This book explains the process of ground formation – what it is made of and how it behaves as an engineering material. This enables the civil engineer to work from a few first principles to determine if the ground is an asset or a hazard.

It focuses on the tectonic plate mechanisms that give rise to the geology of our planet and describes the way these create hazards such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis.

The authors state that groundwater can be both a resource and a hazard and through this book they provide an overview of the origins of geomaterials and their engineering properties.

This book shows how to read the ground by interpreting geological maps and recognising landforms and their associated hazards, such as landslides.