard Assessment Report, the requirement for environmental compliance to safeguard development projects
involves taking steps to reduce a
specific risk i.e., identify a threat and subsequently reduce
the probability of such to occur and minimize its
impact/consequences
Risk management
environmental problems related to geology generally fall into one of two categories, what are these two?
hazards and resources
The key to sustainability, therefore, is not just Earth’s total population, but also _____
humanity’s per capita consumption rate of resources.
Developed countries have a much a larger E.F. than the
global average. True or false?
true
give general examples of hazards
earthquakes
volcanic eruptions
flood
mas wasting
pollution
example of irreversible degradation
groundwater, overfishing
what is carrying capacity?
determines the size of the population that can exist or will be tolerated there. and equilibrium between the availability of habitat and the population the habitat can support over time
high siltation (deposition) _____ probability of flood
increases
how do science operate?
with observation, hypothesis, experiment (data gathering), analysis of results and conclusion
what are freeloaders?
people that take advantage of somebodies action
historical geology
-interprets Earth’s past by
unravelling the information held in
rocks
what is linear growth?
amount added over successive time periods remains the same
environmentalists continue to sound the alarm that
population growth will eventually outstrip the planet’s
ability to support all of its human inhabitants due to…
- Loss of topsoils worldwide
- Depletion of water supplies
- Future decline of conventional supplies of oil and gas
has flowing water year-round during a typical year
perennial streams
Pollution may occur gradually over many years where its
effects on human health are not so readily apparent. This
can cause society to?
delay corrective measures until the consequences become more severe and noticeable
To lower the risk of flooding, the probability of flooding
can be reduced through the construction of dams and
levees, and the consequences can be minimized via
_______ that limit development on floodplains.
zoning laws
the self-interest of individuals results in the destruction of common and shared resources
the tragedy of the commons
what is geology?
study of the solid earth, which includes the materials it is
composed of and the various processes that shape the
planet
low probability = high _____
consequences
H. sapiens started?
200,000 yrs ago