ABSTRACT The built environment of peninsular Charleston, South Carolina, has been strongly influenced by the ethos of architectural preservation. However, increased frequency of storm and tide-related flooding has been affecting property and public services, and threatens human and environmental health. Management processes for excess water in this urban area must adapt to the challenges resulting from historic development including the fill of tidal creek systems, sea-level rise, and the influence of large storm events on drainage infrastructure. The City of Charleston has adopted several strategies to manage flooding and encourage progressive development. Large-scale drainage improvement projects capitalize on a geologic framework that provides for deep tunnel excavation and drainage system construction. Novel approaches in zoning codes provide some incentives for land owners to use lower impact design techniques in return for more flexible design standards. This field tour will guide participants through this historic city, and will provide a glimpse of the geologic setting, development history, and environmental pressures that have compelled the city’s proactive stormwater management.

ABSTRACT Today, the United States Department of the Interior manages 500 million acres of surface land, about one-fifth of the land in the United States. Since enactment of the Antiquities Act in 1906, historic and scientific resources collected on public land have remained government property, held in trust for the people of the United States. As a result, the Department of the Interior manages nearly 204 million museum objects. Some of these objects are in federally managed repositories; others are in the repositories of partner institutions. The establishment of the United States as a nation corresponded with the development of paleontology as a science. For example, mastodon fossils discovered at or near present-day Big Bone Lick State Historic Site, Kentucky, found their way to notable scientists both in the United States and in Europe by the mid-eighteenth century and were instrumental in establishing the reality of extinction. Public land policies were often contentious, but generally they encouraged settlement and use, which resulted in the modern pattern of federal public lands. Continued investigation for fossils from public land filled the nation’s early museums, and those fossils became the centerpieces of many museum exhibitions. Case studies of the management of fossils found in Fossil Cycad National Monument, the John Day fossil beds, the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and surrounding areas of public land, the American Falls Reservoir, and Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument are outlined. These examples provide a sense of the scope of fossils on federal public land, highlight how their management can be a challenge, and show that public land is vital for continued scientific collection and research.

Abstract Radon ( 222 Rn) has been highlighted by a number of authors as a significant public health concern. For example, it is the second most significant cause of lung cancer after tobacco smoking ( c. 1000–2000 and 21 000 deaths per year in the UK and USA, respectively), yet a very high proportion of the general public appears to be unaware of the risk. This chapter deals with topical radon issues, such as: radon in the workplace; radon in homes; exposure to radon during leisure activities; radon and water; measurement and monitoring; seasonal correction; remediation; cancer risks; cost–benefit analysis and cost-effectiveness; mapping; future policies; and further research. This assessment of the state of radon research is focused on the UK as an example of a country where radon has been on the governmental agenda since the late 1970s, but also highlights radon issues throughout the world in, for example, the USA, Europe and Asia.

Abstract The 2011 Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and resulting damage is often referred to as 3.11 after the date on which it took place. Leading to almost 20 000 people dead or missing, a major nuclear disaster and severe economic damage, 3.11 represents the biggest challenge faced by Japan since the end of World War II. Before 3.11, the possibility of a Mw 9 earthquake in this area was not generally recognized, highlighting the need to reassess seismic risk in NE Japan. The large amount of new quantitative data covering a range of disciplines and from onshore and offshore studies makes 3.11 an important case study that can contribute to improving our understanding of tsunamis, including their formation, their effects on coastal regions and the effectiveness of defensive measures old and new. Geological studies have a key role to play in this new phase of tsunami studies and this is the only method available for determining recurrence intervals over timescales of thousands of years. Data from 3.11 have improved our ability to identify sedimentary records of tsunami events and to estimate tsunami size from geological data. More complete databases will provide invaluable information for long-term planning of coastal regions in convergent plate margins.

Abstract Hydrocarbon exploration in the East Irish Sea Basin began with the identification of surface oil seeps in peat beds in Lancashire, UK. This precipitated the drilling of the first onshore exploration wells. The discovery of the Formby Field in west Lancashire at the end of the 1930s triggered a wave of further drilling. Wells drilled in west Lancashire had limited success, with only minor hydrocarbon shows, whilst the production from the Formby Field was modest. Nonetheless, the invaluable geological information taken from onshore wells and the ratification of the Continental Shelf Act led to a shift in focus to the offshore and a period of significant interest in the East Irish Sea. Two key periods of oil and gas exploration activity stand out in the history of the offshore basin, the first headed by the Gas Council during the 1970s resulted in the discovery of the gas giants of Morecambe Bay, whilst the second fronted by Hamilton Oil during the 1990s heralded the discovery of oil with the Douglas and Lennox fields in Liverpool Bay. Exploration in the basin has waned during the last decade; however, to date, this mature hydrocarbon province has yielded estimated hydrocarbon reserves of over 1.8 BBOE (billion barrels of oil equivalent).