Geological processes affect the earth itself and human society. Solutions to geological problems, whether natural or man-made, demand close international collaboration. This book presents new approaches to current problems of environmental assessment, demonstrates the interactions between those involved in addressing global problems, and represents a means for the education of others.

The book focuses on four major themes: geoenvironmental models, GIS methods and techniques, assessment and resource management, and resource policies and sustainable development. The major topics falling under each theme are introduced, followed by discussions of specific applications. Reports of the discussions of working groups are also presented to round out the individual contributions.

The disciplines represented include geology, geophysics, geochemistry, remote sensing, economics, biology, mining engineering, resource analysis, mathematics and statistics.

Inhalt

1. Geoenvironmental Deposit Models.- Geoenvironmental models: An Introduction.- 2. GIS/RS Methods and Techniques.- Applications of remotely sensed data in geoenvironmental assessments.- Photo ecometrics for natural resource monitoring.- Multiple data layer modeling and analysis in assessments.- A strategy for sustainable development of nonrenewable resources using spatial prediction models.- 3. Resource Assessment & Management.- Mineral-deposit models: New Developments.- Geologic information for aggregate resource planning.- Environmental impacts of mining natural aggregate.- Application of the porphyry copper/polymetallic vein kin-deposit system to mineral-resource assessment in the Mátra Mountains, northern Hungary.- The assessment and analysis of financial, technical and environmental risk in mineral resource exploitation.- 4. Resource Policies and Sustainable Development.- A hierarchical model of collaborative resource management.- Environmental and resource planning: methodologies to support the decision making process.- Implementation of environmental systems in compliance with ISO 14001 standard in the context of SMEs in northwestern Italy.- Asset life-cycle in the mining industry: How to improve economic and environmental decision-making by applying ICT.- Industrial ecology and bioremediation: theoretical framework and technological tools for sustainable development.- 5. Case Studies.- Land use change and vulnerability as a result of coal mining activities: application of spatial data analysis in the Upper Silesian Region of the Czech republic.- The impact of mining on the environment: a case study from the Tharsis-Lagunazo mining area. Province Huelva, SW Spain.- Environmental impact of mine liquidation on groundwater and surface water.- Protection ofgroundwater resources quality and quantity in mining areas.- 6. Other Contributed Papers.- Irresistible Holes in the ground: Tekst of afterdinner speech given at Mâtrahâza, Hungary, on September 10, 1998.- Environmental security and radioactive contamination.- A PC-based information system for the management and modelling of subsurface coal fires in mining areas (COALMAN).- Integrated modelling of acid mine drainage impact on a wetland stream using landscape geochemistry, GIS technology and statistical methods.- Assessment of mining induced environmental degradation using satellite data and predictive models.- Environmental impact of exploration of pyrite and stibnite in the Male Karpaty Mountains, Slovakia.- Partitioning of heavy metals in sequential extraction fractions in soils developed over the historical Sv. Jakob silver mine. Mount Medvednica, Croatia.- 7. Working Group Reports.- Report of Working Group I: Geoenvironmental Models.- Report of Working Group II: GIS/RS Methods and Techniques: A Spatial Data Laboratory Network.- Report of Working Group III: Natural Resource Assessments and Recource Management.- Report of Working Group IV: Resource East-West Relationships.- Report of Working Group V: Natural Aggregate Resources Environmental Issues and Resource Management.