Book Review: Clay and Shale Slope Instability edited by William C. Haneberg and Scott A. Anderson, GSA Reviews in Engineering Geology Series, The Geological Society of America, Boulder, Colorado, 1995. No. of pages: v + 158. Price $60.00 (hb). ISBN 0-8137-4110-6
✍ Scribed by Allison, Robert J.
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 1997
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 15 KB
- Volume
- 22
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0360-1269
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
However, the main problem with the collection is that few of the papers refer to modern ideas in glacial geomorphology, and few suggest how the till is deposited (understanding of which is vital to explaining the transport of erratics). Two notable exceptions are the papers by Martin Rappol, on the processes of sedimentation, and Peter Bobrowsky, on lithological analysis. Most of the papers are written by authors who have worked in applied aspects of glacial geomorphology (without a modern analogue and/or process experience base). There is therefore clearly a need for more links between pure and applied researchers in glacial geomorphology.
My final query relates to the time and money (apparent from the expensive excavating tools) being spent on drift prospecting. Can data from these sections be used to increase our knowledge of glacial sedimentary processes (with the results being published elsewhere), or is drift prospecting an end in itself? What effect does this prospecting have on the environment? Only one of the papers (by Alan Plouffe) addresses these issues, in the sense that the damage to the environment was a factor to be considered when choosing a site to investigate.
In conclusion, this is an interesting collection of papers about drift prospecting, which would be directly useful for applied geomorphologists. Many of the discussed techniques could be used by both pure and applied researchers. Students will also find it informative, and I therefore suggest that it is a useful addition to any academic library.