Environmental geology : ecology resource and hazard management / K S Valdiya.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Valdiya, K. S. (Khadg Singh), 1937- author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Physical geography--India.

Physical geography.

Natural disasters--India.

Natural disasters.

Engineering geology--India.

Engineering geology.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (651 pages) : illustrations, figs., tables.

Edition:

2nd edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, N.Y. : McGraw-Hill Education LLC., c[2015].

Contents:

A. Dedication

B. Preface to the second edition

C. Preface to the first edition

D. Acknowledgements

E. Preamble: dimensions of environmental stress

Over-used earth

Threats from three quarters

Ecological footprint

Common property resources

History of environmental degradation

"tyranny of small decisions"

Tragedy of population explosion

1. Spectrum of environmental geology

Objectives

Scope

Summary

2. Ecological perspective of environment

Meaning of ecology

Biotic communities

Anthropogenic changes in ecosystems

Dynamics of the human population

Preserving gene pools and conserving endangered species

Forests and forest management

3. Land?its use and management

Land ? a resource

Tragedy of commons

Spheres of land management

Land-capability mapping

Human settlements and land-use

Land-use pattern in the country

Assessment of impacts of land-use

4. Soils ? types, distresses and conservation

Nature of soil

Soil profile

Origin of soils

Classification of soils

Soil types of india

Soil and vegetation

Soil conservation

5. Water resources?hydrogeological considerations, problems and management

Precious resource

Water resources of india

Nature of groundwater

Favourable geological conditions

Water-holding capacity of soils and rocks

Water-yielding capacity of aquifers

Recharge of groundwater

Effects of withdrawal of groundwater

Groundwater provinces of india

Springs in the hills

Quality of water

Waterlogging?the bane of excessive irrigation

Development of alkalinity-salinity in soils

Water management

6. Conservation of mineral resources and impacts of mining

Mineral consumption and reserves

Appraisal of mineral resources of india

Conservation of mineral resources

Impacts of mining activities on the environment

Environmental management in mining

7. Erosion?causes and control

Dimension of erosion

Processes of erosion

Causes of accelerated erosion

Remedial measures

8. Desertification and degradation of land

Meaning of desertification

Extent of desertification

Causes of desertification

Drought

Drylands of the indian subcontinent

Signs of desertification in the himalaya

Measures to combat desertification

9. Natural hazards, their zoning and risk assessment

Nature of natural hazards

Environmental security and hazard zoning

Risk assessment analysis

Strategies for hazard mitigation

Summary.

10. Earthquakes and seismic hazards

Toll of human life

Origin and severity of earthquakes

Effects of earthquakes

Stability of structures and risk evaluation

Seismicity conditions in india

Spatial and temporal gaps in seismicity

Coping with seismic hazards

Earthquake-resistant houses

11. Instability of hill-slopes and landslides

Landslide-prone areas

Destablizing forces and mass-movements

Types of mass-movements

Identification of landslide zones

Controlling landslides

Subsidence and swelling of ground

12. Hazards in the snowy mountains

Hazards in the himalayan domain

Types of avalanches

Mitigation of avalanche hazards

13. Floods and flood management

The indian scene

Causes of floods

Flood hazards in india

Management of floods

14. Coastal hazards? cyclones and tsunamis

Hazards on indian coasts

Cyclones and their genesis

Tsunamis and dimension of hazards

Coastal hazard mitigation measures

15. Volcanic hazards

Volcanic belt girdling the indian subcontinent

Barren island

Origin and types of volcanic activity

Nature of volcanic hazards

Prediction of volcanic eruptions

Mitigation of volcanic hazard

16. Scope of engineering geology and geotechnics

Role of geologists in engineering

Paradigm of geotechnical investigations

Environmental impact assessment

Development without destruction

17. Dams and reservoirs: geotechnical considerations and environmental impact

Purposes of dams

Stability and failure of dams

Geological conditions of foundation material

Seismicity conditions

Geology of reservoir areas

Environmental impact of water impoundment

Alternatives to big dams

18. Foundations of buildings and bridges

Structural load and foundation strength

Ground conditions and foundation designs

Remedial measures against settlement

Foundations on slopes

Groundwater and foundation problems

Foundations of bridges

19. Geotechnical considerations in road and canal construction and environmental implications

Route alignment

Hillside cuts: stability problems

Low-cost roads in mountains

Environmental impacts

Measures for stabilizing walls of road cuts

Construction of roads and canals in flat country

Special problems related to canals

20. Geotechnics of tunnels

Imperative need

Stress conditions in tunnels

Influence of geological conditions

Changes in water regime

21. Problems of pollution and wastes

What is pollution

Sources of contamination of water

Groundwater contamination

Pollution of river waters

Contamination of lake waters

Pollution of marine waters

Treatment of polluted waters

Nature and effects of air pollution

Disposal of solid wastes

Noise as a factor in pollution

22. Global warming and climate change

Inevitable warning

Impact of global warming

Urbanization and climate of cities

23. Renewable sources of energy

The energy crisis

Energy options

Energy from solar radiation

Harnessing the wind

Energy from tides and waves

Thermal and salinity gradients in sea water

Tapping geothermal energy

Energy from biomass

Alternative fuel

Nuclear energy option

A. References.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on cover image and table of contents, viewed on May 21, 2015.

ISBN:

9781259058479

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.