Abstract This volume draws together the final outputs of the five-year UNESCO / IUGS / IGCP Project 571 and presents new data on radon in the built and natural environments, radon as a diagnostic tool of geophysical phenomena, reflections and recommendations on the future of radon research and a critique of radon's asserted use as a therapy. In recent years there has been an increasing interest in radon from a range of different aspects and we would suggest that radon science has the potential to be a useful tool in understanding our environment as well as its impacts on human health.

Water access, sanitation, and security remain key foci of international aid and development. However, the increasing interconnectedness of hydrologic and social systems can cause water initiatives to have unexpected and cascading effects across geographic scales. This presents new challenges for geoscientists working in water development, as distant and complex socioeconomic and environmental relationships, or “telecouplings,” may significantly influence the outcomes and sustainability of development projects. We explore these emerging concepts through a case study in Ethiopia, which receives over half of its annual budget from foreign development assistance and is currently experiencing rapid population growth and environmental change. Using examples from the literature, we identify water development aid initiatives in rural and urban settings and at local and national scales. We then situate these within the telecoupling framework to reveal underlying social-hydrological relationships. Our results indicate that water development is linking Ethiopia’s hydrology with geographically distant communities and markets and creating new and often unexpected flows of people, material, and capital. These are resulting in cascading impacts and cross-scale feedbacks among urbanization, geopolitics, and the water-food-energy nexus in East Africa. We conclude with a discussion of the strengths, limitations, and potential of the telecoupling framework for geoscientists and development practitioners.

Groundwater resources in Haiti are considered abundant, with greater than 2 billion cubic meters per year (2 × 10 9 m 3 /yr) of renewable resources and 56 billion cubic meters of reserves. However, groundwater is not available everywhere and many aquifers are often low yielding, discontinuous, or are at risk from saltwater intrusion, overexploitation, reduced recharge, and contamination. Economic development, population growth, and climate change are factors that will increase stress on groundwater resources. Sector leadership, capacity building mechanisms, integrated water policy, and a clear regulatory framework are urgently needed to manage, regulate, and protect Haiti’s groundwater resources to achieve long-term security. Accomplishing this requires technical support and practical references that summarize the groundwater resources and their vulnerabilities, complexities, and opportunities. This chapter includes a summary of knowledge, information, and experience to aid the development and management of Haiti’s groundwater resources, as well as provides an overview of its complex hydrogeology. Five broad hydrogeological environments are differentiated: (1) Unconsolidated alluvium accounts for 26% of Haiti’s land area—it includes a large portion of the country’s groundwater reserves and is the most exploited for irrigation, industry, and potable water; (2) interior sedimentary units account for 32% of Haiti’s land area and include up to 25% of the country’s groundwater reserves—springs from carbonate aquifers are significant sources of water supply throughout the country; (3) reef carbonate accounts for 6% of Haiti’s land area, with locally available coastal karst aquifer systems serving some of the most rural, driest, and impoverished areas of Haiti; (4) semiconsolidated units account for 21% of Haiti’s land area—their low groundwater potential limits rural and urban water use throughout the country; and (5) igneous bedrock accounts for 15% of Haiti’s land area—its discontinuous groundwater reserves are an important source of water in rural and mountainous areas.

Although mineral hazards are generally not well established in the public consciousness compared to other natural hazards, they can adversely affect public health and safety and the environment. The term “mineral hazards,” as used here, includes certain naturally occurring earth materials and sites of man-made activities related to them, such as mining and oil drilling. Since the 1990s, the California Geological Survey has conducted many studies of mineral hazards in California in response to an increasing number of requests from government agencies, private industry, and the public. These studies have focused mostly on naturally occurring asbestos, radon, and various metals, such as mercury and cadmium. The mineral-hazard maps and companion reports produced from these studies are typically at statewide and regional scales. They are designed for use by nongeoscientists and geoscientists alike in an effort to educate these groups about mineral hazards and to help in mitigation of those hazards. These products indicate the likelihood of the occurrence of a mineral hazard at a given location, but not the associated health risk. Geographic information systems (GIS) are used to manage and analyze data, and to design the maps. The variety of products developed ranges from traditional paper maps to thematic digital layers for use in a GIS. This range of products increases the likelihood that a greater number of people will use the information. The maps and reports have been used in many applications, and additional applications await development as awareness of mineral hazards and the need for mitigation of them increase.

