Introduction to Environmental Geology

Product Description As the human population increases, many decisions concerning our use of natural resources will determine our standard of living and the quality of our environment. This reader-friendly book helps readers develop an understanding of how geology interacts with major environmental problems facing society. Included with every text, the Hazard City CD-ROM gives instructors meaningful, easy-to-assign, and easy-to-grade assignments based on the idealized town of Hazard City. Focuses on five fundamental concepts of environmental geology: Human Population Growth, Sustainability, Earth as a System, Hazardous Earth Processes, and Scientific Knowledge and Values. Features new chapters on Impacts of Extraterrestrial Objects and Waste as a Resource: Waste Management. Presents new or extensively revised discussion of human population growth, Alaska earthquake of 2002, emerging global water shortage, cleaning Boston Harbor, and much more. Revises many figures to more clearly illustrate the topics under discussion, based on user feedback. An informative reference for anyone interested in learning more about the environment. From the Back Cover This brief paperback presents the basics of physical geology within the context of environmental applications to show how geology relates to life and society—showing us how the world works, how we can avoid or live with potential/natural hazards, and how geology interacts with major environmental problems facing people and society. Introduces philosophy and fundamental concepts, the structure of the Earth and plate tectonics, and the origin and significance of rocks and minerals. Addresses the major natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanic activity, rivers and flooding, landslides, and coastal processes; the major natural resources associated with the geological environment and the subject of pollution; global change, environmental management, and relationships between the environment and society. --This text refers