APSC 151: Earth Systems Engineering Course Notes

Course Introduction

  • Course Title: Earth Systems APSC 151: Earth Systems Engineering

  • Term: Fall 2025

  • Instructors:

    • Dr. Jennifer Day, PhD, EMBA, PEng, PGeo

    • Dr. Dan Layton-Matthews, PhD

    • Dr. Chris Spencer, PhD, PGeo

  • Department: Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering

Course Instructors

Weeks 1-9

  • Dr. Jennifer Day

    • Email: day.jennifer@queensu.ca

    • Office Hours: By appointment

  • Dr. Dan Layton-Matthews

  • Dr. Chris Spencer

Weeks 10-12

  • Dr. Charlotte Gibson, PhD, PEng

    • Email: charlotte.gibson@queensu.ca

    • Office Hours: By appointment

  • Dr. Mahmoud Alzoubi, PhD, PEng

  • Dr. Qian Zhang, PhD

  • Dr. Anne Sherman, PhD

    • Email for technical and logistical questions related to LABS: anne.sherman@queensu.ca

Lab Coordinator

  • Teaching Assistant (TA) list and contact information will be available on OnQ for your lab section (https://onq.queensu.ca)

Instructor Bio - Dr. Jennifer Day

  • Educational Background:

    • BASc in Geological Engineering (Queen’s U – Sci’11)

    • BA in Music, Trumpet Performance (Queen’s U)

    • PhD in Geological Engineering (Queen’s U)

    • Executive MBA (Ivey School of Business, Western U)

  • Professional Experience:

    • Professor since 2016 (UNB 2016-19, Queen’s 2019-present)

    • Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario and New Brunswick

    • Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) in Ontario and New Brunswick

    • Past President of Canadian Rock Mechanics Association (www.carma-rocks.ca)

    • Executive Committee Member of Canadian Geotechnical Society (www.cgs.ca)

  • Research Interests:

    • Mining Geomechanics in complex ground

    • Deep Nuclear Waste Repositories

    • Rockfall hazard for railways and geotourism

Who are you?

  • Participants are encouraged to introduce themselves via Mentimeter by entering a provided code at www.menti.com.

Course Structure and Outline

  • Week 1 (Sep 2-5)

    • L1: Primary Earth Materials - Minerals (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • L2: Course Intro and Earth Systems (Dr. Day)

  • Week 2 (Sep 8-12)

    • L3: Earth and History of Life (Dr. Spencer)

    • L4: The Dynamic Earth (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • L5: Earth Interior and Melts (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • Assessment: Lab 1 on Primary Earth Materials - Minerals

  • Week 3 (Sep 15-19)

    • L6: Igneous Rocks (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • L7: Volcanoes (Dr. Spencer)

    • L8: Erosion and Transport (Dr. Spencer/Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • Assessment: Lab 2 on Composite Earth Materials - Rocks

  • Week 4 (Sep 22-26)

    • L9: Glaciation (Dr. Spencer)

    • L10: Sedimentary Rocks (Dr. Spencer)

    • L11: Metamorphism, Deformation & Change (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

  • Week 5 (Sep 29 - Oct 3)

    • L12: Structural Geology (Dr. Day)

    • L13: Professional Engineering Practice (Dr. Day)

    • Assessment: Lab 3 on Engineering with Earth Materials

  • Week 6 (Oct 6-10)

    • L14: Engineering Properties of Earth Materials (Dr. Day)

    • L15: Geology of the Solar System (Dr. Spencer)

    • L16: Geophysics and Earth Investigation (Dr. Day)

  • Week 7 (Oct 20-24)

    • L17: Engineering Geology & Natural Hazards (Dr. Day)

    • L18: Hazard Engineering and Georisk Management (Dr. Day)

    • L19: Groundwater Resources and Contamination (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • Assessment: Lab 4 on Deformation of Earth Materials

  • Week 8 (Oct 27-31)

    • Midterm Exam: October 30, 7:30-9:00 PM

    • L20: Geotechnical Engineering (Dr. Day)

    • L21: Hydrocarbon Energy Resources (Dr. Spencer)

