New Class: GEOL 1050, Urban Geology

This new 4-credit lab science class has been approved by the Curriculum Committee and has been taught twice in abbreviated form as a summer class.

It covers basic concepts in geology such as plate tectonics, the rock cycle, earthquakes, and volcanoes, and links them to urban environments and issues.

This class explores the ways in which cities interact with and depend on their natural surroundings. Rivers and groundwater are studied in conjunction with water supply, sanitation, and pollution. Minerals and elements are examined as raw materials for construction and other uses. Earthquakes and rock types are linked to problems in engineering and supporting large buildings. Since most Rhode Islanders live in cities or suburbs, this class is designed to make geology relevant to the environment in which we live.