WVGES: CATS Environmental Geology, Fall 2001--Final Exam

	Geoscience Education in the Mountain State:
	CATS Earth Science Connections III
	Environmental Geology Telecourse--Final Exam

Exam Instructions:

Submit your exam answers using one of the following two methods. Please save a copy of your answers for yourself. And regardless of the method you use, don't forget to include your name!

fax to Dr. Behling:
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      fax number:   304-293-6522
   
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e-mail to Dr. Behling:
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  e-mail address:  rbehling@wvu.edu
   
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regular mail to Dr. Behling postmarked no later than the exam due date:

         address:  Department of Geology and Geography
                   West Virginia University
                   P.O. Box 6300
                   Morgantown, WV  26506-6300

Dr. Behling will confirm that your fax or e-mail was received.

ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY CATS FINAL EXAM:

DUE DATE: Answers must be e-mailed, faxed, or postmarked by Thursday, December 13, 2001.

Part I: Multiple Choice (+2 each) For each question, report your choice by indicating the question number and letter of answer you believe to be best.

_______ A piece of organic debris found on the beach along the Outer Banks of North Carolina provides a carbon-14 date of 35,000 years (during a glacial maximum). Where did it come from to be found on the beach during an early morning walk in the summer of 2001? a.) It was ripped up out of the Sound west of the barrier island during a storm; b.) It was ripped up from an old deposit of lagoon deposits now found at depth offshore from the beach; c.) It probably came from the soil in the forest on the barrier island; d.) It was brought in by long-shore drift from the glaciated coast of New England.
_______ What does Dr. Orrin Pilkey suggest about building on the Barrier Islands of North Carolina? a.) Build up and back on the beach itself; b.) Build your home on stilts among the sand dunes on the ocean side of the barrier island; c.) Build your home on stilts in the sound itself; d.) If you must build, the best place is in the forest on the island.
_______ What does Dr. Pilkey like to give as a warning about living on the barrier islands? a.) The risk is worth taking, but it will cost a lot of money; b.) Build on stilts; c.) Since sea level is falling, build a high structure as close to the water as you can afford; d.) If you can see the ocean, the ocean can see you.
_______ The Bureau of Reclamation is part of which Department of the Federal Government? a.) Department of the Interior; b.) Department of Energy; c.) Department of Transportation; d.) Department of Agriculture.
_______ Which Federal entity has jurisdiction over navigable water ways in the US? a.) Department of Energy; b.) Bureau of Reclamation; c.) Corps of Engineers; d.) Department of Interior.
_______ What does Dr. Orrin Pilkey predict about the building of sea walls? a.) They provide long-term stabilization of the coast and beaches; b.) Buildings behind the wall will be safe and people can enjoy the beach/dune area for years to come; c.) He sees no difference between hard stabilization techniques and beach nourishment except for cost in the long run; d.) Build a sea wall and you will lose your beach.
_______ What is the likelihood of the 100 year flood on the Ohio River in the year 2002? a.) 100%; b.) 10%; c.) 5%; d.) 2%; e.) 1%.
_______ What can be predicted regarding the extent of flooding and the timing of flooding as an area is drastically changed from rural to urban (homes, roads, shopping centers, etc,)? a.) The flooding will be greater and the flood will be delayed; b.) The flooding will be greater and the flood will occur more rapidly than it would have under undisturbed conditions; c.) The flooding will be less and the flood will be delayed; d.) the flooding will be less but the flood will occur more rapidly.
_______ Dr. Pilkey says that a barrier island does not erode as does a hill or mountain. What does he say about barrier islands regarding the dynamics of the system? a.) They move out to sea when sea level rises; b.) They move, like the tread of a bulldozer, inland when sea level rises; c.) They lose sand from the top down and become flooded when sea level rises; d.) They move, like the tread of a bulldozer, out to sea when sea level rises.
_______ What mineral present in some coals and underclay (also called "seat earth") creates the potential for AMD? a.) Quartz; b.) Halite; c.) Calcite d.) Gypsum; e.) Pyrite.
_______ What is the most significant geologic consideration in the placement of the HLW at Yucca Mountain, Nevada? a.) The Federal Government already owned the site; b.) The site is closest to the sources of civilian-generated HLW. c.) Nevada is a small state (politically speaking) and there was little opposition to the plan; d.) The water table is so deep beneath the surface; e.) Welded tuff is very, very resistant to nuclear reactions.
_______ Identify the extrusive, igneous rock that was considered for a repository for HLW at Hanford Washington along the banks of the Columbia River. In fact, there is a significant burial site at the nuclear facility. a.) Shale; b.) Bedded salt; c.) Salt dome; d.) Welded tuff; e.) Granite. f.) Basalt.

Part II. Short Answer (+5 each unless otherwise noted.)

+5 Why did the old practice of roasting sulfide ores of metals create environmental problems? Why are copper mines in Arizona, Utah,and Montana so immense? What do they do with the spoil? How do reclamation concerns differ from open pit coal operations in West Virginia?
+5 What are some forms of hard stabilization of coast lines? How long will sand remain on a beach through beach nourishment? Who should pay for these expensive activities?
+5 Should the disposal of HLW on the sea bed be considered? If Native Americans in Arizona offer to place hazardous waste on their land as a profit-making activity, is there any reason to offer opposition? Identify two earth materials that could be the source of radon.
+6 Access the following web site: www.epa.gov/region08/superfund/sites/mt/milltown.html. What element contaminated drinking water? What metal was mined and where was it mined to cause the problem? What do the initials NPL stand for and what act of Congress created the Superfund? What region is West Virginia in and what city is the hub of activity for our region? In your opinion, what should be done with the sediments in the pond?

Address any questions about this exam to Dr. Robert Behling (rbehling@wvu.edu)

Page last revised: November 30, 2001
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