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Elsevier

Books in Earth surface processes

Covering erosion, sediment transport, landscape evolution, and hydrology, this collection provides in-depth insights into dynamic surface phenomena. It supports geoscientists, geomorphologists, and environmental engineers seeking to understand and manage Earth's surface changes. Featuring innovative research, field studies, and modelling approaches, these resources help address environmental challenges, natural hazards, and land use planning, fostering sustainable interactions with our planet’s surface environments.

  • 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.

  • Reflexive Cartography

    A New Perspective in Mapping
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • Emanuela Casti
    • English
    Reflexive Cartography addresses the adaptation of cartography, including its digital forms (GIS, WebGIS, PPGIS), to the changing needs of society, and outlines the experimental context aimed at mapping a topological space. Using rigorous scientific analysis based on statement consistency, relevance of the proposals, and model accessibility, it charts the transition from topographical maps created by state agencies to open mapping produced by citizens. Adopting semiotic theory to uncover the complex communicative mechanisms of maps and to investigate their ability to produce their own messages and new perspectives, Reflexive Cartography outlines a shift in our way of conceptualizing maps: from a plastic metaphor of reality, as they are generally considered, to solid tools that play the role of agents, assisting citizens as they think and plan their own living place and make sense of the current world.

  • Paleokarst

    A Systematic and Regional Review
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • P. Bosák + 3 more
    • English
    Prepared by some of the world's leading experts in the field, this book is the first summarizing work on the origin, importance and exploitation of paleokarst. It offers an extensive regional survey, mainly concerning the Northern Hemisphere, as well as a thorough analysis of the problems of research into paleokarst phenomena, with particular emphasis on theoretical contributions and practical exploitation. By concentrating on phenomena which have appeared in the course of geological history, the book represents a substantial development in the general theory of paleokarst and demonstrates the advantages of a comprehensive approach to the problem. Considerable emphasis is put on the economic importance of paleokarst phenomena, from the point of view of exploiting significant deposits of mineral raw materials, as well as from a civil engineering and hydrological point of view.Since the publication deals with a boundary scientific discipline, it is intended for specialists from various branches of science: geologists, paleontologists, economic geologists, geographers, mining engineers and hydrogeologists.

  • Ground Improvement Case Histories

    Chemical, Electrokinetic, Thermal and Bioengineering
    • 1st Edition
    • Buddhima Indraratna + 2 more
    • English
    Written by an international group of experts, Ground Improvement Case Histories: Chemical, Electrokinetic, Thermal and Bioengineering Methods provides over 700 pages of case-histories collected from all over the world. Each case-history provides an overview of the specific technology followed by applications, and in some cases, comprehensive back analysis through numerical modelling is discussed. The book includes methods for employing bacterial and biological treatment, and native vegetation for stabilizing problematic soils. Specific case-histories included in the book are: Effect of Drainage and Grouting for the World Longest Seikan Undersea Tunnel Construction, Cement/lime Mixing Ground Improvement for Road Construction on Soft Ground, Use of Jet Grouting in Deep Excavations, and Stabilization of Reactive Sulphide Mine Tailings using Water Cover Technology.

  • Geomorphology of Central America

    A Syngenetic Perspective
    • 1st Edition
    • Jean Pierre Bergoeing
    • English
    Geomorphology of Central America is authored by a scientist with more than 30 years of regional assessment research experience in Central American countries, arming scientists with a classic research method—a method most effective when applied to specific geographic regions globally. The scientific techniques used for assessing regional studies of an area reflect a level of expertise that has become more difficult to come by over the past three decades and underscores the importance of regional assessments of geomorphological features. Complemented with beautifully crafted and exacting maps that capture the region’s unique landscapes, Geomorphology of Central America introduces a global vision of the geomorphology and volcanic field of Central America from Guatemala to Panama, making it the first single source of geomorphological content for the region.

  • Geomorphological Fieldwork

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 18
    • English
    Geomorphological Fieldwork addresses a topic that always remains popular within the geosciences and environmental science. More specifically, the volume conveys a growing legacy of field-based learning for young geomorphologists that can be used as a student book for field-based university courses and postgraduate research requiring fieldwork or field schools. The editors have much experience of field-based learning within geomorphology and extend this to physical geography. The topics covered are relevant to basic geomorphology as well as applied approaches in environmental and cultural geomorphology. The book integrates a physical-human approach to geography, but focuses on physical geography and geomorphology from an integrated field-based geoscience perspective.

  • 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.

  • Glacial Geology

    An Introduction for Engineers and Earth Scientists
    • 1st Edition
    • N. Eyles
    • English
    An introduction for courses that involve some knowledge of glacial geology and sediments of formerly glaciated terrains. The early chapters describe depositional processes at modern glacier and ice-sheet margins relating sediments and landforms in recurring "landsystems". Later chapters portray the distribution of these landsystems in Pleistocene glaciated terrains of the mid-latitudes, focussing on commonly encountered problems in various fields from stratigraphic and sedimentological investigations to construction problems relating to roads and dams. The resulting text is a summation of a large body of literature previously accessible only to specialists. A substantial reference list is complemented by cross-references throughout.

