Geological Hazards: Their Assessment, Avoidance and Mitigation

Natural hazards cost the global economy over $50,000 million per year. Two thirds of this is spent on damage repair, the remainder represents the cost of predicting, preventing and mitigating against disasters. Man-made hazards such as groundwater pollution, subsidence and soil erosion add to this figure. Geological Hazards is the first book to consider both natural and man-made disasters in a single volume. All major geological hazards are examined, including: volcanic activity earthquakes mass movements, soil creep, landslides problem soils such as quicksands and expansive clays river, marine, wind action and control soil erosion and desertification waste and its disposal landfill and gas formation contaminated land groundwater pollution subsidence abandoned mine workings and shafts Geological Hazards presents a state-of-the art survey for students on civil engineeringand physical geography courses, as well as researchers and practicing civil engineers. It examines methods of assessing, evaluating and combating hazards, both natural and man-made. Richly illustrated, it views the subject from an international perspective.