This book addresses most of the environmental impacts of sand mining from small rivers The problems and solutions addressed in this book are applicable to all rivers that drain through densely populated tropical coasts undergoing rapid economic growth. Many rivers in the world are drastically being altered to levels often beyond their natural resilience capability. Among the different types of human interventions, mining of sand and gravel is the most disastrous one, as the activity threatens the very existence of river ecosystem. A better understanding of sand budget is necessary if the problems of river and coastal environments are to be solved.
Worldwide demand for sand and gravel is increasing daily, as the need for these materials continues to rise, for example in the construction sector, in land filling and for transportation sector based infrastructural projects. This results in over-extraction of sand from channel beds, and hampers the natural renewal of sediment, geological setup and morphological processes of the riverine system. In India, illegal sand mining (of alluvial channels) and gravel mining (of perennial channels) are two anthropogenic issues that negatively affect the sustainable drainage system. Along the Kangsabati River in India, the consequences of sand mining are very serious. The construction of Mukutmonipur Dam (1958) on the river causes huge sediment deposition along the middle and downstream areas, these same areas are also intensely mined for sand (instream and on the flood plain). Geospatial models are applied in order to better understand the state and the resilience of stream hydraulics, morphological and river ecosystem variables during pre-mining and post-mining stages, using micro-level datasets of the Kangsabati River. The book also includes practicable measures to minimize the environmental consequences of instream mining in respect to optimum sand mining. It discusses the threshold limits of each variable in stream hydraulics, morphological and river ecological regime, and also discusses the most affected variables. Consequently, all outputs will be very useful for students, researchers, academicians, decision makers and practitioners and will facilitate applying these techniques to create models for other river basins.
In Sand Stories, Kiran Pereira examines why sand is the most consumed commodity on the planet after water and the impacts of this seemingly insatiable demand for sand. The book offers a wealth of potential solutions and is richly illustrated.
Ecosystems of the benthic environment are a sensitive index toecological change, and as such demand long-term and effectivemonitoring. Methods for the Study of Marine Benthos providescomprehensive information on the tools and techniques available tothose working in areas where the declining health of the sea,depletion of marine resources and the biodiversity of marine lifeare major concerns. In response to the need for increasingly detailed information onbottom-living communities, this fully revised new editionoffers: Contributions from a broad range of internationally recognisedexperts New information for those compiling environmental impactstatements, pollution assessments and working with eco-systemmanagement Two separate chapters on Imaging Techniques and DivingSystems A vital tool for all marine and environmental scientists,ecologists, fisheries workers and oceanographers, libraries in alluniversities and research establishments where these subjects arestudied and taught will find this book a valuable addition to theirshelves.
This paper describing the practice at the Wolf Tongue concentrator at Nederland, Colo., is one of a series on similar subjects being published by the United States Bureau of Mines. The author acknowledges the assistance fo William Loach, manager fo the Wolf tongue Mining Co., and of W. G. Roseborough, superindtendent of the Wolf Tongue mill, in the preparation of this paper.