  • Elements of Spatial Data Quality

    • 1st Edition
    • S.C. Guptill + 1 more
    • English
    Elements of Spatial Data Quality outlines the need and suggests potential categories for the content of a comprehensive statement of data quality that must be imbedded in the metadata that accompanies the transfer of a digital spatial data file or is available in a separate metadata catalog. Members of the International Cartographic Association's Commission on Spatial Data Quality have identified seven elements of data quality: positional accuracy, attribute accuracy, completeness, logical consistency, lineage, semantic accuracy and temporal information. In the book the authors describe: components of each data quality element, possible metrics that can be used to measure the quality of each criteria, possible testing and rating schemes, and how these parameters might differ from a producer or user point of view. Finally no volume of this nature would be complete without a chapter devoted to necessary future research in this subject area. The chapter points out areas in need of further investigation and speculates about the use and transfer of digital spatial data in tomorrow's electronic world and at developments in presenting specified data quality information in a visualization. This book will be of interest to all of those individuals involved in geographical information systems and spatial data handling.

  • Groundwater Ecology

    • 1st Edition
    • Jack A. Stanford
    • English
    Groundwater has long been an object of intense scrutiny. Only recently have methods become available that permit ecologists, hydrologists, and environmental scientists to assess the biotic and abiotic status of these all-important aquifers.

  • Geographic Information Systems

    The Microcomputer and Modern Cartography
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • D.R. Fraser Taylor
    • English
    Technological changes are revolutionising cartography and there is a growing convergence between geographic information systems and computer assisted cartography. This book describes in detail the relationship between geographic information systems and modern cartography and considers all aspects from data collection to presentation and applications. Written by some of the world's leading cartographers, the book examines the emergence of electronic mapping systems and stresses both analysis and visualisation.

  • Geomorphology: The Research Frontier and Beyond

    Proceedings of the 24th Binghamton Symposium in Geomorphology, August 25, 1993
    • 1st Edition
    • J.D. Vitek + 1 more
    • English
    Perspectives on the future directions of research in geomorphology form the major theme of this volume. Ten geomorphologists were asked to "star-gaze", that is provide opinions about the future direction of their specialty. Each paper is supported by the literature that currently defines the research frontier.

  • Eastern Europe, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica

    Eastern Europe, Asia, Oceania and Antarctica
    • 1st Edition
    • R. Böhme + 1 more
    • English
    This volume completes the International Cartographic Association's trilogy which has been prepared to provide an "Inventory of World Topographic Mapping", and contains specific details relating to the current coverage of states located in Eastern Europe, Asia, Pacific and Antarctica. The geographical positions of countries described are illustrated by means of a series of accompanying reference maps. The information supplied for each country consists of a text, including a brief history of the development of topographic mapping, geodetic data, map scales and series as well as extracts of maps and index sheets illustrating the present status of map coverage within that country. There is currently no other work employing the approach adopted in assembling this "inventory". This work is a comprehensive and important reference and source book for information in the field of topographic mapping.

  • Optical Remote Sensing of Air Pollution

    Lectures of a Course Held at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra (Italy), 12-15 April 1983
    • 1st Edition
    • P. Camagni + 1 more
    • English

  • Visualization in Modern Cartography

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • A.M. MacEachren + 1 more
    • English
    Visualization in Modern Cartography explores links between the centuries-old discipline of cartography and today's revolutionary developments in scientific visualization. The book has three main goals: (1) to pass on design and symbolization expertise to the scientific visualization community - information that comes from centuries of pre-computer visualization by cartographers, and their more recent experiences with computerizing the discipline; (2) to help cartographers cope with the dramatic shift from print cartography to a dynamic virtual cartography for which their role is changing from that of map designer to one of spatial information display (and/or interface) designer; (3) to illustrate the expanded role for cartography in geographic, environmental, planning, and earth science applications that comes with the development of interactive geographic visualization tools. To achieve these goals, the book is divided into three parts. The first sets the historical, cognitive, and technological context for geographic/cartograp... visualization tool development. The second covers key technological, symbolization, and user interface issues. The third provides a detailed look at selected prototype geographic/cartograp... visualization tools and their applications.

  • Cartography Past, Present and Future

    A Festschrift for F.J. Ormeling
    • 1st Edition
    • D.W. Rhind + 1 more
    • English
    Making maps dates back at least four thousand years and it is widely recognised that many maps are of great historical value and present a skilled method of summarising the real world on a sheet of paper. Less well known is the judgement involved in the selection and simplification of features, the complex transformation of space and the exacting standards which are needed in cartography. This book is primarily a tribute to Professor F.J. Ormeling, former President and Secretary/Treasurer of the ICA and gives a wide ranging review of the current status of cartography, how this status was attained and the way in which the subject is expected to evolve over the next decade. It is composed of two main sections. In the first, the present state of cartography in different countries is examined. The second section is a thematic view in which some of the major issues and developments in cartography are discussed in turn, including art and science in cartography, the character of historical cartography, the role of map making in developing countries, the impact of a possible ideal computer mapping facility and how cartography has changed in recent years. There are international contributions from authors distinguished and internationally recognised in cartography and related fields and who have had a significant input to the ICA.

