geosciences studies in environmental studies

8/17/2019 geosciences studies in environmental studies

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Role of Geosciences studies in

Environmental Sustainability

Submitted by:

Manju Singh Rajput


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Role of Geosciences studies in Environmental

Sustainability

The UNCED Environmental Conference (United Nations Convention on BiologicalDiversity) in Rio de Janeiro 1992 has changed the world. The convention recognized for the

first time in international law that the conservation of biological diversity is "a common

concern of humankind" and is an integral part of the development process and a key to

environmental sustainability and sustainable development. The challenges facing human kind

to become more sustainable are very complex. Solution of this complexity requires

innovative approaches and use of multiple disciplines in the technological, natural, and social

sciences.

The extreme difficulty of conducting controlled geologic experiments, the scarcity of the

geologic record, the inability of expressing a number of geological principles mathematically,

and the intrinsic complexity of earth systems have made geoscientists more agile in

interpreting phenomena, even in case of high scientific uncertainty. For example climate

change: Geoscientists have provided a historical data for the climate state that has prevailed

since the advent of our civilization, and they have shown the catastrophic effects that rapid

climate change can have on the earth system (For E.g.: Extinction of woolly rhinoceros,

mammoths and flora and fauna of Ice age).Geoscientists have helped rule out the role of non-

anthropogenic drivers on the changes in sea level, global temperature and rainfall patterns

that have been observed during the last century.

With a continuously rising human population, rising demand for natural resources, concerns

about food & clean water security, and a changing climate, it is critical to more fully integrate

Earth observations for a sustainable planet. In this present scenario Geosciences can help

meet the challenges of modern life in a delicately linked Earth system. Geo- environmental

issues which are really important to tackle for the environmental sustainability and

sustainable development can be divided in following broad categories.

1. Ensure reliable Energy supply in an increasingly Carbon constrained

world: Geoscientists have played vital role in meeting the energy demandsworldwide by exploiting & exploring hydrocarbon resources. World is addicted to the

hydrocarbon, because it’s cheap, plentiful, easy to mine, & it has been an abundant

energy source for industrial development the world over. But from the last few

decades industrialisation, increasing wealth in emerging market (especially India &

China) and globalization have led to increase in worldwide energy demand.

To mitigate the energy demand and climate change geoscientists have been working

on to find other potential fossils fuels e.g. Gas hydrates, coal bed methane, UCG and

are trying to find eco-friendly methods to exploit them. Underground Coal

Gasification (UCG), which has potential to increase coal reserve worldwide in

environment – friendly manner. In this process coal is converted in situ into acombustible gas that can be used as a fuel (Active in Australia and Uzbekistan).


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Environmental benefits of UCG include: lower fugitive dust, noise and visual impact

on surface, lower water consumption, low risk of surface water pollution, reduced

methane emission, less surface combustion of coal etc. Geoscientists are also

focussing on to develop renewable energy sources as alternate for fossil fuel.

Renewables provide around 3% of the worlds’ total energy needs.

2. Provide sufficient supplies of Water: Only about Earth’s 2.5% is fresh water,

rest is salt water. Depleting aquifers and contamination of fresh and groundwater are

resulting in scarcity of drinking water. As professional explorers, geoscientists and

hydrologists can identify new fresh, often deeply seated and more remotely situated

groundwater resources. Geoscientist have three-dimensional map of subsurface,

knowledge of composition of sediments/rocks, knowledge on the rock minerals-

groundwater interaction. They can detect the pollution plumes underground and can

prevent groundwater from contamination.

3. Soil resources: Agricultural soils are seriously under threat. Human’s activitiessuch as deforestation, absence of land-use management techniques (e.g. slash and

burn), & excessive use of toxic agrochemicals improper disposal of waste haveresulted in extensive soil losses or soil degradation. In china 5 billion tonnes of fertilesoil lost every year due to river transportation, desertification and salinisation which is1/12 of the earth’s soil. Geoscientists may study fluvial and coastal processes tounderstand local and regional problems thus pinpoint more areas of fertile land e.g.large and fertile alluvial Indo-Gangetic plains. Application of erosion models couldhelp to design planning & management systems to prevent fluvial and coastal erosion.