Abstract Residual sludge from dimension-stone working plants, both from gangue saws with abrasive shot and frame saws, is classified as waste and presents a number of problems for the stone industry. These problems include a fine size distribution, heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) content, all of which impede recovery and reuse. Residual sludge, management of which is administered in accordance with the Italian Legislative Decree 152/06, can be used in waste form for environmental restoration or for cement plants. However, it is also possible that sludge applications could go beyond these limited uses with incorporation of systematic treatment for the production of secondary raw materials (SRM), for example, filler, or for ‘new products’, for example, artificial loam. Such new products or SRM have to be certified not only on the basis of their technical and physical characteristics but also by means of appropriate chemical analyses to guarantee that the products are not contaminated. This paper outlines the results from laboratory and in situ characterization of residual sludge. In particular, three potential applications of sludge either by itself or mixed with other materials were evaluated: landfill waterproofing material, filler material for civil works and artificial soil for land rehabilitation.

Abstract Highly porous and soft calcarenites, often called ‘calcareous tuffs’, are commonly found throughout Southern Italy and are traditionally used as building materials. The petrophysical features of some of them were determined, focusing on the microstructure (fabric and porosimetric characteristics) and on the properties related to water absorption, drying and water vapour permeability; the compressive strength was also measured. The mineralogical composition was analysed and a variable presence of clay minerals was found for the different varieties. Diverse levels of damage under a salt crystallization test were related to the mineralogical, petrographic and porosimetric features, the latter being a source of the heterogeneity of the investigated stones. Results of laboratory tests and observations of decay in the field suggest protection against water penetration as the primary requirement for slowing down the decay of such highly porous and soft stones. Some water-repellent products were tested for effectiveness in reducing water absorption and for compatibility with the original stones’ properties. Their use in the presence of salts was taken into account, including the performances of the treated stones under the salt crystallization test. Treatment issues were found to be strongly influenced by the porosimetric characteristics of the studied materials.

Abstract This study deals with the design of two hydrophobic hybrid SiO 2 –TiO 2 materials and their application in the field of monument conservation. The nanocomposite consolidants were based on the modification of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) with the incorporation of both TiO 2 nanoparticles and hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The TiO 2 nanoparticles have been prepared from the hydrolysis of titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) in the presence of oxalic acid as a catalyst. The physico-chemical properties of the designed hydrophobic nanocrystalline SiO 2 –TiO 2 –PDMS composites have been extensively studied before their application as consolidants on a limestone. Overall, the effectiveness of the nanocomposites was evaluated by the comparative characterization of untreated and treated stone specimens. The results of both capillary water absorption and contact angle measurements point out that the TiO 2 –SiO 2 –PDMS nanocomposites functioned as hydrophobic coatings. Furthermore, the results obtained from microdrilling resistance and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed a penetration depth of the nanocomposites within the stone of c. 15 mm. The innovation of these syntheses pertains to the application of hydrophobic semi-transparent and transparent nanocomposites with self-cleaning and strengthening properties, without altering the colour of the stone surface and the water vapour permeability.

Abstract The protection of Pendelikon marbles to weathering has been the main aim of numerous and longstanding studies. Latest scientific approaches in the field of conservation include methods for self-cleaning surfaces that mimic natural phenomena. In our research, we have critically studied and implemented by means of nanotechnology, the development of a biomimetic composite, protective, hybrid nanostructured film. The mineral substrates have been coated with a fluorosilanic base matrix and furthermore top-coated with a nanostructured synthesis made from amorphous silicon dioxide, sprayed using the ‘alla prima’ technique. The behaviour of the composite protective coating has been evaluated in terms of wettability, retreatability and resistance to weathering.

Abstract The United States Army has been a functioning entity for nearly 240 years and throughout those years has faced changing military threats. We focus here on when, where, and why military installations, primarily those of the Army, were created and placed on the landscape, and we examine some of the ways in which their situation changed as the country shifted from a domestic protection stance to a more internationalist projection-oriented operational philosophy. The 1790s, the 1890s, and the 1990s each presented challenges—but of very different types. Were we responding to external or internal threats? What were the needs of the era? Were they focused on materiel production, on leadership and training, on protecting our coastlines, on protecting travel routes within the country, or on preparing to project force hundreds or thousands of miles outside the United States? At one time, one or more of these differing concerns were the driving reasons behind the establishment of a military installation. The current “landscape” of installations reflects a response to these differing threats across our entire nation’s history. This is why the U.S. Defense Department has recently been reviewing the inventory of military bases, to determine if they are all still relevant and useful. Do we now have too many or too few installations? Or, are they in the wrong place to answer the current and emerging threats? Finally, what happens when an installation is believed to no longer be needed? When and how may an installation be converted to another life?