  • Geomorphology and Natural Hazards

    Proceedings of the 25th Binghamton Symposium in Geomorphology, Held September 24-25, 1994 at SUNY, Binghamton, USA
    • 1st Edition
    • M. Morisawa
    • English
    The theme of this proceedings volume is the latest research on geomorphic characteristics and processes associated with natural hazards. Presentations cover a gamut of types of disasters throughout the world, describing research and applications of studies in the U.S. and other countries. The book begins with a collection of papers giving a basic background and philosophy of approaching an understanding of natural disasters. These are followed by papers on natural hazards in coastal areas, mountainous regions, landslides, flooding and the detrimental effects of permafrost.The book should prove valuable in gaining an insight of natural hazards and their geomorphic relations, which is imperative for prudent environmental planning in coping with disasters.

  • South America, Central America and Africa

    South America, Central America and Africa
    • 1st Edition
    • Rolf Bohme
    • English
    Topographic mapping plays a basic and important role within the extensive field of cartography. In recent years, this type of mapping has become somewhat neglected and available literature is normally restricted to details concerning the programmes of individual countries often presented in the form of monographs. Topographic maps are essential tools for use in development projects, resource exploitation, the planning of construction, infrastructure and recreation. They also give detailed illustration of the relative degrees of development of areas within a landscape and are thus unique in demonstrating the cultural status of a country. This book is the second of three volumes and gives details and examples of topographic maps from Central and South America and Africa. The information supplied for each country consists of a text, including a brief history of the development of topographic mapping, geodetic data, map scales and series, as well as extracts of maps and index sheets illustrating the present status of map coverage within that country. There is currently no other work employing the approach adopted in assembling this inventory. This work is a comprehensive and important reference and source book for information in the field of topographic mapping.

  • The River Nile

    Geology, Hydrology and Utilization
    • 1st Edition
    • R. Said
    • English
    This multidisciplinary book by the author of The Geology of Egypt is the result of many years of research. It attempts to reconstruct the history of the River Nile from its origins to its present shape and regimen and also to ascertain the amount of water which has been carried by the river during the course of its history. It examines the manner in which this water was utilized in the past and the ways in which it will have to be used in future if the inhabitants of the river basin are to cope with their anticipated needs.Part One traces the geological history of the Nile from the time it started to excavate its valley some six million years ago until the present shape was assumed during the wet period which affected Africa after the retreat of the ice of the last glacial age some 10,000 years ago. Part Two deals with the amount of water that the river and its tributaries carry at present and have carried in the past. Part Three discusses the utilization of the water of the Nile from the time of the first appearance of man in the valley until the present time. It traces man's attempt to harness the river from the earliest time to the building of the Aswan High Dam. The book evaluates the effects of the dam after twenty years of operation. Part Four covers the present water supply-demand balance in each basin state and discusses the future plans of these countries to use the waters of the Nile. The rapidly growing populations and the prolonged droughts of recent years have put pressure upon the available waters of the river.

  • The Structure of Western Europe

    • 1st Edition
    • J. G. C. Anderson
    • English
    After a brief account of the stratigraphy in each case, the author summarises the structure of the main tectonic units of Western Europe, the units being defined within the framework of Precambrian, Caledonian, Hercynian and Alpine structures. The work provides accounts of these structural units both for geological study in general and for field visits for advanced school level and research students. A useful complementary volume to 'The Structure of the British Isles' (Anderson and Owen).

  • The Terrestrial Environment, B

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume B
    • P. Fritz
    • English
    Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry, Volume 2: The Terrestrial Environment, B focuses on the processes, methodologies, principles, and approaches involved in isotope geochemistry. The selection first elaborates on mathematical models for the interpretation of environmental radioisotopes in groundwater systems; isotopes in cloud physics; and environmental isotopes in lake studies. Discussions focus on water balance studies of lakes, isotopic fractionations during evaporation of water, study of hailstone growth mechanisms by means of isotopic analyses, isotopic effects during growth of individual elements, and models and their hydrological significance. The text then takes a look at environmental isotope and anthropogenic tracers of lake sedimentation; stable isotope geochemistry of travertines; and isotope geochemistry of carbonates in the weathering zone. Topics include isotopic composition of carbonates in the weathering zone; reprecipitation processes in the weathering zone; isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen sources in the weathering zone; and geochemical conditions controlling travertine deposition. The manuscript also reviews radioactive noble gases in the terrestrial environment, isotope effects of nitrogen in the soil and biosphere, and oxygen and hydrogen isotope geochemistry of deep basin brines. The selection is a vital source of data for researchers interested in isotope geochemistry.

