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Books in Physical geography

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    • Flood Risk Change

      A Complexity Perspective
      • 1st Edition
      • Andreas Paul Zischg
      • English
      Flood Risk Change: A Complexity Perspective focuses on the dynamic nature of flood risks and follows a systemic approach - including environmental, socioeconomic and socio-technical factors for modeling and managing flood risk change. Readers will gain a more complete picture of the topic for understanding the complexity of flood risk change, both from human and natural causes of flooding. The book includes a mix of theory (introduction to complex system science from the flood risk management perspective) and case studies. It features maps and figures focusing on the system components as well as on the dynamic interactions between the drivers of change. Researchers studying flood risk, environmental engineering, disaster risk reduction, and land use, as well as those in industry and responsible for policy, will find this an invaluable resource.

    • Mapping and Forecasting Land Use

      The Present and Future of Planning
      • 1st Edition
      • Paulo Pereira + 2 more
      • English
      Mapping and Forecasting Land Use: The Present and Future of Planning is a comprehensive reference on the use of technologies to map land use, focusing on GIS and remote sensing applications and methodologies for land use monitoring. This book addresses transversal topics such as urbanisation, biodiversity loss, climate change, ecosystem services and participatory planning, with the pros and cons of various aerial technologies in mapping and land use. It follows a multidisciplinary approach and provides opinions and evidence from leading researchers working in academic institutions across the globe. The book's second half moves from theory and research advancement into case studies, compiling global examples to provide real-world context and evidence of the techniques and applications. Mapping and Forecasting Land Use is a valuable guide for graduates, academics and researchers in the fields of geography, geographic information science and land use science who want to effectively apply GIS and remote sensing capabilities to mapping or wider land studies. Researchers in geosciences, environmental science and agriculture will also find this of value in utilising 21st-century technologies in their field.

    • Geology and Landscape Evolution

      General Principles Applied to the United States
      • 2nd Edition
      • Joseph A. DiPietro
      • English
      Geology and Landscape Evolution: General Principles Applied to the United States, Second Edition, is an accessible text that balances interdisciplinary theory and applications within the physical geography, geology, geomorphology and climatology of the United States. The vast diversity of terrain and landscape across the United States makes this an ideal tool for geoscientists worldwide who research the country’s geological and landscape evolution. The book provides an explanation of how landscape forms, how it evolves and why it looks the way it does. This new edition is fully updated with greater detail throughout and additional figures, maps, drawings and photographs. Rather than limiting the coverage specifically to tectonics or to the origin and evolution of rocks with little regard for the actual landscape beyond general desert, river and glacial features, this book concentrates specifically on the origin of the landscape itself, with specific and exhaustive reference to examples from across the United States. The book begins with a discussion of how rock type and rock structure combine with tectonic activity, climate, isostasy and sea level change to produce landscape and then explores predicting how landscape will evolve. The book goes on to apply those concepts to specific examples throughout the United States, making it a valuable resource for understanding theoretical geological concepts through a practical lens.

    • Cretaceous Sea Level Rise

      Down Memory Lane and the Road Ahead
      • 1st Edition
      • Mu Ramkumar
      • English
      Cretaceous Sea Level Rise delves into the question of whether the observed short-term sea-level changes are regional (tectonic) or global (eustatic) and determines their possible relation to climate cycles; to assess the role of feedback mechanisms, i.e. thermal expansion/contractio... of seawater, subsidence due to loading by water, changing vegetation of the Earth System and to investigate the relation of sea-level highs and lows to ocean anoxia and oxidation events, represented by black shales and oceanic red beds, and to evaluate the evidence for ephemeral glacial episodes or other climate events. Though research has been, and is being, conducted in these fields since the introduction of sea level cycles and sequence development concepts in the 1970"s, the available information is scattered. Cretaceous Sea Level Rise presents the current understanding and future directions of the research on Cretaceous sea level cycles in a single source, forming a reference work for beginners, graduates and postgraduates who are interested in this subject.

    • Natural Resources in Afghanistan

      Geographic and Geologic Perspectives on Centuries of Conflict
      • 1st Edition
      • John F. Shroder
      • English
      Natural Resources in Afghanistan: Geographic and Geologic Perspectives on Centuries of Conflict details Afghanistan's physical geography — namely climate, soils, vegetation, water, hazards, and basic geologic background and terrain landforms — together with details of its rich natural resources, ethnic problems, and relevant past histories. The book couples these details with the challenges of environmental degradation and new environmental management and protection, all of which are considered finally in both pessimistic and optimistic modes. The reader comes away with a nuanced understanding of the issues that are likely to have great affect for this pivotal region of the world for decades to come. With an estimated $1-3 trillion dollars of ore in the ground, and multiple cross-reinforcing cancellations of big Asian power machinations (China, India, Iran, Pakistan), Afghanistan has an opportunity to gain more economic independence. At the same time, however, historic forces of negativity also pull it back toward the chaos and uncertainty that has defined the country and constrained its economic progress for decades.

