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Environmental Geology unit (KEA348)

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Unit year 2027

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Involves 3 days of excursions. Students are expected to contribute toward excursion accommodation costs.

Introduction

This unit has a strong focus on sustainability, social license, and environmental management related to natural resources; addressing themes such as i) the environmental impacts of mining and associated management challenges; ii) the mineralogical controls on the mobility of metal(loid)s in mine waste and environmental systems (i.e. lakes, wetlands, soils); iii) geophysical characterisation of inorganic and organic contaminants in groundwater; and iv) explores techniques for minimizing environmental impacts throughout the mining life cycle, from early ore characterisation through to mineral processing and waste management.

Summary

Unit name Environmental Geology
Unit code KEA348
Credit points 12.5
College/School Sciences and Engineering
School of Natural Sciences
Discipline Earth Sciences
Coordinator Doctor Owen Missen
Available as an elective? Yes
Delivered By University of Tasmania
Level Advanced

Sustainable Development Goals

The Unit Coordinator has identified that this unit aligns with the following UN Sustainable Development Goals. We welcome your thoughts and feedback on the alignment of the unit with these goals.

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

  • Explain the principles, processes and products of rock-water interactions in the near-surface environment.
  • Discuss and compare sustainable mining and resource development principles to formulate strategies that improve environmental, social, and governance outcomes.
  • Collect, analyse, and interpret environmental data using a variety of geological, geochemical, and geophysical techniques.
  • Assess, evaluate, and communicate risk about environmental and human health to diverse stakeholders.

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Requisites

Prerequisites

KEA208 AND KEA209

Teaching

Teaching Pattern

2x1-hr tutorials (12 wks), 3-hr practical weekly (12 wks), 3 days field work.

AssessmentCase Study Presentation (10%)|Lecture quizzes (15%)|Practicals (35%)|Field Excursion Report (40%)
TimetableView the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required

No textbooks are required. Soft copies of key papers will be uploaded to MyLO.

 
Recommended

These materials will be useful to your developing knowledge and understanding of the content in this unit, but you are not required to purchase them. When seeking sources of evidence to support your assignment work, you will find these a useful starting point

  • Merkel, B.J., and Planer-Friedrich, B. (2008). Groundwater Geochemistry. A Practical Guide to Modeling of Natural and Contaminated Aquatic Systems
  • Lottermoser B.G. (2010) Mine Wastes Characterization, Treatment and Environmental Impacts (3rd ed.), Springer-Verlag.
  • Price M. (1996) Introducing Groundwater, Chapman and Hall. 
  • Milsom J. (2003) Field Geophysics (3rd ed.), John Wiley & Sons.
  • Fetter C.W. (2014) Applied hydrogeology (4th ed.) Pearson Education Ltd.

Recent papers on environmental geology and geometallurgy in Tasmania include the following UTAS-led papers:

  • Allen, C.C., Cracknell, M.J., Miller, C.B., Missen, O.P., Meffre, S., 2025. Practical Application of Geophysical Methods for Characterisation of Waste Rock Dumps. Mine Water and the Environment. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10230-025-01086-5 
  • Appiah, A.A.A. et al., 2025. Geometallurgical Characterization of the Arthur River Magnesite Deposit, Northwestern Tasmania for Pathways to Production. Minerals, 15(3): 48.
  • Appiah, A.A.A. et al., 2026. Recovery of magnesite from silicate gangue minerals via reverse flotation using a novel alkyl ether amine collector. Powder Technology, 469: 121886.
  • Moyo, A., Parbhakar-Fox, A., Meffre, S., Cooke, D.R., 2023a. Alkaline industrial wastes – Characteristics, environmental risks, and potential for mine waste management. Environmental Pollution, 323: 121292.
  • Moyo, A., Parbhakar-Fox, A., Meffre, S., Cooke, D.R., 2023b. Geoenvironmental characterisation of legacy mine wastes from Tasmania–Environmental risks and opportunities for remediation and value recovery. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 454: 131521.
  • Musa, E.D. et al., 2025. Coarse Froth Flotation to Optimise Scheelite Recovery. Minerals, 15(11): 1183.
  • Nascimento, S.C. et al., 2023a. Long-Term Impact of Historical Mining on Water Quality at Mount Lyell, Western Tasmania, Australia. Mine Water and the Environment, 42: 399–417.
  • Nascimento, S.C. et al., 2023b. Geochemical, mineralogical, and geophysical methods to establish the geoenvironmental characteristics of the King River delta, Queenstown, Western Tasmania. Applied Geochemistry, 159: 105820.
  • Nascimento, S.C., Cooke, D.R., Cracknell, M.J., Miller, C.B., Parbhakar-Fox, A., 2025. Min

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