  • Thematic Mapping from Satellite Imagery

    An International Report
    • 1st Edition
    • J. Denègre
    • English
    This report, produced between 1984 and 1987 in a bilingual edition (English and French), provides a wealth of information on a wide variety of cartographic applications which are being developed to make effective use of new data that is now being collected by Earth observation satellites. At a time when natural resource development and environmental problems have to be taken into account in their entirety, satellites provide an exceptional means of evaluating, synthesizing and creating geographic information. The production of new images, such as the Landsat Thematic Mapper, the SPOT High Resolution Visible Sensor and the adoption meteorological images such as AVHRR sensors on NOAA satellites, which have been extended to thematic domains such as agriculture and glaciology, have led to many new developments as well as problems for the cartographer. These problems are numerous and varied and recur frequently depending on the images and themes being processed e.g. how to select the graphic specification of maps and legends and account for classification accuracy; how to introduce the minimum of topographical data into an image in order to supply users with an adequate geographic reference; when using a physical terrain image, on which, by definition there are no `blanks' and where no details have been eliminated, how to overcome conceptual difficulties e.g. the side by side placing of different semiological information; the interpretation levels left to reader; achieving a balance between objectivity and readability. Obviously the cartographers role is of prime importance in solving these problems. In order to illustrate the way in which this information is presented, the report provides samples from 33 thematic applications taken from 13 different categories, including agriculture, town planning and water resources. Each application is provided with a descriptive note both in English and French indicating the objective, method and results obtained. This volume provides an important record of current developments in thematic mapping from satellite imagery and should be essential reference for all cartographers.

  • Coordinate Systems and Map Projections

    • 2nd Edition
    • D.H. Maling
    • English
    A revised and expanded new edition of the definitive English work on map projections. The revisions take into account the huge advances in geometrical geodesy which have occurred since the early years of satellite geodesy. The detailed configuration of the geoid resulting from the GEOS and SEASAT altimetry measurements are now taken into consideration. Additionally, the chapter on computation of map projections is updated bearing in mind the availability of pocket calculators and microcomputers. Analytical derivation of some map projections including examples of pseudocylindrical and polyconic projections is also covered. Work undertaken in the USA and USSR on the creation of suitable map projections obtained through numerical analysis has been included. The book concludes with a chapter on the abuse and misrepresentation of map projections. An invaluable reference source for professional cartographers and all those interested in the fundamental problems of mapping the Earth.

  • Weathering, Soils & Paleosols

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • I.P. Martini + 1 more
    • English
    For the past 200 years, geological scientists have used the present as a key to unlocking the past. This volume continues the tradition by exploring the processes of weathering and soil formation as indicators of the present environment of the Earth's land surface. Examined are the various ways in which this information can be used to interpret past environments which have produced the soils now preserved as paleosols. Because the surface environment of the earth may now be undergoing rapid change (the greenhouse effect), the book is a timely one for those researchers looking for evidence of analogous changes in the Earth's past. The work is divided into three major sections. The first deals with fundamental considerations of weathering, clay mineralogy and diagenesis. The second deals with the formation of soils from various starting materials and in various surficial environments. And the final section is an interpretation of paleosols. This volume provides valuable reading material for graduate and senior-undergraduate courses.

  • Western Europe, North America and Australasia

    Western Europe, North America and Australasia
    • 1st Edition
    • Rolf Bohme
    • English
    Topographic mapping plays a basic and important role within the extensive field of cartography. In recent years, this type of mapping has become somewhat neglected and available literature is normally restricted to details concerning the programmes of individual countries, often presented in the form of monographs. Topographic maps are essential tools for use in development projects, resource exploitation, the planning of construction, infrastructure and recreation. Furthermore, they give a detailed illustration of the relative degrees of development of areas within a landscape and are thus unique in demonstrating the cultural status of a country. This book is the first of three volumes and provides an introduction to world topographic mapping giving details and examples of topographic maps from Western Europe, North America and Australasia. The information supplied for each country consists of a text, including a brief history of the development of topographic mapping, geodetic data, map scales and series, as well as extracts of maps and index sheets illustrating the present status of map coverage within that country. There is currently no other work employing the approach adopted in assembling this `inventory'. This work is a comprehensive and important reference and source book for information in the field of topographic mapping.