    • Elsevier's Dictionary of Geography

      in English, Russian, French, Spanish and German
      • 1st Edition
      • Vladimir Kotlyakov + 1 more
      • English
      Geography is a system of highly developed sciences about the environment. Geographical science embracing the study of the Earth's physical phenomena, people and their economic activities has always been in need of an extensive terminology. Geographical terms are related to the terms of natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology, geology, etc.) and humanities (history, economics, sociology, etc.) since geography is based on these fundamental subjects. Geography includes a number of disciplines and subdivisions which appeared along with the development of the science In spite of being very different geographical disciplines have some common tools of investigation which is maps, comparative method of exploration, remote sensing, geoinformation systems. Today very well developed terminologies of all the specialist fields of geography and related subjects exist in the main world languages. However, they are not always well-correlated. Nowadays geographical terminology requires unification and international correlation more than ever before. Hence the idea of compiling a multilingual polydisciplinary dictionary. The Dictionary consists of the basic table of terms arranged according to the order of the English alphabet with each term numbered. Each entry consists of the term in English and its equivalents in Russian, French, German, Spanish. Short definitions of terms are given in English and in Russian. The terms are supplied with the necessary grammar labels, such as gender of nouns, plural number, etc. The Dictionary combines two functions: that of a defining dictionary and that of a bilingual dictionary. These two functions are basically contradictory because usually the defining dictionary is aimed at giving one meaning of the word which is the main and essential one, while the bilingual dictionary tries to give different equivalents of a given word in the other language in order to supply the user with maximum possible translations, differing in the shades of meanings, thus giving him the possibility to choose the appropriate word. But in our Dictionary we intentionally decided to combine the two functions – defining and multilingual, because a short definition of the term and equivalents in other languages help to achieve our main aim which consists in showing the basic geographical terminology and harmonizing it in several languages. Having this into consideration we deliberately mixed two types of dictionaries in one.

    • Latin American Coral Reefs

      • 1st Edition
      • J. Cortés
      • English
      Most of the coral reefs of the American continent: the Brazilian waters, the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean are in Latin American countries, the subject of this book. For the first time, information on coral reefs of such a vast region is mined from reports, obscure journals, university thesis and scientific journals, summarized and presented in a way both accessible and informative for the interested reader as well as for the coral reef expert. The chapters of the book, divided by country and ocean, were written by either scientists from the countries or by those that know the area well. Reefs not documented in the past are described in detail here, including location maps. The natural and anthropogenic impacts affecting the reefs are presented, as well as sections on management, conservation and legislation in each country. Nineteen chapters, plus an introduction, present information of coral reefs from Brazil to Mexico, and from Chile to Cuba.

    • Elsevier's Dictionary of Geographical Information Systems

      In English, German, French and Russian
      • 1st Edition
      • B. Delijska
      • English
      Elsevier's Dictionary of Geographical Information Systems contains 4,040 terms with about 1,700 cross-references that are commonly used in the theory and practice of geographical information systems. The terms were selected according to their significance or frequency of use. The terminology covers the areas of geoinformatics, geostatistics, computer cartography, geospatial databases, computer graphics, geodesy, photogrammetry, remote sensing, hardware and software for introduction, processing and visualization of geospatial data, etc. Geographical information systems are modern, widely distributed and strategic tools in many human activities (land survey and regulation, ecology, forestry, agronomy, demography, hydrology, urban planning, transport, etc.).Elsevier's Dictionary of Geographical Information Systems will be a valuable tool for specialists, scientists and students and for everyone who is interested in this area.

    • World Atlas of Holocene Sea-Level Changes

      • 1st Edition
      • Volume 58
      • J. Pluet + 1 more
      • English
      This timely study is concerned with the current record of sea-level changes during the past 10,000 years; their rates, and our ability to estimate these changes accurately. The author begins with an extensive introduction to the subject, covering the historical background and the possible causes of sea-level changes and the main methods used to reconstruct former sea-level positions. The second and main part of the Atlas provides a worldwide review of Holocene sea level changes by assembling some 800 local relative sea-level curves, deduced from field data from all parts of the world, and comparing these with over 100 curves predicted by geophysical models. This data is compiled in 77 regional plates, each containing 4-20 relative sea-level curves drawn to the same scale. These plates enable a visual assessment of geological trends in sea-level during the Holocene to be made.Comparing this data with trends deduced from tide gauges and near-future trends predicted by climate models, should enable more accurate assessment of near future sea-level changes on a local scale. The regional plates are fully annotated with locations, authors' names, year of publication and some indicative values of the spring tidal range in the region, as well as an accompanying text of comments.Finally, the author provides a state of the art review, proposes improvements in methodology and suggests directions for further study. An extensive bibliography of over 750 references, and two indexes complete the study. This comprehensive work contains data and interpretations of value to all those with an interest in regional geography, climatology, sea-level change, and environmental science.