| Description |
1 online resource (651 pages) : illustrations, figures, tables |
| 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 7. Erosion -- causes and control -- Dimension of erosion -- Processes of erosion -- Causes of accelerated erosion -- Remedial measures -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 |
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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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 12. Hazards in the snowy mountains -- Hazards in the Himalayan domain -- Types of avalanches -- Mitigation of avalanche hazards -- Summary -- 13. Floods and flood management -- The Indian scene -- Causes of floods -- Flood hazards in india -- Management of floods -- Summary -- 14. Coastal hazards -- cyclones and tsunamis -- Hazards on Indian coasts -- Cyclones and their genesis -- Tsunamis and dimension of hazards -- Coastal hazard mitigation measures -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 20. Geotechnics of tunnels -- Imperative need -- Stress conditions in tunnels -- Influence of geological conditions -- Changes in water regime -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- 22. Global warming and climate change -- Inevitable warning -- Impact of global warming -- Urbanization and climate of cities -- Summary -- 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 -- Summary -- A. References |
| Summary |
"The first of its kind to be applicable to the Indian environment, this comprehensive reference work uses the backdrop of geology to weave together components of earth process mechanisms, ecological systems, usage of earth resources such as land, soil, water and minerals, and accelerated activities of people looking for facilities and engineering techniques to contain adverse consequences on the biosphere. Multidisciplinary in coverage and holistic in approach, the book discusses the causes of degradation of our environment alongside the implications of resource depletion and suggests ways and means of combating the problems." |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references and indexes |
| Notes |
Cover image and table of contents, viewed on May 21, 2015 |
| Subject |
Physical geography -- India
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Natural disasters -- India
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Engineering geology -- India
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Engineering geology
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Natural disasters
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Physical geography
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India
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| Form |
Electronic book
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