Geomorphology, economic geology and environment

 

Geomorphology

Principle Of Geography

Geography Complete Study Material

(Paper - I)

Geomorphology, Economic Geology and Environment 

Geomorphology

             An understanding of landforms may be of great use, directly or indirectly, to human beings who are influenced by and, in turn, influence the surface features of the earth which they inhabit. If landforms are properly interpreted, they throw light upon the geologic history, structure and litho logy of a region. According to D.K.C. Jones, applied geomorphology could be defined as “the application of geomorphic understanding to the analysis and solution of problems concerning land occupancy, resource exploitation, and environmental management and planning”. Indeed, all geomorphological knowledge tends to be applied, according to R.G. Craig and J.L. Craft. As each advance in knowledge provides a clear view of how the earth works, geomorphologists can make use of the knowledge for evaluating resources, development projects, locating natural hazards and mitigating the effect of natural disasters.

Geomorphic knowledge and techniques may be applied in the following areas:

• Studying the impact of geomorphic/ environmental processes on human society and activities and dealing with problems arising out of such impact;
• Investigating the changes brought about in the geomorphic/environmental processes by human activities and dealing with the problems arising out of such interaction.
• Managing resources and monitoring changes in the geomorphic system to suggest suitable remedial measures for maintaining development at a sustainable level.

Economic Geology

                  Economic geology is a branch of science that focuses on the study and exploration of ore deposits for economical purposes. Ore deposits are rock formations containing minerals which can be mined for profit. For example, iron oxide may be found in abundance within a region, but by itself it is not very profitable. It is important to understand ore deposits and their characteristics, as well as location, in order to be able to extract them to the maximum economic benefit. Ore bodies and deposits are essentially mineral-bearing rocks which can be mined profitably.

                  The earth’s crust has a wealth of resources that are used by humans to fuel their lives. Geological and economic exploration together form the basis for a flourishing resource industry, one that makes up a significant portion of global exports and drives economic growth in countries like Canada, Australia, Norway and South Africa.

Significance of Economic Geology:

Economic Geology is important because it is used to create a sustainable and prosperous future for humanity. The resources mined from the earth provide mankind with goods that allow for a better quality of life. Economic Geologists like to help find new ways to responsibly extract these natural resources so that future generations may benefit as well.

Economic geology is an industrial science, because much of its research leads directly to commercial exploitation. Economic geology largely depends on public funding (through government agencies such as the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, Geological Survey Canada, and local universities). Economic geologists are generally accustomed to working in a commercial environment where information disclosure is not always required.

Advantages of Economic Geology:

Economic geology has many advantages and one is the ability for economists, chemists and physicists to work together as a team. Economists and chemists have different areas of research that overlap with economic geologists. By working together it is possible for the scientist to make all the necessary calculations that are needed in order to find an ore deposit. Another advantage is reduced costs and time because economists, chemists and physicists can work together on a project without having to do the same testing over and over again. As well, the collaboration between geology, chemistry and physics means that there is a better understanding about basic processes and chemical details.

Environment 

              With scientific growth and technological development since 1860 in general and after Second World War in particular man has emerged as a significant geomorphic agent and is capable of changing the earth's surface at the rate many times faster than natural geomorphological processes. Thus, now geomorphological processes fall in two broad categories viz. (i) natural geomorphological or physical environmental processes and (ii) anthropogenous geomorphological processes. Thus, the study of mode of changes brought his economic activities and several developmental works may be called anthropogenic geomorphology and the modified natural processes by human activities and the mechanism through which natural geomorphological processes and physical landscapes are changed and modified geomorphology wherein the main focus of study rests on man as a geomorphic agent and inadvertent and planned effects of his economic activities on geomorphic processes and forms (landforms).

             Environmental (geomorphological) processes include those processes which operate on the earth's surface both internally and externally. The internal or endogenetic processes origination from within the earth fostered by diastrophic and sudden forces, caused by thermal conditions of the interior of the earth and varying physical and chemical properties of the materials of which the interior of the earth has been composed of introduce vertical irregularities on the earth's surface and create various suites of habitats for biotic communities. The exteranal or Exogenetic forces originating from the atmosphere driven by solar energy change the face of the earth's surface through erosional and depositional activities. The interactions between endogenetic and exogenetic processes produce complex sets of physical landscapes which affect the biotic communities in the biospheric ecosystem. These physical environmental processes work through several routes of feedback mechanism. The actions and responses of these processes vary in scale, frequency and magnitude but the environmental processes follow the principle of equifinality that is they lead to similar end-forms.

Man's Impacts on Environmental Processes

                    The external or exogenetic environmental processes originate from the atmosphere and are basically related to solar energy which affects the basic elements of atmospheric processes. Fluvial glacial, periglacial and aeolian processes are controlled by solar energy. The efficiency of environmental processes is determined by the potential energy of the lithospheric reliefs. Man by affecting solar radiation and thus the heat energy, ,may affect the processes of precipitation and air circulation which in turn would affect the environmental processes. Wether modifications and climatic changes effected by man change the transform the very nature of environmental processes.