4. Urbanisation: 50% of the Earth population lives in cities that cover only a few percent of the total land surface of the globe. ‘Sustainable urban development’ is

therefore a matter of high priority on the international environmental agendas. Tofind the subsurface cavities, finding the depth if the foundation rocks, and specify theconstruction standards & codes, and specifying the width of roads and streets tomitigate potential geo-hazards. Mapping three dimensional images of subsurfacehelps to know suitable sites for buildings, bridges and roads.

5. Mineral, metal, and building material resources: Mining has never held in

high-esteem due to its horrendous consequences on the environment. But due toincreasing demand of raw material for sustainable development it cannot be affordedto avoid mining all together. The new research and technologies and trends such as‘dematerialisation’ , whereby less use of virgin material is used for production,

production of waste material is minimized and useful material are recycled to themaximum extent possible, beneficial use of mine waste and rehabilitation of mineland, hence contributing to ecological- sustainable development.

6. Waste management to maintain healthy environment: Domestic waste ismostly stored on or near the surface near or in the immediate vicinity of urban centres.And if pile of debris are situated on permeable beds allowing leachate to enter theaquifers. Natural geological barriers (impermeable bodies) prevent transport of


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contaminants like toxic and radioactive elements into aquifers. Sustainable wastedisposal is based on the ‘multi- barrier’ principle, looking for impermeable or poorly

permeable beds such as thick clay bodies, rock salt or shale as natural barrier toleachates before entering into the biosphere. This particularly applies to highly toxicradiation waste and mine tailings.

7. Mitigate risk from natural hazards: According to the International studies of

Natural Disaster Reduction of the United Nations show that in the period 1990 – 2011,

more than 300,000 people were killed or reported missing as a result of natural

disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and landslides. The total economic losses

caused by these disasters in that period exceeded 500 billion US$, which is about

0.2% of the world’s Gross Product.

Several efforts are made by scientist to mitigate the hazard due to earthquakes by

trying to control fault motion, either by injecting fluids to lubricate sections of the

fault plane, or by pumping out fluid to lock the fault. This experiment was done byUS army in 1962 near Colorado.

Indian Tsunami Early Warning System (ITEWS) started fully fledged operation in

October, 2007 which is able to issue Tsunami warning in less than 10 minutes after

any major earthquake in Indian Ocean.

8. Sustain Ocean, Ecological resources and Atmosphere: Oceanographers

use their knowledge of geosciences to study the motion and circulation of ocean

waters; the physical and chemical properties of the oceans; and how these properties

affect coastal areas, climate, and weather. The Indian Ocean Global Ocean Observing

System (GOOS) made up of ocean and climate scientists and government officials to

collect data from seas and oceans. Using the data, models of ocean sea surface

temperature in Indian Ocean can help more accurately forecasting for tropical

cyclones. And trends in coastal sea level change can help Pacific Island countries in

urgent coastal adaptation strategies.

Using remote sensing data e.g. colour infrared photographs assist in the forest

management and formulation of management plans for damaged areas and in

rehabilitation of deforested areas.

Geoscientists are combating climate change by working on the some eco-friendly

techniques. One way to combat is to prevent the release of CO 2 to atmosphere by

storing in depleted oil and gas reservoirs. Or in another way injecting CO2 can

enhance oil recovery (EOR), after injection a fraction of CO2 remains in the field.

This technique is safe and environmentally acceptable.

Therefore for environmental sustainability and sustainable development it is important to

study Earth closely and geosciences offer a very good opportunity for that. More strategic,

timely and reasonable investments in geosciences are required to integrate scientific

understanding of environmental issues and to develop effective environmental policies.

Hence geoscientist can contribute to solving the environmental issues with more holistic

approach in next decades, even more that today.

geosciences studies in environmental studies

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