20410543 - GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

The course contains two teaching units: Environmental Geology and Environmental Geochemistry. Environmental Geology aims to understand the importance of geological, hydrogeological and geological-technical analyzes for maintaining environmental balance, through the recognition of geological processes whose effects create problems of danger and risk at an environmental and local level. The teaching unit aims to provide knowledge to examine the geological phenomena that affect the evolution of the environment and the territory and to analyze the environmental effects deriving from the implementation of engineering projects, through the identification of the relationship between natural phenomena and those influenced by anthropic activity that determine the qualitative evolution of the environment. Environmental Geochemistry aims to provide a critical knowledge of the main issues and problems relating to the abundance, distribution and mobility of chemical species in the environment (rocks, sediments, soils, waters, air, living beings). It aims also to provide technical-scientific knowledge on the characterization of the various environmental matrices, on the chemical-physical processes that characterize natural systems and on environmental contamination. These objectives are consistent with the educational objectives of the entire Degree Course. The expected learning outcomes are closely linked to the educational objectives. The students will know the composition and reactive properties of geological materials, in their various forms of aggregation (solids, liquids, solutions and gases) and will be able to recognize anthropic alterations on the chemistry of natural systems
teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

Geochemistry teaching module

Environmental Geochemistry aims to provide a critical knowledge of the main issues and problems relating to the abundance, distribution and mobility of chemical species in the environment (rocks, sediments, soils, waters, air, living beings). It aims also to provide technical-scientific knowledge on the characterization of the various environmental matrices, on the chemical-physical processes that characterize natural systems and on environmental contamination. These objectives are consistent with the educational objectives of the entire Degree Course. The expected learning outcomes are closely linked to the educational objectives. The students will know the composition and reactive properties of geological materials, in their various forms of aggregation (solids, liquids, solutions and gases) and will be able to recognize anthropic alterations on the chemistry of natural systems.

Core Documentation

The teaching material relatied to the geochemistry module will be provided by the teacher, in the form of DOC PDF and PPT documents.

Attendance

Attendance is not mandatory but recommended

Type of evaluation

Written exam with open questions, exercises and multiple choice answers, oral test

teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

Educational module of environmental geology

Environmental geology aims at understanding geological processes related to human activities. The educational unit of environmental geology has the objective of examining geological processes and associated natural hazards, as well as their influence on human activities and vice versa. The following topics will be covered during the course: coastal marine processes and coastal erosion, land use, mineral and stone resources, fossil fuels, climate variations, and air pollution.

Core Documentation

"Environmental Geology, Carla Montgomery, ed. McGraw Hill (there are several editions; it doesn't necessarily have to be the latest)

Additional material will be provided by the instructor during the course


Attendance

The frequency is not mandatory but recommended

Type of evaluation

Written exam with open-ended questions, exercises, and multiple-choice answers, oral exam

teacher profile | teaching materials

Programme

Water cycle; Aquifer; Water table; Spring phenomena; Water balance; Hydrodynamics (Bernoulli theorem, Darcy's law); Hydrogeological parameters; Hydrogeological surveys; Piezometry; Hydrogeological mapping; Importance of the hydrogeological model in the environmental field.

Core Documentation

- Pietro Celico – Elementi di Idrogeologia, Editore Liguori
- Material provided by the teacher


Attendance

The frequency is not mandatory but recommended

Type of evaluation

Written exam with open-ended questions, exercises, and multiple-choice answers, oral exam