  • Spatial Database Transfer Standards

    Current International Status
    • 1st Edition
    • H. Moellering
    • English
    Since the 1960's individuals and organisations throughout the world have been building geographic databases used in conjunction with geographic hardware and software systems to collect, analyse, display and archive digital data. Through the years it was recognised that efficiencies could be gained if the geographic database built by one group could be used by multiple users across different computer systems and formats. Therefore, it was acknowledged that spatial database transfer standards were needed to facilitate the exchange and transfer of digital geographic data.Throughout the 1980's several organisations worldwide began working on the problem of producing spatial database transfer standards. As this work was initiated, research workers began to informally compare notes and developments. The International Cartographic Association [ICA], recognising the worldwide importance of standards, organised a Standards Working Group. The initial goal of this working group was to produce a monograph reporting on the present state of development in digital database transfer standards.This book is a unique collection of reports by individual nations and international organisations that describe existing geographic standards and summarize efforts to develop geographic database transfer standards worldwide.

  • Freshwater Ecosystems

    Modelling and Simulation
    • 1st Edition
    • A.H. Gnauck + 1 more
    • English
    Ecosystem analysis and ecological modelling is a rapidly developing interdisciplinary branch of science used in theoretical developments in ecology and having practical applications in environmental protection. In this book, the authors introduce new holistic, particularly cybernetic, concepts into ecosystem theory and modelling, and provide a concise treatment of mathematical modelling of freshwater ecosystems which covers methods, subsystem models, applications and theoretical developments.Part I begins with a brief introduction to the principles of systems theory and their applications to ecosystems, and provides a summary of various methods of systems analysis. In Part II emphasis is laid on the pelagic processes in standing water, characterised by relatively uninvolved structures from which models can be readily developed. Part III describes applications of the technique of modelling to solutions of theoretical and practical problems, with different modelling methods and objectives being used in the various chapters. More recent developments in the methods and theory of ecosystem modelling are covered in Part IV which also includes a discussion of future trends. The book is addressed to practising ecologists and engineers in the fields of ecology, limnology, environmental protection, and water quality managements, as well as to graduate/post-gradua... university students in science and engineering. Students and researchers involved in environmental applications of mathematics and cybernetics will also find the book of interest.

  • Logistics and Benefits of Using Mathematical Models of Hydrologic and Water Resource Systems

    Selected Papers with Summary of Discussions from the International Symposium on Logistics and Benefits of Using Mathematical Models of Hydrologic and Water Resource Systems, Pisa, Italy, 24—26 October 1978
    • 1st Edition
    • A.J. Askew + 2 more
    • English
    Logistics and Benefits of Using Mathematical Models of Hydrologic and Water Resource Systems is a collection of paper that details the experiences in the operational and logistical aspects of utilizing water resource models. The title provides the general report on model structure and classification; experiences of the hydrologic engineering center in maintaining widely used hydrologic and water resource computer models; and the operational experience of on-line hydrological simulation. The selection also covers the implementation and application of a suite for the simulation of complex water resource systems in evaluation and planning studies; and the use of a groundwater model in the design, performance; and the assessment, and operation of a river regulation scheme. The book will be of great use to researchers and practitioners of hydrological sciences.

  • Treatise on Geomorphology

    • 1st Edition
    • John F. Shroder
    • English
    The changing focus and approach of geomorphic research suggests that the time is opportune for a summary of the state of discipline. The number of peer-reviewed papers published in geomorphic journals has grown steadily for more than two decades and, more importantly, the diversity of authors with respect to geographic location and disciplinary background (geography, geology, ecology, civil engineering, computer science, geographic information science, and others) has expanded dramatically. As more good minds are drawn to geomorphology, and the breadth of the peer-reviewed literature grows, an effective summary of contemporary geomorphic knowledge becomes increasingly difficult. The fourteen volumes of this Treatise on Geomorphology will provide an important reference for users from undergraduate students looking for term paper topics, to graduate students starting a literature review for their thesis work, and professionals seeking a concise summary of a particular topic. Information on the historical development of diverse topics within geomorphology provides context for ongoing research; discussion of research strategies, equipment, and field methods, laboratory experiments, and numerical simulations reflect the multiple approaches to understanding Earth’s surfaces; and summaries of outstanding research questions highlight future challenges and suggest productive new avenues for research. Our future ability to adapt to geomorphic changes in the critical zone very much hinges upon how well landform scientists comprehend the dynamics of Earth’s diverse surfaces. This Treatise on Geomorphology provides a useful synthesis of the state of the discipline, as well as highlighting productive research directions, that Educators and students/researchers will find useful.

  • Land and Stream Salinity : An International Seminar and Workshop Held in November 1980 in Perth Western Australia

    An International Seminar and Workshop Held in November 1980 in Perth Western Australia
    • 1st Edition
    • L.W. Holmes
    • English
    Land and Stream Salinity is a compilation of papers that review the state and knowledge of processes involved in land and stream salinity, and that consider its application in different environments. This book also identifies gaps in research and development, and it designates the priorities that could significantly benefit salinity control. In addition, it identifies alternative strategies of land and water management for salinity control and determines techniques for evaluating quantitatively the alternative strategies. Furthermore, this book focuses on salinity problems in south Western Australia. After discussing the history and effects of salinity in Western Australia, the book considers the influence of plant communities on the hydrology of catchments, and it discusses evapotranspiration rates from wet and dry foliage and soil water deficit. This is followed by the transport of salts in soils and subsoils; the residence times of water and solutes within and below the root zone and saturated zone; analyses of solute distributions in deeply weathered soils; and the transport of salts in catchments and soils. This book also includes chapters on the saline seed development and control in the North American Great Plains, and the terrain, groundwater and secondary salinity in Victoria, Australia. It also presents the hydrologic model, the solute-transport models and their role in the analysis of groundwater, and the hydrosalinity models. The last chapters focus on different kinds of management for salinity control.

