Sonjia Leyva - Urban Geology Study Guide

DISCLAIMER: This is a study guide ONLY! Some of these concepts may appear on the test, some may not, and some concepts may be on the test that are not included here. Refer to your syllabus to know which chapters you will need to know for each exam! Please read the appropriate papers assigned and review your lecture notes.

Introduction

Understand the relationship between Magnitude, Frequency and Return Period in regards to natural hazards
Know the difference between a natural disaster and a natural hazard
Know which disasters cause the most damage in terms of loss of life & monetary loss.
Know the primary sources of energy for the Earth

Population and Urbanization

Understand how populations and urbanization has changed from the Stone Age to the present
Know where and the names of the earliest civilizations discussed in class (Mesopotamia, Nile River Valley, Indus River Valley, Yellow River Valley, Mexico & Peru)
Know the natural & human determinants for the earliest civilizations
Be able to explain what a population pyramid is, how they are used, and the stages populations go through.
Understand the concepts of growth rate, doubling rate, birth and death rates and how they affect populations
Know the three things hinder the growth of developing countries today
Know the factors which reduce the carrying capacity of Earth

Urban Volcanoes

Understand the factors that will determine the violence of an eruption
Understand how silica content, volitiles, and temperature can affect a magma's viscosity, and how viscosity can determine the eruptive style of a volcano
Know where volcanoes are likely to form and why
Understand the differences between explosive and non-explosive eruptions, including which type of geographic location and magma type is associated with each
Understand the hazards associated with volcanoes
Know The 3 Most Dangerous Areas in California
Know how volcanoes cause damage and some of the examples given in class

California Earthquakes

Know what an earthquake is and the terminology associated with them (Focus aka Hypocenter, Faults, Epicenter, Aftershocks, Foreshocks, Mainshock, hanging wall, footwall, right-lateral, left-lateral)
Know the difference between intensity and magnitude scales
Understand the different types of faults (Dip-Slip Faults, Strike-Slip Faults and Transform Faults) and the subdivisions of each.
Understand why earthquakes are mostly concentrated along plate boundaries
Know the various types of hazards associated with Earthquake Basics, and which ones do the most damage.
Know the characteristics of Body and Surface waves
Know what the severity of ground shaking depends on
Know the factors that determine structural damage
Know what some of the earthquake hazards are
For each of the following earthquakes, be able to descibe what caused the greatest amount of damage in the affected area (ground shaking, tsunami, liquifaction, to name a few) and give a reason for how it could have been prevented
- 1. San Francisco - 1906
- 2. Loma Prieta - 1989
- 3. Sylmar - 1971
- 4. Northridge - 1994
Understand how the construction of buildings and their furnishings can affect the amount of damage inflicted on the structure.

Flooding

Understand how the hydrologic cycle works
Know what the three fates of precipitation are
Understand what the function of rivers is and how rivers work
Understand how sediment is transported and the three types of loads
Know the following terms: load, capacity, competence, deposition
Be able to discuss a river's journey from the headlands to the ocean.
what floods are
How floods cause damage
Understand the relationship between flooding, erosion and urbanization
Know the types of floods
Know the societal responses to floods
Be able to discuss why we in Los Angeles need a flood control program
Understand what our flood control program is, how it functions, and the pros and cons of having one.

Coastal Hazards

Know what a beach is and how it changes with time
Know what the primary source(s) of beach sand is/are
Understand longshore current and longshore drift
Be able to discuss what some of the threats of sand supply are, and what society has done to try to stop beach erosion
Know what beach erosion is and the steps that have been taken to try to reduce it
Understand the differences between active and passive coastlines, where they occur, some of the features and some of the problems each faces
know what the three primary management strategies of the California Coastal Erosion Planning And Response Plan are
Know what a hurricane is, what it's function is, how they form, and where they occur
Know what a tsunami is, how they form, and what can be done to inform the public about the danger they pose.

Mass Wasting

What mass wasting is
the major causes of mass wasting/landslides
how mass wasting is classified
know the following terms: Slide, creep, slump, topple, fall, flow, torrent, lahar, debris flow
For each of the following mass wasting events, be able to determine the cause of the event, what happened, and how it could have been prevented:

Natural Resources: Water

Know what groundwater is
Know the following terms: belt of soil moisture, zone of saturation, zone of aeration, capillary fringe, water table, gaining streams, losing streams, & interactions, Porosity, permeability, aquitard, aquifer
Understand how, where and why caves and karst topography form
Be able to discuss the problems associated with groundwater removal

Natural Resources: Minerals and Ores (Part 1 and Part 2)

Natural Resources: Energy

Natural Resources: Alternative Energy

Global Climate Change

LINKS