    • L22: Underground Space Resources (Dr. Day)

    • Assessment: Lab 5 on Earth Hazards

  • Week 9 (Nov 3-7)

    • L23: Nuclear Power and Hydro Power (Dr. Day)

    • L24: Climate Change and Alternative Energy Sources (Dr. Spencer)

    • L25: Genesis of Earth Mineral Resources (Dr. Layton-Matthews)

    • Assessment: Lab 6 on Mining and Society

  • Week 10 (Nov 10-14)

    • L26: Extraction of Copper from the Earth's Crust (Dr. Gibson)

    • Remembrance Day: No Class

    • L27: Mining Project Lifecycle and Tailings Facilities (Dr. Gibson)

  • Week 11 (Nov 17-21)

    • L28: Stakeholder Engagement and Corporate Social Responsibility (Dr. Alzoubi)

    • L29: Engineering and Public Policy (Dr. Alzoubi)

    • L30: Social, Economic and Environmental Risk of Mining (Dr. Alzoubi)

  • Week 12 (Nov 24-28)

    • L31: Values and Intercultural Competence (Dr. Zhang)

    • L32: Sustainable Development Goals and Mining (Dr. Zhang)

    • L33: The Circular Economy and a Low Carbon Future (Dr. Zhang)

  • Week 13 (Dec 1-2)

    • L34: Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (Dr. Gibson)

    • Final Exam: Date/Time scheduled by Registrar

Labs Overview

  • Lab 1: Primary Geomaterials – Minerals

  • Lab 2: Composite Geomaterials – Rocks

  • Lab 3: Geomaterials and Engineering Decisions

  • Lab 4: Geodynamics – Structural Geology

  • Lab 5: Geohazard Engineering and Risk

  • Lab 6: Mining and Society

Evaluation

Assessment Tool

Due Date (before 23:59 ET)

Weight

Alignment with CLOs

Individual Assessments

Individual Lab Assignments

See OnQ for details

15%

See Syllabus

Midterm Exam

Thursday October 30th, 7:30-9 PM

20%

See Syllabus

Final Exam

December

40%

See Syllabus

Group Assessments

Group Lab Assignments

See OnQ for details

25%

See Syllabus

Total

100%

Recommended Textbook

  • Title: Earth: Portrait of a Planet, Seventh Edition by Stephen Marshak

  • ISBN: 978-0-393-88307-7

  • Cost: $78.95 (Digital)

  • Note: Previous editions or second-hand copies of the textbook would be acceptable.

Online Learning Resources

  • OnQ Discussion Forum: Course Q&A

    • Encourage students to post questions beneficial for others. Instructors will monitor the forum and provide answers.

Course Expectations

  • Teaching Team and TAs: They are present to teach and support your learning but have full workloads and boundaries. They may refer students to other services if needs exceed their role.

  • Student Conduct:

    • A welcoming and productive learning experience requires respectful behavior and engagement.

    • If encountering challenges, students should communicate early.

    • Academic integrity is crucial to adhere to the standards set forth.

Understanding Engineering

  • General Definition: "Engineers apply principles of science and math to solve problems, build products, and make processes more efficient. Engineering combines creativity with the practical application of science."

    • Source: [Smith Engineering at Queen's]

Sustainable Engineering

  • Definition: Engineering that meets current needs without compromising future viability and minimizes negative cultural, life, and environmental impacts.

  • Impact on Sustainability: To ensure sustainable engineering, it is crucial to understand the environmental impacts of engineering work on the planet.

Earth Systems

  • Definition: The Earth consists of several interlinked systems:

    • Lithosphere: Solid earth

    • Atmosphere: Gases (the air)

    • Hydrosphere: All water

    • Biosphere: All life

The Hydrosphere

  • Definition: All water on or in the Earth, including liquid water and vapor.