  • Techniques for Image Processing and Classifications in Remote Sensing

    • 1st Edition
    • Robert A. Schowengerdt
    • English
    Techniques for Image Processing and Classifications in Remote Sensing provides an introduction to the fundamentals of computer image processing and classification (commonly called ""pattern recognition"" in other applications). The book begins with a discussion of digital scanners and imagery, and two key mathematical concepts for image processing and classification—spati... filtering and statistical pattern recognition. This is followed by separate chapters on image processing and classification techniques that are widely used in the remote sensing community. The emphasis throughout is on techniques that assist in the analysis of images, not particular applications of these techniques. The book also has four appendixes, featuring a bibliography; an introduction to computer binary data representation and image data formats; a discussion of interactive image processing; and a selection of exam questions from the Image Processing Laboratory course at the University of Arizona. This book is intended for use as either a primary source in an introductory image processing course or as a supplementary text in an intermediate-level remote sensing course. The academic level addressed is upper-division undergraduate or beginning graduate, and familiarity with calculus and basic vector and matrix concepts is assumed.

  • Finite Element Techniques in Groundwater Flow Studies

    With Applications in Hydraulic and Geotechnical Engineering
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 61
    • I. Kazda
    • English
    The finite element method (FEM) is one of those modern numerical methods whose rise and development was incited by the rapid development of computers. This method has found applications in all the technical disciplines as well as in the natural sciences.One of the most effective applications of the finite element method is its use for the solution of groundwater flow problems encountered in the design and maintenance of hydraulic structures and tailing dams, in soil mechanics, hydrology, hydrogeology and engineering geology.The stimuli to write this book came from the results obtained in the solution of practical problems connected both with the construction and maintenance of fill-type dams and tailing dams and the utilization of groundwater in Czechoslovakia, and on the other hand from the experience gained in teaching hydraulic structures theory at the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the Technical University of Prague. All the experience so far obtained shows markedly the advantages of the finite element method and the great possibilities of its further development as well as its considerable demands on the algorithmization, programming and use of computer possibilities. The reader will find an explanation of the fundamentals of the finite element method directed mainly toward isoparametric elements having an exceptional adaptability and numerical reliability. The finite element method application to groundwater flow concerns mainly two-dimensional problems, which occur most frequently in practice. Considerable attention is given to non-linear and non-stationary problems, which are most important in application.A computer program (based on the eight-noded isoparametric elements) is included and fully documented.The book will be useful to civil engineers, hydrogeologists and engineering geologists who need the finite element method as a solution tool for the complex problems encountered in engineering practice.

  • Computational Methods in Subsurface Flow

    • 3rd Edition
    • Peter S. Huyakorn
    • English
    Computational Methods in Subsurface Flow explores the application of all of the commonly encountered computational methods to subsurface problems. Among the problems considered in this book are groundwater flow and contaminant transport; moisture movement in variably saturated soils; land subsidence and similar flow and deformation processes in soil and rock mechanics; and oil and geothermal reservoir engineering. This book is organized into 10 chapters and begins with an introduction to partial differential and various solution approaches used in subsurface flow. The discussion then shifts to the fundamental theory of the finite element method, with emphasis on the Galerkin finite element method and how it can be used to solve a wide range of subsurface problems. The subjects treated range from simple problems of saturated groundwater flow to more complex ones of moisture movement and multiphase flow in petroleum reservoirs. The chapters that follow focus on fluid flow and mechanical deformation of conventional and fractured porous media; point and subdomain collocation techniques and the boundary element technique; and the applications of finite difference techniques to single- and multiphase flow and solute transport. The final chapter is devoted to other alternative numerical methods that are based on combinations of the standard finite difference approach and classical mathematics. This book is intended for senior undergraduate and graduate students in geoscience and engineering, as well as for professional groundwater hydrologists, engineers, and research scientists who want to solve or model subsurface problems using numerical techniques.

