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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.

  • Ecosystem-Based Adaptation

    Approaches to Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources
    • 1st Edition
    • Arvind Kumar
    • English
    Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: Approaches to Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources presents a close examination of the role of ecosystem-based adaptation in managing river basins, aquifers, flood plains and their vegetation to provide water storage and flood regulation. Furthermore, the book explores improved ecosystem-based services for managing floods, conservation of water and its resources (including watersheds), avoiding water scarcity, and ensuring long-term water security planning, all in the context of sustainable development goals. This book will help scientists pave the way for easy implementation of sustainable development goals, ensuring a secure and sustainable future.

  • European Glacial Landscapes

    Maximum Extent of Glaciations
    • 1st Edition
    • David Palacios + 3 more
    • English
    European Glacial Landscapes: Maximum Extent of Glaciations brings together relevant experts on the history of glaciers and their impact on the landscape of the main regions of Europe. In some regions the largest recorded glaciations occurred before the Last Glacial Cycle, in one of the major glacial cycles of the Middle Pleistocene. However, the best-preserved evidence of glaciation in the landscape is from the Last Glacial Cycle (Late Pleistocene). The book also analyses these older glacial landforms that can sometimes still be seen in the landscape today. This analysis provides a better understanding of the succession of Pleistocene glaciations and the intervening interglacial periods, examining their possible continental synchrony or asynchrony of past glacier behaviour. The result of this analysis gives important new insights and information on the origin and effects of climatic and geomorphological variability across Europe. European Glacial Landscapes: Maximum Extent of Glaciations examines the landscapes produced by glaciers throughout Europe, the geomorphological effects of glaciations, as well as the chronology and evolution of the past glaciers, with the aim of understanding the interrelationship between glacial expansion and climate changes on this continent. This book is a valuable tool for geographers, geologist, environmental scientists, researchers in physics and earth sciences.

  • Land Reclamation and Restoration Strategies for Sustainable Development

    Geospatial Technology Based Approach
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 10
    • Gouri Sankar Bhunia + 3 more
    • English
    Land Reclamation and Restoration Strategies for Sustainable Development: Geospatial Technology Based Approach, Volume Ten covers spatial mapping, modeling and risk assessment in land hazards issues and sustainable management. Each section in the book explores state-of-art techniques using commercial, open source and statistical software for mapping and modeling, along with case studies that illustrate modern image processing techniques and computational algorithms. A special focus is given on recent trends in data mining techniques. This book will be of particular interest to students, researchers and professionals in the fields of earth science, applied geography, and those in the environmental sciences.

  • Rivers of Europe

    • 2nd Edition
    • Klement Tockner + 2 more
    • English
    Rivers of Europe, Second Edition, presents the latest update on the only primary source of complete and comparative baseline data on the biological and hydrological characteristics of more than 180 of the highest profile rivers in Europe. With even more full-color photographs and maps, the book includes conservation information on current patterns of river use and the extent to which human society has exploited and impacted them. Each chapter includes up to 10 featured rivers, with detailed information on their physiography, hydrology, ecology/biodiversity and human impacts. Rivers selected for specific coverage include the largest, the most natural, and those most affected by humans. This book provides the most comprehensive information ecologists and conservation managers need to better assess their management and meet the EU legislative good governance targets.

  • Iberia, Land of Glaciers

    How The Mountains Were Shaped By Glaciers
    • 1st Edition
    • Marc Oliva + 2 more
    • English
    Iberia, Land of Glaciers: How The Mountains Were Shaped By Glaciers discusses the impact of past glaciers in the current landscape of Iberia. Currently, there are only small glaciers in the highest peaks of the Pyrenees that are the legacy of the last cold period that ended at the end of the 19th century: The Little Ice Age. However, an accurate observation of the landscape of the highest peaks and adjacent valleys of the Iberian Peninsula reveals a past shaped by the successive passage of glaciers with hundreds of meters of ice, similar to what happens today in the Alps or Patagonia.Iberian glaciation has resulted in ice expansion through valleys that are now used by the road network and where important populations settle; in addition, large accumulations of sediments deposited by those glaciers are still unstable today and can trigger risks for mountain populations. Iberia, Land of Glaciers presents the impact of the glaciers in the landscape of mountains following a more educational perspective with examples of 21 Iberian massifs written by specialists from each of the areas.

