Engineering Geomorphology - Theory and Practice

About this Book

• The first book to cover the topic. 
• Impressive information source 

Geomorphology is the study of the process that shape the earth's surface to create landforms. The earth's surface is not static and landform changes through time can cause significant harm to life, and damage to property and the utilisation of natural resources. Over the last few decades engineering geomorphology has developed to support a number of distinct areas within civil engineering: 

• evaluation of the near surface ground conditions for design and construction of man-made structures; 
• estimation of risks to civil engineering projects from earth surface processes; 
• determining the availability of resources for construction, especially aggregates; 
• assessment of the effects of civil engineering projects on the environment. 

Engineering Geomorphology: Theory and Practice provides a compact and comprehensive introduction to the subject. The emphasis is on the nature, scale and consequences of landform changes over timescales relevant to civil engineers (engineering time). A central theme is the need to view the site-specific conditions generated by surface process change occurring throughout earth surface systems in response to variations in past and present ambient conditions. 

The book is divided into five parts:

Part 1: covers the basic geomorphological concepts that underpin efforts to explain the causes, mechanisms and consequences of landform change; 
Parts 2-4: show how the earth surface systems on hillslopes, rivers and the coast work, and, by doing so, generate hazards, define the ground conditions, and provide resources for engineering projects; 
Part 5: presents common techniques that are available to investigate geomorphological situations that might affect engineering work. 

With a combined experience in excess of 100 years, the authors have been in the vanguard of the development of engineering geomorphology. The book focuses on pragmatic techniques that the authors have found useful in all forms of engineering investigation and is the logical continuation and development of the seminal and successful work, Geomorphology for Engineers. 

Contents: 

Introduction. Basic Concepts: Energy Inputs and Geomorphological Activity. The Basics of Change: Stress, Strain and Strength. Earth Surface Systems. The Behaviour of Earth Surface Systems. System Controls: Geology; Engineering Soils; Mobile Sediments; Climate Variation; Sea-Level Change. The Nature of Change: Rates and Events. The Implications of Change: Hazards and Risks. Construction Resources: Aggregates. Engineering and Change: Environmental Impacts. Slopes: The Supply of Water and Sediment; The Role of Water; Soil Erosion by Water; Wind Erosion and Deposition; Landslides; Landslide Hazard and Risk; Karst Terrain. Rivers: The Drainage Basin; Water and Sediment Loads; Channel Form; Channel Change; Flooding; Flood Hazard and Risk; The Coast: Energy Inputs; Sediment Cells and Budgets; Hazard and Risk Assessment; Estuaries, Mudflats and Saltmarshes; Deltas; Fringing Beaches; Barrier Beaches; Dunes; Cliffs. Common Techniques: Methods of Investigation. Desk Study and Initial Terrain Models. Geographical Information Systems. Satellite Imagery and Aerial Photographs. Historical Research. Terrain Evaluation. Geomorphological Mapping. Measurement and Monitoring of Change. Dating Methods. Uncertainty and Expert Judgement. Further Reading.

Readership: 

Civil engineers, applied geomorphology practitioners and environmentalists; advanced undergraduates and postgraduates of geomorphology, geology and civil engineering. 

Professor P.G. Fookes - FREng, Hon. FRGS, Consulting Engineering Geologist; Distinguished Research Associate, Oxford University, UK; Dr. Mark Lee, Consulting Engineering Geomorphologist, York, UK and Professor J. Griffiths, Engineering Geologist/Geomorphologist, School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences, University of Plymouth, UK.