  • Reservoir Characterization II

    • 1st Edition
    • Lake
    • English
    Reservoir Characterization II contains the proceedings of the Second International Reservoir Characterization Conference held in Dallas, Texas in June 1989. Contributors focus on the characterization of reservoir processes and cover topics ranging from surface roughness in porous media and reservoir characterization at the mesoscopic scale to shale clast heterogeneities and their effect on fluid flow, permeability patterns in fluvial sandstones, and reservoir management using 3-D seismic data. This book is organized into six sections encompassing 43 chapters. The first 20 chapters deal with reservoir characterization at the microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic scales. Topics include low-contrast resistivity sandstone formations; the use of centrifuge and computer tomography to quantify saturation distribution and capillary pressures; and cross-well seismology as a tool for reservoir geophysics. The chapters that follow deal with reservoir characterization at the megascopic scale; fractal heterogeneity of clastic reservoirs; heterogeneity and effective permeability of porous rocks; and drilling fluid design based on reservoir characterization. A chapter that outlines a procedure for estimating permeability anisotropy with a minipermeameter concludes the book. This book is a valuable resource for students and practitioners of petroleum engineering, geology and geological engineering, petroleum exploration, and geophysics.

  • Soil Water Repellency

    Occurrence, Consequences, and Amelioration
    • 1st Edition
    • C.J. Ritsema + 1 more
    • English
    It has become clear that soil water repellency is much more wide-spread than formerly thought. Water repellency has been reported in most continents of the world for varying land uses and climatic conditions. Soil water repellency often leads to severe runoff and erosion, rapid leaching of surface-applied agrichemicals, and losses of water and nutrient availability for crops. At present, no optimum management strategies exist for water repellent soils, focusing on minimizing environmental risks while maintaining crop production. The book starts with a historical overview of water repellency research, followed by seven thematic sections covering 26 research chapters. The first section discusses the origin, the second the assessment, and the third the occurrence and hydrological implications of soil water repellency. The fourth section is devoted to the effect of fire on water repellency, section five deals with the physics and modeling of flow and transport in water repellent soils, section six presents amelioration techniques and farming strategies to combat soil water repellency, and section seven concludes the book with an extensive bibliography on soil water repellency.

  • Biogeomorphology, Terrestrial and Freshwater Systems

    • 1st Edition
    • C.R. Hupp + 2 more
    • English
    Biogeomorphology, a relatively new term, refers to relations between the biota and geomorphic form and process. Ecology is the study of organisms in relation to their physical and biotic environment. Thus, ecogeomorphology could have been an equally acceptable name for this publication which stresses the ecological aspects of the larger field of biology. Most of the articles relate vegetation to fluvial geomorphology, erosion, and sedimentation. However, articles showing the significance of animal ecological studies and their bearing on geomorphic form and process are also included.Geographica... the papers range from arid areas in the American Southwest and Israel to the new world tropics. Most articles, however, are concerned with temperate areas of North America and Western Europe.This is among the first books to approach the role that biota and ecology play in geomorphic processes and should be on the shelf of every landscape ecologist.

  • The Pocos de Caldas Project: Natural Analogues of Processes in a Radioactive Waste Repository

    • 1st Edition
    • N.A. Chapman + 3 more
    • English
    The safe disposal of radioactive wastes by burial in deep geological formations requires long-term predictions of the future behaviour of the wastes and their engineered repository. Such predictions can be tested by evaluating processes analogous to those which will occur in a repository, which have been long active in the natural geochemical environment. The Pocos de Caldas Project is a comprehensive study of two ore deposits in Minas Gerais, Brazil, aimed at looking at uranium and thorium series radionuclide and rare-earth element mobility, the development and movement of redox fronts, and the nature of natural groundwater colloids. A multidisciplinary team of experts from 27 laboratories carried out a fully integrated study of the geology, geomorphology, hydrogeology, geochemistry, hydrochemistry and geomicrobiology of the two sites for nearly four years. This book contains 20 papers covering the detailed findings, with particular emphasis on their significance for radioactive waste disposal, especially on the use of the data in testing models of radionuclide movement. It will interest economic geologists, geochemists and performance assessment modellers involved in the geological disposal of radioactive wastes.

  • Granite Landforms

    • 1st Edition
    • C.R. Twidale
    • English
    Granite Landforms provides a systematic, coherent, and comprehensive account and analysis of granite landforms. It examines granite forms and their genesis; the morphology of granite exposures; the nature of the materials from which granitic rocks have evolved; and the weathering processes near the Earth’s surface. It also describes major landforms and assemblages, as well as the minor features that have evolved on the major hosts. Organized into four parts encompassing 12 chapters, this book begins with an overview of granite, including their characteristics, occurrences, and composition. It then discusses the factors that influence the weathering of granitic rocks and considers boulders and inselbergs, the all-slopes topography in granite, granite plains and rock basins, granite forms associated with steep slopes, and scarp foot depressions. The reader is also introduced to the piedmont angle, grooves or flutings, caves and tafoni, split rocks, cracked blocks and plates, and the role of climate in the development of landforms on granitic outcrops. Geologists, geomorphologists, geology students, and anyone interested in geology will find this book extremely useful.

