Through out the Geologic Time, Our world is changing rapidly. Population growth in the United States since 1990 has added more than 50 million people, while population growth globally since 1990 has added more than one billion. Many of these people live in geologically active areas, which are subject to potentially hazardous events such as floods, earthquakes or landslides. Decisions that people make, about where and in what they live, greatly influence whether geologic events become disasters. For example, human choices about resource development, such as logging slopes and changing river courses, can increase the number and severity of impacts from geologic events such as landslides and floods. Impacts from the Indian Ocean tsunami after the Sumatra earthquake of December, 2004, which lead to the tragic loss of nearly 200,000 lives, were probably made worse by development choices along coasts. When population is concentrated in the coastal zone by building hotels and condominiums, risks to humans increase. A director of the World Health Organization has been quoted as saying that he doesn’t like to use the term natural disasters; human factors are also important in creating disasters.
In addition to more losses from disasters, population increase also has resulted in greater demand for geologic resources such as fresh water, industrial rocks and minerals, metals, and fossil fuels throughout the Geologic Time. As we move beyond the peak in global oil production, major changes in energy sources, energy uses, our quality of life, our organization of cities and transportation will continue to occur.
With population increase, human impact on the Earth system also is forcing changes in diversity of the biosphere, the chemistry of the atmosphere, and global climate. The quest for sustainability, complicated and threatened by changes in population, pollution, energy use, environment, economics and political objectives, is seen by some as the ultimate objective for humanity and one in which environmental geology should play a key role.
The main goal of the Investigations in Environmental Geology book is to help students learn how to make wise choices for sustainability in a finite, changing and geologically active world. No one can promise a high-quality life, safe from natural and human related risks, but education about observation of past events, interpretation of clues from landscapes in potentially hazardous areas, and choices of actions can help mitigate some of the risks from hazardous events. Understanding the processes, materials, landscapes and history of the Earth and the role of humans in using and changing the Earth system, will provide the basis for meeting the sustainability challenge.
The Book of Investigations in Environmental Geology is an important book for displaying the differenty items for the Environmental Geology investigation
Contents
1- Earth,s Materials, Geologic Time, and Geologic Processes
2- Maps, Aerial Photographs and Satellite Images
3- Measurements, Basic Calculations and Conversions, and Graphs
4- Volcanoes, Volcanic Products, and Volcanic Hazards
5- Hazards of Mount St- Helens
6- Earthquake Epicenters, Intensities, Risks, Faults, Nonstructural Hazards and Preparation
7- The Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989, and Forecasting Earthquakes in the Bay Region
8- Landslides and Avalanches
9- Subsidence
10- River Floods
11- Coastal Hazards
12- Groundwater Hydrology
13- Water Quality Data and Pollution Sources
14- Lake and River Contamination from Industrial Waste
15- Groundwater and Surface Water Contamination from Resource Extraction
16- Groundwater Overdraft and Saltwater Intrusion
17- Geology and Regional Planning
18- Global Change and Sustainability
