Simplified definition Quartz and carbonate veins with valuable amounts of gold and silver, in faults and shear zones located within deformed terrains of ancient to recent orogenic  reenstone belts. Scientific definition Greenstone-hosted quartz-carbonate vein deposits (GQC) are a sub-type of lode gold deposits (Poulsen et al., 2000) (Fig. 1). They are also known as mesothermal, orogenic (mesozonal and hypozonal - the near surface orogenic epizonal Au-Sb-Hg deposits (Groves et al., 1998) are not included in this synthesis), lode gold, shear-zone-related quartz-carbonate or gold-only deposits (Roberts, 1987; Colvine, 1989; Kerrich and Wyman, 1990; Robert, 1990; Kerrich and Feng, 1992; Hodgson, 1993, Kerrich and Cassidy, 1994; Robert, 1995; Groves et al., 1998; Hagemann and Cassidy, 2000; Kerrich et al., 2000; Goldfarb et al., 2001; Groves et al., 2003; Goldfarb et al., in press; and references therein).

In recent years, the use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) to investigate the shallow subsurface has transformed the study of sediments. GPR is now an accepted and widely applied tool for the earth scientist, enabling a non-destructive investigation of both modern and ancient sediments. Based on the rapid growth of this field, we organised an international research meeting entitled Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) in Sediments: Applications and Interpretation that was held at the Geological Society of London and the University College of London in August 2001.

Ground support has been used to stabilise underground excavations in rock since Roman times. In a review of the evolution of ground support and reinforcement, Brown (1999) refers to De Re Metallica (Agricola 1556), which describes timbering in shafts, tunnels and drifts used as a means of protection against collapse and risk of injury. Stabilisation of the immediate boundary of a rock mass surrounding an excavation is often referred to as ‘local support’. Until the 1950s, timbering remained one of the main means of local support. Since then, it has gradually been replaced by internal reinforcement techniques, such as dowels installed inside a drilled hole.

Water is the basic requirement for the development of civilization. The primitive civilizations were developed along the surface water bodies to meet the demand of water for the society. With the progress of time, the population-led demand for water was increased in those civilizations and which ultimately led to conflicts. The Indus valley civilization was destroyed mainly because of issues related to water management.