Physical Sciences (PS)

Course Description

• • This nonscience majors’ course is an introduction to the 4.5-billion year geologic history of Earth and the evolution of life through fossils. Historical geology and fossils will be used to explore the physical science principles and scientific processes that leads to our understanding of Earth.

  • The dinosaur class! In this class, we will go over the history of the Earth and learn about some of the interesting creatures that inhabited this earth!

Reflection

I learned that the Bonneville Salt Flats have a rich geological history that isn't as up-front as a novice like myself might think. Several lakes appeared and disappeared before the salt flats ever came to be. It's only about three to five thousand years old, which isn't much compared to all the other geological formations in Utah. Its presence here was always meant to be short; however, we're only speeding up its departure. 

I'm no geology expert, but I know cumulative negative impacts can destroy the human body. I'm currently studying to become a substance use disorder counselor, and in doing so, we learn about various behaviors that compound to cause serious harm. Did you know that alcohol dissolves in both fats and water? Its unique quality allows it to penetrate and impact every part of the human body, and when combined with other drugs (even caffeine), it can be deadly. When drinking in moderation, substance use disorder counselors generally aren't concerned. However, when a person consumes alcohol despite significant risks, then we're concerned. Tourism, potash mining, and racing are all behaviors that might not be concerning in isolation and/or moderation. We are concerned, though, because each of these activities is continued despite the immediate and long-term risks to the salt flats. The negative effects are compounded when done together, as each contributes a unique risk factor to the sustainability and beauty of this unique geological formation.

Learning about and finding information about the Bonneville Salt Flats was fairly easy. There are readily available government and university-sponsored articles that discuss the salt flats in a language that's easy to comprehend. It's a historical sight, after all! Finding geology once there was reasonably straightforward as well. The area is visually uniform, except for the areas near the mountains and markings left by tourists. I took pictures of the area up close, in the distance, as well as anything that stood out.