  • Variational Methods in Geosciences

    • 1st Edition
    • Y.K. Sasaki
    • English
    The last few decades have seen a spectacular growth in the use of variational methods, one of the most classic and elegant methods in physical and mathematical sciences, as powerful tools of optimization and numerical analysis.The tremendous accumulation of information on the use of variational methods in the area of the geosciences, which includes meteorology, oceanography, hydrology, geophysics and seismology, indicated the need for the first symposium on Variational Methods in Geosciences to be organized and held in Norman on October 15-17, 1985. The value of this symposium was enhanced by the number of stimulating and informative papers presented.

  • Coal and Peat Fires: A Global Perspective

    Volume 2: Photographs and Multimedia Tours
    • 1st Edition
    • Glenn B. Stracher + 2 more
    • English
    Coal and Peat Fires: A Global Perspective is a compelling collection of research conducted by scientists and engineers around the world. It presents the scientific and industrial communities as well as the interested lay reader with studies about prehistoric as well as historic coal and peat fires and magnificent illustrations of such fires and related research from countries around the world—a totally new contribution to science. The second of four volumes in the collection, Photographs and Multimedia Tours features stunning photographs from around the world, including Australia, Canada, Northern China, India, Borneo, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Russia, the United States, and more. This essential reference also includes a companion website with a collection of slide presentations and videos about coal and peat fires.

  • Groundwater Science

    • 2nd Edition
    • Charles R. Fitts
    • English
    Groundwater Science, Second Edition — winner of a 2014 Textbook Excellence Award (Texty) from The Text and Academic Authors Association — covers groundwater's role in the hydrologic cycle and in water supply, contamination, and construction issues. It is a valuable resource for students and instructors in the geosciences (with focuses in hydrology, hydrogeology, and environmental science), and as a reference work for professional researchers. This interdisciplinary text weaves important methods and applications from the disciplines of physics, chemistry, mathematics, geology, biology, and environmental science, introducing you to the mathematical modeling and contaminant flow of groundwater. New to the Second Edition: New chapter on subsurface heat flow and geothermal systems Expanded content on well construction and design, surface water hydrology, groundwater/ surface water interaction, slug tests, pumping tests, and mounding analysis. Updated discussions of groundwater modeling, calibration, parameter estimation, and uncertainty Free software tools for slug test analysis, pumping test analysis, and aquifer modeling Lists of key terms and chapter contents at the start of each chapter Expanded end-of-chapter problems, including more conceptual questions

  • Hydropedology

    Synergistic Integration of Soil Science and Hydrology
    • 1st Edition
    • Henry Lin
    • English
    Hydropedology is a microcosm for what is happening in Soil Science. Once a staid discipline found in schools of agriculture devoted to increasing crop yield, soil science is transforming itself into an interdisciplinary mulch with great significance not only for food production but also climate change, ecology, preservation of natural resources, forestry, and carbon sequestration. Hydropedology brings together pedology (soil characteristics) with hydrology (movement of water) to understand and achieve the goals now associated with modern soil science.

  • Underbalanced Drilling: Limits and Extremes

    • 1st Edition
    • Bill Rehm + 4 more
    • English
    The present crude oil and natural gas reservoirs around the world have depleted conventional production levels. To continue enhancing productivity for the remaining mature reservoirs, drilling decision-makers could no longer rely on traditional balanced or overbalanced methods of drilling. Derived from conventional air drilling, underbalanced drilling is increasingly necessary to meet today’s energy and drilling needs. While more costly and extreme, underbalanced drilling can minimize pressure within the formation, increase drilling rate of penetration, reduce formation damage and lost circulation, making mature reservoirs once again viable and more productive. To further explain this essential drilling procedure, Bill Rehm, an experienced legend in drilling along with his co-editors, has compiled a handbook perfect for the drilling supervisor. Underbalanced Drilling: Limits and Extremes, written under the auspices of the IADC Technical Publications Committee, contain many great features and contributions including: Real case studies shared by major service companies to give the reader guidelines on what might happen in actual operations Questions and answers at the end of the chapters for upcoming engineers to test their knowledge Common procedures, typical and special equipment involved, and most importantly, the limits and challenges that still surround this technology

  • Contemporary Hydrogeology

    The George Burke Maxey memorial volume
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • English

  • Multiobjective Optimization in Water Resources Systems

    The surrogate worth trade-off method
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 3
    • English

  • Pipeline Design for Water Engineers

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 6
    • English

  • Computer Systems and Water Resources

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • English

  • Physiological Limnology

    An Approach to the Physiology of Lake Ecosystems
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • English

  • Hydrology and Water Resources in Tropical Africa

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 8
    • J. Balek
    • English

  • Digital Terrain Analysis in Soil Science and Geology

    • 1st Edition
    • Igor Florinsky
    • English
    Digital Terrain Analysis in Soil Science and Geology provides soil scientists and geologists with an integrated view of the principles and methods of digital terrain analysis. Its attention to first principles and focus on error analysis makes it a useful resource for scientists to uncover the method applications particular to their needs. Digital Terrain Analysis in Soil Science and Geology covers a wide range of applications in the context of multi-scale problems of soil science and geology.

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