Definition
Areas in which anthropogenic activities have directly modified the landscape by deposition and associated excavation.
Introduction
Artificial Ground generally refers to landforms and sediments deposited or excavated on or within the shallow ground surface, but such modifications can also be created at deeper levels in the subsurface where they cross-cut existing natural geological strata. This novel sedimentary environment includes areas of the excavation, transport and deposition of natural geological materials, and the deposition of novel materials related to activities such as urban development, mineral exploitation, waste management, and land reclamation. Anthropogenically induced deposition of natural sediments, such as behind dams, or erosion, such as through deforestation, is not considered as Artificial Ground.
Humans have already modified more than 50% of the ice-free land...
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Acknowledgment
British Geological Survey figures (Figs. 1, 2, and 3) are reproduced through Permit Number CP17/057 British Geological Survey © NERC 2017. All rights reserved. License for reproduction of Fig. 5 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/. Brian Marker is thanked for his guidance on an earlier draft.
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Waters, C.N. (2018). Artificial Ground. In: Bobrowsky, P., Marker, B. (eds) Encyclopedia of Engineering Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_21-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12127-7_21-1
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