STUDIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND APPLIED GEOMORPHOLOGY Edited by Tommaso Piacentini and Enrico Miccadei Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology Edited by Tommaso Piacentini and Enrico Miccadei Published by InTech Janeza Trdine 9, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia Copyright © 2012 InTech All chapters are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. After this work has been published by InTech, authors have the right to republish it, in whole or part, in any publication of which they are the author, and to make other personal use of the work. Any republication, referencing or personal use of the work must explicitly identify the original source. As for readers, this license allows users to download, copy and build upon published chapters even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. Notice Statements and opinions expressed in the chapters are these of the individual contributors and not necessarily those of the editors or publisher. No responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of information contained in the published chapters. The publisher assumes no responsibility for any damage or injury to persons or property arising out of the use of any materials, instructions, methods or ideas contained in the book. Publishing Process Manager Silvia Vlase Technical Editor Teodora Smiljanic Cover Designer InTech Design Team First published March, 2012 Printed in Croatia A free online edition of this book is available at www.intechopen.com Additional hard copies can be obtained from orders@intechopen.com Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology, Edited by Tommaso Piacentini and Enrico Miccadei p. cm. ISBN 978-953-51-0361-5 Contents Preface IX Chapter 1 Using Discrete Debris Accumulations to Help Interpret Upland Glaciation of the Younger Dryas in the British Isles 1 W. Brian Whalley Chapter 2 Biogeomorphologic Approaches to a Study of Hillslope Processes Using Non-Destructive Methods 21 Pavel Raška Chapter 3 Geomorphological Instability Triggered by Heavy Rainfall: Examples in the Abruzzi Region (Central Italy) 45 Enrico Miccadei, Tommaso Piacentini, Francesca Daverio and Rosamaria Di Michele Chapter 4 Environmental Changes in Lakes Catchments as a Trigger for Rapid Eutrophication – A Prespa Lake Case Study 63 Svetislav S. Krstić Chapter 5 Intervention of Human Activities on Geomorphological Evolution of Coastal Areas: Cases from Turkey 119 Cüneyt Baykal, Ayşen Ergin and Işıkhan Güler Chapter 6 Spatial and Time Balancing Act: Coastal Geomorphology in View of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) 141 Gülizar Özyurt and Ayşen Ergin Chapter 7 Hydro-Geomorphic Classification and Potential Vegetation Mapping for Upper Mississippi River Bottomland Restoration 163 Charles H. Theiling, E. Arthur Bettis and Mickey E. Heitmeyer VI Contents Chapter 8 Anthropogenic Induced Geomorphological Change Along the Western Arabian Gulf Coast 191 Ronald A. Loughland, Khaled A. Al-Abdulkader, Alexander Wyllie and Bruce O. Burwell Chapter 9 Comparison of SRTM and ASTER Derived Digital Elevation Models over Two Regions in Ghana – Implications for Hydrological and Environmental Modeling 219 Gerald Forkuor and Ben Maathuis Chapter 10 From Landscape Preservation to Landscape Governance: European Experiences with Sustainable Development of Protected Landscapes 241 Joks Janssen and Luuk Knippenberg Chapter 11 Introduction to Anthropogenic Geomorphology 267 Dávid Lóránt Preface Geomorphology is the interdisciplinary and systematic study of landforms and their landscapes as well as the earth surface processes that create and change them (Castiglioni, 1986; Goudie, 2004; http://www.geomorph.org). The overwhelming majority of human activities interact with the landforms that make up the surface and near surface of terrestrial, nearshore and offshore ‘landscapes’. Understanding and mapping geomorphology therefore can be seen as fundamental to the safe, economic and sustainable development of the planet Earth (Alcantara-Ayala and Goudie, 2010; Smith et al., 2011). This branch of the science acquired its role in the natural science since the ‘800s and developed progressively. Since the end of the ‘900s geomorphology can be included within applied and environmental sciences and contributes to face and solve several environmental and geological issues. In this fields geomorphological analysis provides methods and tools for mapping of landforms to define hazards and resources and for mapping of other phenomena through their association with landform. It is possible to identify rates of change of hazardous phenomena and causes of changes and hazards, to help post event surveys of hazardous events, and to predict and model future scenarios and hazards. In this way geomorphology contributes to monitor present changes, model future changes, identifies vulnerable areas, and provides useful indication for mitigation strategies and management solution of geomorphological problems, also considering feedbacks of geomorphological change (Panizza, 1996; Alcantara-Ayala and Goudie, 2010). The base of this work is mapping of morphometry, landforms, hazards, etc. using field surveys, airphotos, remote sensing, GIS to produce geomorphological maps. Mapping landforms implies mapping, and understanding the related processes (Smith et al., 2011). Environmental and applied geomorphology supports, thereafter, a correct and sustainable land management taking into account specific risk and resources. This book includes several geomorphological studies up-to-date, incorporating different disciplines and methodologies, always focused on methods, tools and general issues of environmental and applied geomorphology. In designing the book we considered the integration of multiple methodological fields (geomorphological mapping, remote sensing, meteorological and climate analysis, vegetation and X Preface biogeomorphological investigations, geographic information systems GIS, land management methods), study areas, countries and continents (Europe, North America, Asia, Africa). Particularly, in a trip from north to south and from west to east, eleven chapters are included in this book. In the first chapter W. B. Whalley takes an overview of the mapping problems associated with features, other than moraines, associated glacial features. Recognising the genesis of them is important as it may help to provide evidence for the magnitude-frequency of cold events. Furthermore, as some features seen and mapped may be post-glacial slope failures rather than glacial deposits, their identification and correct interpretation may be useful for mapping slope failures in an area rather than glacial features. P. Raška, in the second chapter, presents new non-destructive methods and techniques used in the biogeomorphologic study of hillslope processes, particularly sheet erosion and shallow landslides. These processes have significant impacts on landscape and society and their research represents the fundamental issue for applied geomorphology. Geomorphological effects of heavy rainfall are analysed in the third chapter by Miccadei et al., through field surveys, aerial photo analysis and inventories, mapping the distribution of the landslides, soil erosion and flooding. The chapter highlights that these types of methods, investigations and data are basic in applied studies for the stabilisation and management of slopes and minor or major drainage basins, and for general land management. These types of studies allow to define the future scenarios - which sustainable land planning and management should be based on - supporting the process of creating an urban plan. The fourth chapter, by Svetislav S. Krstić, is focused mainly on environmental issues of eutrophication in lakes’ history contributing to elucidating and/or separating the natural processes from the anthropogenically induced ones. In this regard, under the comprehensive River Basin Management Plan development for the Prespa Lake catchment (Macedonia), the results of a 12 months surveillance monitoring are presented in this chapter, in order to reveal the present ecological situation and the past changes during the last 10 ka period. Being that coastal zones are socially and economically important and with high population densities, chapter five, written by Baykal et al., deals with the complex management of these areas. It focuses on interdisciplinary approaches of integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) as efficient actions for sustainable development and for facing risks in coastal areas. The results coming from fuzzy coastal vulnerability assessment model allow to discuss the role of geomorphology on vulnerability of coastal areas. Integration of different spatial and temporal of geomorphology and ICZM are also discussed. [...]... Gordon and D G Sutherland, pp 118-122, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Chapman and Hall, London Gordon, J E (2006), Shaping the landscape, In Hostile Habitats; Scotland's Mountain Environment, Edited by N Kempe and M Wrightham, pp 52-83 Gordon, J E & D G Sutherland (1993), Quaternary of Scotland, Chapman and Hall, London 18 Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology Hamilton, S J & W B Whalley... features and it does help guide interpretation of what is seen or mapped 6 Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology Fig 2 An illustration of the weathered rock debris constituent needs to be taken into account when considering ‘glacial, proglacial, perglacial or permafrost conditions Not only may the debris addition be sudden (rock avalanche) or slow and continuous (scree formation); after... Brunsden and D B Prior, pp 217-256, Wiley, Chichester Whalley, W B (2004), Glacier research in mainland Scandinavia, in Earth paleoenvironments: records preserved in mid- and low-latitude glaciers, edited by L D Cecil, J R Green and L G Thompson, pp 121-143, Kluwer, Dordrecht 20 Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology Whalley, W B (2009), On the interpretation of discrete debris accumulations... some Donegal debris landforms, Irish Geography, Vol.37, pp 77-87 Wilson, P (2009), Rockfall talus slopes and associated talus-foot features in the glaciated uplands of Great Britain and Ireland in Periglacial and Paraglacial Processes and Environments, edited by J Knight and S Harrison, Geological Society, London, Special Publications, Vol.320, pp 133-144 Wilson, P (2010), Lake District Mountain Landforms,... especially to make inferences about environmental conditions, observations have to be placed within the context of imperfect knowledge of behaviour and response to past environmental conditions or events This paper suggests that caution and more precise glacio-geomorphological investigations are required Selected examples illustrate such problems from present day analogues and from ice-free areas The geological... associated with upland regions of the British Isles in the Younger Dryas Compilations of processes, mechanisms and chronologies can be found in Ballantyne and Harris (1994) and Gordon and Sutherland (1993) and other overviews have been provided in several other volumes (Boardman, 1987; Gillen, 2003; Gordon, 2006; Gordon & Sutherland, 1993; McKirdy et al., 2007; Wilson, 2010) A distinction should be made... permafrost maintenance, length of time of 10 Feature name Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology Comments on formation etc Environmental interpretation use or caution input flux ii Involvement with permafrostderived + ice debris input flux preservation; dating problems possible Protalus rampart i Debris passively over snowbank ii Construction by small glacier iii Might develop into rock glacier... re-assessment, Geomorphology, Vol.14, pp 73-80 Harrison, S & E Anderson (2001), A Late Devensian rock glacier in the Nantlle valley, North Wales, Glacial Geology and Geomorphology Harrison, S.; E Anderson, & D G Passmore (1998), A small glacial cirque basin on Exmoor, Somerset, Proceedings of the Geologists' Association, Vol.109, pp 149-158 Harrison, S.; B Whalley, & E Anderson (2008), Relict rock glaciers and. .. Chicago Press, London Sandeman, A F., and C K Ballantyne (1996), Talus rock glaciers in Scotland: characteristics and controls on formation, Scottish Geographical Journal, 112(3), 138-146 Shakesby, R A (1997), Pronival (protalus) ramparts: a review of forms, processes, diagnostic criteria and palaeoenvironmental implications, Progress in Physical Geography, 21, 394-418 Shakesby, R A., and J A Matthews... interpretation is more complicated for periglacial features such as snowbanks and their rock debris remnants such as ‘protalus lobes’ Is such a feature classed as periglacial, proglacial or indeed paraglacial (Slaymaker, 2007; 2009)? This problem will be considered in more detail below 4 Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology Fig 1 The basic controls on glaciers and their responses in the . STUDIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL AND APPLIED GEOMORPHOLOGY Edited by Tommaso Piacentini and Enrico Miccadei Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology. ‘800s and developed progressively. Since the end of the ‘900s geomorphology can be included within applied and environmental sciences and contributes to face and solve several environmental and. This problem will be considered in more detail below. Studies on Environmental and Applied Geomorphology 4 Fig. 1. The basic controls on glaciers and their responses in the geological