Studies in Military Geography and Geology

This book contains a selection of papers from the International Military Geology and Geography Conference, held at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York in June 2003. Studies in Military Geography and Geology expands a series of recent publications originating from conferences and symposia on military geology that began in 1994. The 25 contributions address a broad range of military topics ranging from the strategic perspective, through analyses of historical battles at the operational and tactical levels, to the use of advanced technologies applied to present-day military problems.

From the reviews:

"In June 2003, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, hosted an international conference on military Geology and Geography. … Papers presented at the conference comprise the contents of this book … . A major strength of this book is the multi-disciplinary nature of the subject matter. It appeals to a broad range of interests and perspectives. The book also illustrates the amount of shared knowledge among the disciplines of geography, geology, and history … ." (Thomas Nolan, The Geographical Journal, Issue 172, 2006)

"Both peace-time and hot-war military activities are clearly underpinned by theoretical and applied systems theory to ascertain present and future optimum results. … The need for documentation is exemplified by this publication on military geography & geology (MGG). This extraordinary, influential and fascinating book is the product by 36 American earth science and numerous other experts … . the book could act as a catalyst to hopefully encourage those countries which have not placed sufficient importance on MGG, e.g. Canada." (Karl H. Wolf, International Journal of General Systems, Vol. 35 (4), 2006)

"The book covers a rather fascinating topic! … Twenty-five chapters based on the 2003 International Military Geology and Geography (MGG) conference are offered in three main parts. … a real eye-opener for novices unfamiliar with the specialty of MGG. If you haven’t been interested before, surely the first pages will hook you! … The chapters deal with many diverse physical and cultural landscapes." (Karl Wolf, The Australian Geologist Newsletter, Issue 136, September, 2005)

(a) Mr. Caldwell has an AB in Geography from Dartmouth College, a MS in Cartography from the University of Wisconsin - Madison, and an MSc in Geographical Information Systems from the University of Edinburgh (UK). He has worked at the Defense Mapping Agency (currently known as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) and the US Army Corps of Engineers. Throughout his 25 year career he has been engaged in research and development work related to military geographic information, cartography, and geographic information sciences He is a Member of the North American cartographic Information Society and Urban and Regional Information Systems Association.

(b) Dr. Ehlen has BA and MA degrees in Geology and a BA in German from the University of Oregon, an MA in History from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Birmingham (UK). She has worked for the US Army Corps of Engineers in research & development related to image analysis of the geologic properties of terrain throughout her more than 30 year career. She is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and of the Geological Society of London and currently serves as a Member of the Board of the American Rock Mechanics Association and as Past Chair of the Geological Society of America's Engineering Geology Division. She has been active in the field of military geology since 1994.

(c) Dr. Harmon has a BA degree in Geology from the University of Texas – Austin, a MS in Geochemistry from Pennsylvania State University, and a Ph.D. in Geology from McMaster University (Canada). Over a 30-year career in the earth sciences, he has worked for the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and UK Natural Environment Research Council, taught at Michigan State University and Southern Methodist University, and currently is Senior Program Manager for Terrestrial Sciences at the U.S. Army Research Office. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America andNational Speleological Society and currently serves as a Council Member of the International Association of Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry.