Geomorphological Hazards and Disaster Prevention

by Irasema Alcántara-Ayala (Editor), Andrew S. Goudie (Editor)

Overview

Human activities have had a huge impact on the environment and landscape, through industrialisation and land-use change, leading to climate change, deforestation, desertification, land degradation, and air and water pollution. These impacts are strongly linked to the occurrence of geomorphological hazards, such as floods, landslides, snow avalanches, soil erosion, and others. Geomorphological work includes not only the understanding but the mapping and modelling of Earth's surface processes, many of which directly affect human societies. In addition, geomorphologists are becoming increasingly involved with the dimensions of societal problem solving, through vulnerability analysis, hazard and risk assessment and management. The work of geomorphologists is therefore of prime importance for disaster prevention. An international team of geomorphologists have contributed their expertise to this volume, making this a scientifically rigorous work for a wide audience of geomorphologists and other Earth scientists, including those involved in environmental science, hazard and risk assessment, management and policy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781316171509
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/04/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Professor Andrew Goudie was Professor and Head of Department of Geography at Oxford University. A distinguished physical geographer, he was awarded a DSc by Oxford University, received a Royal Medal from the Royal Geographical Society, the Prize of the Royal Belgian Academy, the British Society for Geomorphology's David Linton Award (2009) and the Geological Society of America's Farouk El-Baz Award for Desert Research. He has been President of the Oxford University Development Programme, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University, and Delegate of Oxford University Press. He has been President of the Geographical Association, President of Section E of the British Association and Chairman of the British Geomorphological Research Group. Professor Goudie became Master of St Cross College, Oxford, in October 2003, and continues to lecture at Oxford University Centre for the Environment. Since 2005 he has been President of the International Association of Geomorphologists. In addition to being author of nearly 200 scientific papers, he is the author or co-author of the following books (amongst others): The Human Impact, The Nature of the Environment, Environmental Change, The Encyclopedia of Global Change, Geomorphology of Deserts, Geomorphological Techniques, Chemical Sediments and Geomorphology, The Geomorphology of England and Wales, The Warm Desert Environment, Discovering Landscape in England and Wales, Landshapes, The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Physical Geography, Desert Geomorphology, The Student's Companion to Geography, The Physical Geography of Africa, The Earth Transformed, Aeolian Environments, Sediments and Landforms, The Encyclopedia of Geomorphology, Global Environments through the Quaternary, The Oxford Companion to Global Change and Wheels across the Desert.

Table of Contents

List of contributors; 1. Introduction Andrew S. Goudie; Part I. Processes: 2. Regional seismic shaking hazards in mountains William B. Bull; 3. Volcanic hazards and risks: a geomorphic perspective Jean-Claude Thouret; 4. Mountain hazards Olav Slaymaker; 5. Review and future challenges in snow avalanche risk analysis Michael Bruendl, Perry Bartelt, Margreth Keiler and Thomas Glade; 6. Landslide hazards David Petley; 7. Catastrophic landslides and sedimentary budgets Monique Fort, Etienne Cossart and Gilles Arnaud-Fassetta; 8. Landslides and climactic change Lisa Borgatti and Mauro Soldati; 9. The hazardness of high-magnitude floods Avijit Gupta; 10. Flood hazards: the context of fluvial geomorphology Gerardo Benito and Paul F. Hudson; 11. Geomorphology and coastal hazards Harley Jesse Walker and Molly McGraw; 12. Weathering hazards Andrew S. Goudie and Heather Viles; 13. Hazards associated to Karst Francisco Gutiérrez; 14. Soil erosion Andrew S. Goudie and John Boardman; 15. Desertification and land degradation in arid and semi-arid regions Yang Xiaoping; 16. Dune migration and encroachment Andrew S. Goudie; Part II. Processes and Applications of Geomorphology to Risk Assessment and Management: 17. GIS for the assessment of risk from geomorphological hazards Cees J. van Westen; 18. Hazards assessment for risk analysis and risk management Michael Crozier and Thomas Glade; 19. Vulnerability analysis in geomorphic risk assessment Gabi Hufschmidt and Thomas Glade; 20. Geomorphological hazards and global climate change Andrew S. Goudie; 21. Geomorphic hazards and sustainable development David Higgitt; 22. Geomorphology and disaster prevention Irasema Alcántara-Ayala; 23. Concluding remarks: geomorphology and the international agenda Irasema Alcántara-Ayala; Index.

Editorial Reviews

' … surely one of the most relevant and timely Earth science texts for the early 21st century given the rapidity of current global climate change and predicted increase in associated natural disasters and infrastructural consequences. This comprehensive text on hazards brings fresh relevance and application to geomorphology and is an essential read for environmental consultants, land managers and scholars in Earth and environmental science.' Professor Stefan Grab, University of the Witwatersrand

‘This book provides a comprehensive guide to the role of geomorphology in hazard and risk analysis. It presents an excellent and wide-ranging review of hazards and how society can respond and attempt to manage them ... It brings together an impressive group of authors with international reputations in their various fields of geomorphological research.’ Professor Tim Burt, Durham University

‘ … excellent exposition and state-of-the-art analyses of geomorphic hazards for better understanding and prevention of disasters. Alcántara-Ayala and Goudie are to be commended for their selection of topics and choice of so many prominent geoscientists to contribute chapters. Their book sets a high standard in focused analysis of diverse geomorphic hazards.’ Professor John (Jack) Shroder, University of Nebraska at Omaha

'Brings together a broad range of research in a well written, comprehensively illustrated and accessible format, covering all of the major events that threaten human activity and life. An excellent synthesis for geomorphologists, the wider Earth Science community, engineers, planners and other decision makers.' Professor Robert J Allison, University of Sussex

"...overall the book contains much valuable information. Production quality is excellent, with many grayscale drawings and photos. There is a good index, and the layout is very readable. This book would be excellent for use in an upper-level/graduate course on geologic hazards as the concise chapters lend themselves to such (two chaptes per week, for example). But the book also has merit as a reference or learning tool." I.D Sasowsky, University of Akron

"...a comprehensive and engaging look at the many issues surrounding the understanding of climate and the difficulty of changing people’s habits." Natural Hazards Observer

"...the book contains much valuable information. Production quality is excellent, with many grayscale drawings and photos. There is a good index, and the layout is very readable ...Highly recommended." CHOICE

From the Publisher