  • Volume Statistics:

    • Ocean Water:

    • Total Volume: 1,300,000,000extkm31,300,000,000 ext{ km}^3

    • Percentage: 97.2%

    • Fresh Water:

    • Total Volume: 37,448,560extkm337,448,560 ext{ km}^3

    • Percentage: 2.8%

    • Breakdown of Fresh Water Volume:

    • Glacial Ice: 28.6extmillionkm328.6 ext{ million km}^3

    • Groundwater: 8.1extmillionkm38.1 ext{ million km}^3

    • Surface Water: 120,370extkm3120,370 ext{ km}^3

    • Soil Moisture: 66,872extkm366,872 ext{ km}^3

    • Atmosphere: 13,374extkm313,374 ext{ km}^3

The Atmosphere

  • Structure Overview:

    • Ozone Layer: 15-35 km (protects from solar radiation)

    • Layers:

    • Troposphere: where most weather occurs (0-12 km)

    • Stratosphere

    • Mesosphere

    • Thermosphere

    • Exosphere

  • Human Impact on Ozone Layer:

    • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from

    • Refrigerants

    • Aerosol propellants

    • Degreasing solvents

    • Montreal Protocol: Hailed as a successful policy effort to restore the ozone layer by banning CFCs.

The Biosphere

  • Definition: The zone of life on Earth, including:

    • Land Vegetation

    • Ocean Chlorophyll Concentration (variation through time).

The Geosphere

  • Internal Layers:

    • Crust

    • Lithosphere

    • Upper Mantle

    • Lower Mantle

    • Outer Core

    • Inner Core

  • Radius of Earth: 6,371extkm6,371 ext{ km}

Interlinking of Earth’s Spheres

  • The Earth's four spheres are interconnected and influence one another through their interactions.

  • Energy Sources:

    • The Earth's system is powered by solar energy and heat from the Earth's interior, with human activity significantly impacting all spheres.

Overview of Geology

  • Definitions:

    • Geology: "geo" = Earth, "logos" = discourse

    • Types:

    • Physical Geology: Study of Earth materials and processes.

    • Historical Geology: Study of Earth's origin and development through time.

    • Engineering Geology: Predicts the impacts of geological factors on human infrastructure.

Rock Formation and Cycle

  • Basic Cycle:

    • Igneous Rock Formation: Molten magma cools to become igneous rock.

    • Weathering and Erosion: Leads to sediment formation.

    • Lithification: Sediments consolidate into sedimentary rock.

    • Metamorphism: Burial and heat transform sedimentary rock into metamorphic rock.

    • Dynamic Nature: Earth's crust is dynamic and continuously changing, leading to a cycle that starts over again.

Historical Geology

  • Key Principle: Uniformitarianism - "The present is the key to the past."

    • Modern geology relies on current processes to interpret the geological record and Earth's history.

Engineering Geology

  • Impact of Geology on Engineering:

    • Influences material properties, resource distribution, groundwater availability, natural hazards, and environmental considerations.

Earth Resources

Energy Sources

  • Fundamental Sources Include:

    • Solar nuclear fusion

    • Gravitational pull

    • Nuclear fission reactions

    • Earth's internal energy

    • Energy in chemical bonds

Mineral Resources

  • Applications:

    • Technology and manufacturing, building materials, jewelry, etc.

  • Critical Minerals for Canada:

    • Includes copper, zinc, lithium, uranium, etc. based on Canada's 2025 critical minerals strategy.

Groundwater Systems

  • Importance: Groundwater constitutes a vital resource, providing drinking water to about one third of Canadians and up to 80% of the rural population.

  • Vulnerability: Canadian aquifers are threatened by climate change and human activity.

Geohazards

  • Types:

    • Earthquakes

    • Landslides

    • Floods

    • Rockfalls

    • Sinkholes

    • Volcanoes

    • Tsunamis

    • Climate change effects

Infrastructure Considerations

  • Types of Infrastructure Influenced by Geological Factors:

    • Roads, railways, pipelines, energy transmission systems, recreational areas, buildings, sewers, water supply systems, electrical installations, etc.

Key Takeaways

  • Welcome to APSC 151!

  • Lab 1 commences this week; students are encouraged to check OnQ for specific section details.

  • Instructors are available for support; queries can be directed via email, with contact details listed in the course syllabus on OnQ.