Knowledge Survey Questions - Environmental Geology

Bloom's Taxonomy Level - 2

  • How do levees affect river morphology, and why do they increase the long-term risk of damaging flooding?
  • How do septic systems differ from municipal water treatment systems, and which depends most sensitively on geology?
  • What tectonic settings are of most concern from the perspective of geologic hazard, and why?
  • What controls climate on millennial timescales?

Bloom's Taxonomy Level - 4

  • Explain how natural floodplains form and argue for how we should best utilize this part of our landscape.
  • What is stage, and why is it more important than water discharge for flood prediction?
  • Why is hydrothermal power not considered a renewable resource, and explain some of the possible problems with renewable resources like solar and wind energy.
  • Explain the controls on the rate and pathway of groundwater flow, and why we should care.

Bloom's Taxonomy Level - 6

  • How does urbanization affect the rate and magnitude of mass movements in mountainous environments?
  • How do dams affect sediment transport in rivers, and what effects might this have on river ecosystems?