Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1 THE BALANCE OF NATURE: -- THE NATURAL PROCESSES -- The Biosphere * The Gaia Hypothesis * The Precarious -- Balance * The Energy Budget * The Ocean Currents -- The Geochemical Carbon Cycle * The Nitrogen Cycle -- 2 ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION: -- ECOLOGY AND POLLUTION -- Atmospheric Pollution * Acid Precipitation * Surface-Water -- Pollution * Groundwater Pollution * Waste Disposal * -- Environmental Restoration -- 3 CLIMATE CHANGE: -- THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT -- Climates for Humanity * Greenhouse Gases * Global -- Warming * Climatic Effects of Volcanoes * Violent Storms o -- Combating Climate Change -- 4 HYDROLOGIC ACTIVITY: -- WATER FLOW AND FLOODING -- The Hydrologic Cycle * Hydrologic Mapping River -- Flow * Groundwater Flow Irrigation i Flood Hazards -- Flood Types * Flood Control -- 5 COASTAL PROCESSES: SEACOASTS AND ESTUARIES -- Tidal Basins * Coastal Erosion n Coastal Deposition -- Coastal Subsidence a Coastal Inundation Coastal Floods -- Wave Action * Tsunamis -- 6 TECTONIC HAZARDS: -- EARTHQUAKES AND VOLCANOES -- Ground Shaking * Earthquake Dangers i Damage -- Prevention * Earthquake Prediction a Volcanic Activity -- Dangerous Volcanoes * Predicting Eruptions -- 7 LOSING GROUND: EROSION AND SLIDES -- Soil Erosion * River Erosion a Wind Erosion * Glacial -- Erosion * Earth Movements * Ground Failures -- 8 DESERTIFICATION: DESERTS AND DROUGHTS -- The World's Deserts a Drought-Prone Regions Causes of -- Drought Dust Bowls * Man-made Deserts Dust Storms -- Sand Dunes -- 9 NATURAL RESOURCES: -- DEPLETION OF INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS -- Energy * Minerals Ore Deposits * Conservation u -- Recycling * Renewable Energy -- 10 LAND USE: THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE -- Global Environments u Deforestation m Habitat Destruction -- Land Abuse * Urbanization * Land Use Planning.