Environmental Geologist Course

Lesson 1 • Earth Materials and Rock Classification

Covers igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock identification and formation. Provides the material basis for understanding subsurface conditions at environmental sites.

Lesson 2 • Geomorphology and Landscape Processes

Examines landform development, erosion, and deposition in relation to site stability. Geomorphic context informs risk assessment and land-use decisions.

Lesson 3 • Structural Geology Essentials

Covers faults, folds, joints, and fracture systems and their influence on fluid flow. Structural features control contaminant migration pathways in the subsurface.

Lesson 4 • Soil Formation and Classification

Examines pedogenic processes, soil horizons, and standard classification systems. Links soil properties to contaminant mobility and site remediation planning.

Lesson 1 • Recharge, Discharge, and Water Budgets

Quantifies groundwater recharge mechanisms, discharge zones, and basin-scale water budgets. Supports sustainable yield assessments and source water protection.

Lesson 2 • Groundwater Flow Principles

Applies Darcy's Law and hydraulic gradient analysis to quantify groundwater movement. Flow direction and velocity data are essential for plume delineation.

Lesson 3 • Vadose Zone Hydrology

Examines unsaturated zone moisture movement, capillary pressure, and infiltration processes. Vadose zone behavior governs contaminant leaching to groundwater.

Lesson 4 • Aquifer Types and Properties

Defines confined, unconfined, and perched aquifers and their hydraulic characteristics. Aquifer type determines monitoring well design and pumping test interpretation.

Lesson 1 • Dense and Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids

Analyzes DNAPL and LNAPL behavior, entrapment, and dissolution in the subsurface. Phase distribution controls remediation complexity and cleanup timeframes.

Lesson 2 • Chemical Fate Processes

Examines hydrolysis, oxidation-reduction reactions, precipitation, and complexation affecting contaminants. Chemical fate controls long-term contaminant persistence and mobility.

Lesson 3 • Physical Transport Processes

Covers advection, dispersion, and diffusion as primary mechanisms of contaminant movement. These processes determine plume geometry and monitoring network design.

Lesson 4 • Contaminant Source Characterization

Identifies common contaminant classes, source types, and release mechanisms at industrial and municipal sites. Source definition is the first step in conceptual site model development.

Lesson 1 • Soil and Groundwater Sampling Protocols

Establishes low-flow purging, passive sampling, and soil sampling procedures for representative data collection. Sampling protocols directly affect analytical data quality.

Lesson 2 • Quality Assurance and Data Management

Defines QA/QC requirements, chain-of-custody procedures, and data validation criteria. Data quality objectives must be established before fieldwork begins.

Lesson 3 • Monitoring Well Design and Installation

Covers screen interval selection, filter pack design, grouting, and well development procedures. Proper installation ensures representative groundwater samples.

Lesson 4 • Subsurface Drilling and Sampling Methods

Compares hollow-stem auger, direct-push, rotary, and sonic drilling for soil and rock sampling. Method selection affects sample quality and data usability.

Lesson 1 • Borehole Geophysical Logging

Uses natural gamma, resistivity, caliper, and acoustic logs to characterize lithology and fractures. Borehole logs calibrate surface geophysical surveys and guide screen placement.

Lesson 2 • Integrating Geophysics with Borehole Data

Combines geophysical profiles with borehole logs to build three-dimensional subsurface models. Integration reduces uncertainty and optimizes subsequent drilling programs.

Lesson 3 • Magnetic and Gravity Surveys

Applies magnetometry and microgravity to locate buried tanks, drums, and subsurface voids. These passive methods are cost-effective for preliminary site screening.

Lesson 4 • Seismic Methods for Site Characterization

Applies refraction, reflection, and surface wave methods to map bedrock depth and soil layering. Seismic data complement borehole logs for three-dimensional site models.

Lesson 1 • Data Gaps and Iterative Investigation

Evaluates CSM data gaps and designs targeted investigations to reduce uncertainty. Iterative refinement improves remedy selection confidence and regulatory acceptance.

Lesson 2 • Geologic and Hydrogeologic Synthesis

Integrates borehole logs, geophysics, and aquifer test data into a unified subsurface model. Synthesis reveals preferential flow paths and contaminant migration routes.

Lesson 3 • CSM Framework and Components

Defines the source-pathway-receptor framework and required CSM elements. A complete CSM links all site data into a coherent narrative for decision-making.

Lesson 4 • Contaminant Distribution Mapping

Maps contaminant concentrations in soil, groundwater, and soil vapor using spatial interpolation. Distribution maps define plume boundaries and mass loading estimates.

Lesson 1 • Toxicology for Environmental Geologists

Covers carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic toxicity values, routes of exposure, and bioavailability. Toxicity data selection directly affects calculated risk estimates.

Lesson 2 • Risk Assessment Framework Overview

Introduces the four-step risk assessment process: hazard identification, dose-response, exposure assessment, and risk characterization. Each step feeds directly into cleanup goal derivation.

Lesson 3 • Ecological Risk Assessment Principles

Applies problem formulation, exposure-response analysis, and risk characterization to ecological receptors. Ecological risk drives cleanup goals at sites with sensitive habitats.

Lesson 4 • Risk-Based Cleanup Goal Derivation

Calculates risk-based screening levels for soil, groundwater, and air using toxicity and exposure data. Cleanup goals define remediation targets and regulatory compliance endpoints.

Lesson 1 • Site Closure and Long-Term Stewardship

Covers closure criteria, post-remediation monitoring, institutional controls, and site reuse planning. Closure documentation must demonstrate that cleanup goals have been achieved.

Lesson 2 • Soil Vapor Extraction and Air Sparging

Applies SVE and air sparging to remove volatile contaminants from the vadose zone and saturated zone. System design requires vapor flow modeling and off-gas treatment planning.

Lesson 3 • In-Situ Chemical and Biological Remediation

Covers in-situ chemical oxidation, reduction, and enhanced bioremediation design and injection. Amendment delivery and distribution are critical to treatment effectiveness.

Lesson 4 • Pump-and-Treat and Permeable Reactive Barriers

Designs extraction well networks and permeable reactive barriers for plume containment and mass removal. Hydraulic capture zone analysis ensures containment effectiveness.