1 Overview of planet2 Rocks and minerals3 Plate tectonics4 Earthquakes5 Volcanoes6 Streams7 Coastlines8 Landslides & mass movements9 Glaciers and deserts10 Climate

11 Water resources12 Soil resources13 Mineral resources14 Fossil energy resources15 Alternative energy resources16 Solid waste17 Water pollution18 Air pollution19 Law and policy20 Engineering geology

There‟s lots of current news among the diverse chapters …

Giant flash triggered by an extremely powerful star explosion:

supernova

At the end of its lifespan, a massive star collapsed on itself and

created a black hole at its center

By-product: heavy elements like iron [Fe]

Formation of the Earth Ch 1Rocks and Minerals Ch 2

Multiple eruptions since SeptemberLarge ash volume

Plate Tectonics Ch 3

Earthquakes Ch 4

Volcanoes Ch 5

Typhoon Haiyan: the “strongest storm in recorded history” [maybe]

5200+ dead

Is it part of a trend: debate rages!

Physics suggests that storms will get worse as the planet warms.

But it is too early to tell if it is actually happening

Climate Ch 10

Minnesota holds one of the world‟s largest unmined deposits of copper, nickel

Duluth Complex rocks border Iron Range & Boundary Waters Canoe

Wilderness Area

Very controversial plan because of acid mining waste and risk of pollution –

extraction ~20 year life, treatment maybe 200 years?

Out Friday: latest

Environmental Impact study

on how an open pit copper-

nickel mine could change

the landscape

Min resources Ch 12

Coal fired plants NW of Twin Cities“Closing units this big really takes years of planning.”Costs $33 million to fix upstate law sets a goal of reducing greenhouse gases by 30 percent by 2025

St Anthony plant planned for near downtown MplsPlan since 1990s for ~4000 homes worth of electricity

Commissioner: "very concerned about the flow over the falls…people come to the river because they enjoy seeing the river” – reduced flow at site would make a lousy view

MN Pollution Control Agency:

Lake Nokomis water samples

contained caffeine, a

component of plastic, an

antibacterial soap

ingredient, an antibiotic used

on swine, a breakdown product

of cocaine, an

antidepressant, a fungicide and

a drug used to treat

Parkinson‟s disease.

Water Pollution Ch 17

SE MN City & local governments ask for state help to study

/ regulate mining

“frac” = hydraulic fracturing, used in the drilling process for

natural gas and oil

MN and WI have ideal type of sand for this use, so mining is

booming

13

2

Rocks close to home

Underground supply cannot keep up with „drawdown‟ demand

Red = so much depletion that restrictions would kick in

11