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GEOL 211

GEOL 211: Earth Materials and the Environment

Catalog Entry

Credits: (4).
Prerequisite: GEOL 105.

Study of mineral and rock formation, major mineral and rock groups, their crystallography, compositions, structures, classification, identification and environmental aspects of their extraction and use. Techniques include microphotography and automated, digital image analysis of minerals. Introduction and demonstration of the X-Ray Diffractometer, Scanning Electron Microscope and Electron Microprobe as instruments for mineralogical analysis. The origin, evolution and distribution of igneous and metamorphic rocks will be based on established field relationships and experimental determinations. Case studies will be used focusing on environmental aspects of minerals and rocks including their relationships with sediment, soil and groundwater pollution, slope stability, karst and sinkhole terrains, and ancient climate change.

 

Detailed Description of Content of Course

Introduces students to concepts and techniques involved in the study of minerals and rocks, both on a macroscopic and microscopic scales. Study of major mineral and rock groups, their compositions, classification, identification, and uses in modern industrialized societies. Case studies will be used focusing on environmental aspects of minerals and rocks including their relationships with sediment, soil and groundwater pollution, slope stability, karst and sinkhole terrains, and ancient climate change. Course will include an introduction to principles involved in the investigation of optical properties of minerals and rocks in thin section under petrographic microscope and via X-Ray Diffraction techniques. Field work will involve investigating organic-rich black shales for observation of pyritiferous metal phases and their connections with producing Acidic Mine Drainage and heavy-metal toxicity.

Major topics:

  1. Mineralogy
    1. chemical nature of common rock-forming minerals, including crystallography
    2. survey and analysis of the major mineral groups in hand sample and thin section
    3. modern uses of minerals, particularly with regard to green energy and sustainable technologies
  2. Petrology
    1. composition, texture, and classification of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks
    2. hand sample and thin section investigation of rock properties
    3. field relationships of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks of southwest Virginia, with a particular emphasis on environmental hazards associated with each, such as heavy metal toxicity and acid mine drainage

Laboratory exercises will include detailed investigations of minerals and rocks at the outcrop, hand sample, and thin section scale. Field trips to local sites of geological significance will be included. 

Lectures will include case studies of environmental impacts of the extraction, use, and disposal of Earth materials.

Students will conduct a semester-long research project culminating in a final presentation at the end of the semester.

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Course will involve a combination of lectures and labs to study Earth materials – specifically minerals and rocks regarding their composition, classification, identification, and physical, chemical, and biologic impacts on the environment. Specifically, case studies will be used for understanding relationships of minerals and rocks with sediment, soil and groundwater pollution, slope stability, karst and sinkhole terrains, and ancient climate change. Lab work will include learning techniques for identification of minerals and rocks in hand samples and understanding optical properties of minerals and rocks in thin sections with a petrographic microscope and via X-Ray Diffraction. Field work will involve investigation of pyritiferous, black shale exposures near Christiansburg and Radford for determination of pollution potential for groundwater and swelling soil. Student performance and grades will be evaluated through a combination of quizzes, written exams, laboratory exercises, field work, a final research project and an oral presentation.

 

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will interpret the characteristics and origins of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks and their minerals.
  • Students will evaluate Earth processes near the surface of the Earth, particularly focused on human-environment interactions.
  • Students will assess sustainability issues related to the extraction and use of Earth materials in the modern world.

 

Assessment Measures

  • Laboratory exercises in the identification of Earth materials and their important physical and chemical characteristics
  • Exams to demonstrate proficiency and knowledge in classification of Earth materials, their extraction, use, and potential environmental impacts
  • Cross-disciplinary research project to assess environmental impacts of resource extraction and/or use

 

Other Course Information

Course readings will come from textbooks on mineralogy and petrology, as well as peer-reviewed journal articles related to case studies and specific research on Earth materials.

 

Approval and Subsequent Reviews

February 26, 2026

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