The course contains two teaching units: Environmental Geology and Environmental Geochemistry. Environmental Geology aims to understand the importance of geological, hydrogeological and geological-technical analyses 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 analyse 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
Principles of environmental geochemistry and the role of the discipline in the study of natural and human-modified systems.
Composition and reactive properties of geological materials in their different states: solids, liquids, solutions and gases.
Abundance, distribution and mobility of chemical species in environmental matrices: rocks, sediments, soils, water, air and living organisms.
Physicochemical processes governing the behaviour of chemical species and their transfer between different environmental matrices.
Criteria for the geochemical characterisation of environmental matrices and the interpretation of environmental data.
Natural variability, anthropogenic pressures and the identification of changes in the chemical composition of natural systems.
Environmental contamination and the application of geochemical knowledge to support resource protection and environmental sustainability.
Programme
The course integrates Geochemistry, Hydrology and Geology in the analysis of environmental sustainability. The detailed syllabus below refers exclusively to the Geochemistry module.Principles of environmental geochemistry and the role of the discipline in the study of natural and human-modified systems.
Composition and reactive properties of geological materials in their different states: solids, liquids, solutions and gases.
Abundance, distribution and mobility of chemical species in environmental matrices: rocks, sediments, soils, water, air and living organisms.
Physicochemical processes governing the behaviour of chemical species and their transfer between different environmental matrices.
Criteria for the geochemical characterisation of environmental matrices and the interpretation of environmental data.
Natural variability, anthropogenic pressures and the identification of changes in the chemical composition of natural systems.
Environmental contamination and the application of geochemical knowledge to support resource protection and environmental sustainability.
Core Documentation
Teaching materials for the Geochemistry module are provided by the lecturer in DOC, PDF and PPT formats. Any additional textbooks or readings will be listed with complete bibliographic references consistent with the content and activities actually covered in the module.Attendance
Face-to-face teaching. Classes will be held in person. Students are required to attend at least 50% of the classes.Type of evaluation
Learning is assessed through a written examination consisting of open-ended questions, exercises and multiple-choice questions. Taken together, the different types of questions assess students’ knowledge of key concepts, their ability to apply them to the interpretation of environmental systems, their independent judgement in distinguishing natural processes from anthropogenic changes, and their appropriate use of scientific language. The assessment considers the accuracy and completeness of the student’s knowledge, the consistency of the approach adopted, the ability to interpret data or proposed scenarios, the quality of the reasoning and the precision of the terminology used. The number of questions, the duration of the examination, the weighting of its different components, where applicable, and the specific pass requirements must be specified by the course coordinator before the final course description is published.