  • Mapping the Epidemic

    A Systemic Geography of COVID-19 in Italy
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 9
    • Emanuela Casti + 2 more
    • English
    Mapping the Epidemic: A Systemic Geography of COVID-19 in Italy provides a theoretical-methodol... framework based on space-time analysis to map and interpret the set of factors that could have contributed to the spread of COVID-19, as well as a reflexive cartographic mapping visualizing the virus’s dynamics. After an introduction that constitutes the theoretical anchor of the work carried out both with respect to territorial analysis and the use of reflexive cartography, the book discusses the role played by reflexive cartography in research on the COVID-19 pandemic conducted by an Italian university working group dealing with reticularity and the territorial fragilities that have influenced the spread. The data, subjected to analysis, are translated into reflexive cartography as a tool for restitution and investigation of the territorial dynamics. Each chapter consists of detailed information in which the European context of data analysis is illustrated, to then investigate the Italian territory and focus on the case of Lombardy and, in particular, of Bergamo as the epicenter. The book addresses the theoretical and methodological approaches of mapping the epidemic in Italy and the importance of cartography in the outbreak response, as well as including data accounting for contributing factors such as atmospheric pollution and infection rate, population distribution and major mobility corridors, and measures adopted to contain the outbreak, by implementing mapping at the regional Lombard, national, and European levels. Mapping the Epidemic: A Systemic Geography of COVID-19 in Italy uses an interdisciplinary approach that highlights the key role of geography and cartography in providing usable data and conclusions on the virus outbreak and will be valuable for researchers and professionals in the fields of geography, GIS, and spatial mapping, as well as statisticians working on mapping outbreaks and epidemiological scientists needing mapping data on the virus.

  • Microbial Communities in Coastal Sediments

    Structure and Functions
    • 1st Edition
    • Salom Gnana Thanga Vincent + 2 more
    • English
    A concise reference on the structural composition and function of microbial communities in coastal environments, especially in relation to natural and anthropogenic impacts. Microbial Communities in Coastal Sediments presents twenty years of coastal microbiology research, grounding it as a vital development in the field of microbial ecology. It is the first book to focus exclusively on the complex microbial ecology and its function in rest of the marine environment. The book outlines the structure, function, and assessment of microbial communities in marine sediments while exploring practical methods of assessment. It is an invaluable resource to aquatic microbiologists, marine ecologists, marine microbiologists, aquatic researchers, and graduate students in this field. Microbial Communities in Coastal Sediments begins with an examination of nutrient sources in the coastal context with a focus on organic matter inputs. The quantity and quality of organic matter in coastal sediments and their impacts on the composition and formation of microbial communities is discussed. The book explores the consequences of anthropogenic changes and human activity on microbial ecology and nutrient cycling. Sections on nutrient availability, green house gas production and biodegradation of persistent organic pollutants provide essential details. Molecular research techniques and methods for assessing microbial community structure and function in coastal sediments are also covered.

  • Landscape Evolution

    Landforms, Ecosystems, and Soils
    • 1st Edition
    • Jonathan D. Phillips
    • English
    Landscape Evolution: Landforms, Ecosystems and Soils asks us to think holistically, to look for the interactions between the Earth’s component surface systems, to consider how universal laws and historical and geographical contingency work together, and to ponder the implications of nonlinear dynamics in landscapes, ecosystems, and soils. Development, evolution, landforms, topography, soils, ecosystems, and hydrological systems are inextricably intertwined. While empirical studies increasingly incorporate these interactions, theories and conceptual frameworks addressing landforms, soils, and ecosystems are pursued largely independently. This is partly due to different academic disciplines, traditions, and lexicons involved, and partly due to the disparate time scales sometimes encountered. Landscape Evolution explicitly synthesizes and integrates these theories and threads of inquiry, arguing that all are guided by a general principle of efficiency selection. A key theme is that evolutionary trends are probabilistic, emergent outcomes of efficiency selection rather than purported goal functions. This interdisciplinary reference will be useful for academic and research scientists across the Earth sciences.

  • GPS and GNSS Technology in Geosciences

    • 1st Edition
    • George P. Petropoulos + 1 more
    • English
    GPS and GNSS Technology in Geosciences offers an interdisciplinary approach to applying advances in GPS/GNSS technology for geoscience research and practice. As GPS/GNSS signals can be used to provide useful information about the Earth’s surface characteristics and land surface composition, GPS equipment and services for commercial purposes continues to grow, thus resulting in new expectations and demands. This book provides case studies for a deeper understanding of the operation and principles of widely applied approaches and the benefits of the technology in everyday research and activities.

  • Geological Records of Tsunamis and Other Extreme Waves

    • 1st Edition
    • Max Engel + 4 more
    • English
    Geological Records of Tsunamis and Other Extreme Waves provides a systematic compendium with concise chapters on the concept and history of paleotsunami research, sediment types and sediment sources, field methods, sedimentary and geomorphological characteristics, as well as dating and modeling approaches. By contrasting tsunami deposits with those of competing mechanisms in the coastal zone such as storm waves and surges, and by embedding this field of research into the wider context of tsunami science, the book is also relevant to readers interested in paleotempestology, coastal sedimentary environments, or sea-level changes, and coastal hazard management. The effectiveness of paleotsunami records in coastal hazard-mitigation strategies strongly depends on the appropriate selection of research approaches and methods that are tailored to the site-specific environment and age of the deposits. In addition to summarizing the state-of-the-art in tsunami sedimentology, Geological Records of Tsunamis and Other Extreme Waves guides researchers through establishing an appropriate research design and how to develop reliable records of prehistoric events using field-based and laboratory methods, as well as modeling techniques.

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