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Elsevier

Books in Space and planetary science

This portfolio covers planetary geology, space missions, remote sensing, and extra terrestrial environments. It supports planetary scientists, astronomers, and space engineers in exploring solar system bodies and understanding planetary processes. Featuring state-of-the-art research, mission data analysis, and theoretical models, these resources advance knowledge of planetary formation, habitability, and space exploration challenges.

  • Harmonizing Earth Observation Data for Enhanced Spatial Analysis

    • 1st Edition
    • Tomaž Podobnikar
    • English
    Harmonizing Earth Observation Data for Enhanced Spatial Analysis explores the critical aspects of Earth observation (EO) data and its pivotal role in spatial analysis. Addressing fundamental aspects of EO data, the book emphasizes the importance of reliable, high-quality information for meaningful analysis. It reviews the interaction and integration of various datasets, highlighting the necessity of combining diverse sources to enhance analytical outcomes. In addition, sections cover essential techniques such as downscaling, generalization, and upscaling, providing insights into how these processes can optimize data usability while maintaining integrity. A significant focus is placed on harmonization, detailing strategies to reduce uncertainty and improve consistency across multidimensional datasets. This interoperability is crucial for effective spatial analysis, which relies on coherent datasets to derive actionable insights. Additionally, the book discusses the interplay between EO and geospatial data, illustrating how their integration can enhance analytics capabilities. It presents comprehensive workflows, tools and applications that facilitate advanced spatial analysis, equipping researchers and practitioners with the necessary resources to harness EO data effectively.

  • The Birth of Our Solar System

    From Dust to Planets and Beyond
    • 1st Edition
    • Ritesh Kumar Mishra + 1 more
    • English
    The Birth of Our Solar System: Dust to Planets and Beyond presents a comprehensive exploration of the origin and early evolution of the Solar System, integrating planetary science, cosmochemistry, and astrophysics. It addresses fundamental questions about the Sun–planet system’s birth, the formation of CAIs and chondrites, and the early solar nebula’s evolution, placing Earth’s emergence in broader cosmic context. The narrative progresses through chapters on the beginning, genesis of the universe, solar-system birth scenarios, homogeneity, early solar-system events, and exoplanetary perspectives, supported by theory, observations, and laboratory results. The book aims to equip researchers, graduate students, and educators with a cohesive framework to understand initial solar-system conditions, the processes that shaped planetary architectures, and the implications for planetary habitability and life's origins. Readers will gain a holistic view of cosmochemical timelines, isotopic chronologies, and geochemical signatures that anchor our understanding of planetary formation, enabling cross-disciplinary dialogue and informed interpretation of meteoritic and astronomical data.

  • Space Weather and Ground-Based Monitoring

    The Role of Ground-Based Observations in Space-Weather Science and Operations
    • 1st Edition
    • Mario Bisi + 2 more
    • English
    Space Weather and Ground-Based Monitoring: The Role of Ground-Based Observations in Space-Weather Science and Operations explores the significance of ground-based observations in advancing space-weather research, focusing on technologies including ground-based systems, ionospheric mapping, and heliospheric modelling. The book highlights how these observations enhance our understanding of space weather phenomena, from solar activity to atmospheric radiation and emphasize the importance of ground-based systems. Space Weather and Ground-Based Monitoring provides insights to better plan and make decisions based on ground-based data for researchers, students, and professionals in space science and related fields. This essential resource integrates ground-based observations into models of the Sun-Earth system, advancing knowledge and preparedness for space weather challenges.

  • Weather, Climate and Seasons in the Solar System

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • Jean-Pierre Williams + 3 more
    • English
    Weather, Climate and Seasons Across the Solar System comprises a comprehensive exploration of atmosphere dynamics on lunar and planetary bodies across our Solar System, including the study of atmosphere/surface interactions. Richly illustrated with data, lab and field models, analogues and images from space probes, telescopic observations and landers/rovers, this book presents a compelling overview, narrative and study of planetary evolution that is ideal for researchers, educators, and enthusiasts alike. It serves as both a reference and an engaging read, inviting readers to contemplate the vast complexities of weather, climate and seasons for planetary and lunar bodies for and near in the Solar System.From storms on Jupiter and the outer gas giants to the surface gradients of temperature on Mars and the seasonality of associated surface changes, students, researchers, and practitioners will gain insights into how these processes have evolved over time and the factors influencing them.

  • Exoplanet Detection Methods

    Uncovering the Evolution of Planetary Systems
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • Camilla Danielski
    • English
    Exoplanet Detection Methods: Uncovering the Evolution of Planetary Systems is a comprehensive guide that delves into modern techniques for detecting exoplanets. It explores current methods while unravelling the fascinating story of planetary system evolution. Each chapter is meticulously structured to introduce detection methods, offer step-by-step instructions, analyze datasets, and present available instrumentation. This book caters to both beginners and seasoned researchers, providing them with the means to understand the characteristics and evolutionary timelines of different planetary populations.Beyond methodological insights, the book includes online proposal case studies, curated lists of resources, and further detailed step-by-step methods. This makes it an indispensable companion for those venturing into exoplanetary studies or working on planetary demographics.

  • Principles of Planetary Science

    From the Earth–Moon System to Retrograde Triton and ExoLife
    • 1st Edition
    • Nick Gorkavyi + 2 more
    • English
    Principles of Planetary Science: From the Earth–Moon System to Retrograde Triton and ExoLife offers a captivating journey into the origins and evolution of our Solar System. Designed for students, researchers, and space enthusiasts, this book combines clear explanations with stunning illustrations and online resources to make complex phenomena accessible. It covers fundamental topics such as Earth’s formation, lunar origins, planetary atmospheres, asteroid dynamics, and the mysteries surrounding exoplanets and irregular satellites. The volume emphasizes original models and recent discoveries, encouraging critical thinking and inspiring future research.Whether used as a textbook or reference, it provides a solid scientific foundation while highlighting unresolved problems and intriguing phenomena. The book’s engaging approach aims to foster curiosity, deepen understanding, and motivate exploration of space data through satellite images and telescopic observations. This comprehensive yet accessible volume is an essential resource for anyone interested in the dynamic processes shaping our planetary neighborhood and beyond.

  • Naming the Universe

    An Etymological Dictionary of Physics, Mathematics and Space Sciences
    • 1st Edition
    • Lorenzo Iorio
    • English
    Naming the Universe: An Etymological Dictionary of Physics, Mathematics and Space Sciences explores the Greek and Latin roots of scientific terminology used in physics, astronomy, and planetary sciences. It addresses the need for precise etymological understanding to improve clarity and communication in advanced research and education. The book systematically traces the origins of key terms, providing accurate translations, historical context, and visual aids like diagrams and figures of celestial bodies and concepts. Organized into chapters covering general terms, experimental techniques, mathematics, physics, optics, astronomy, and planetary features, it offers a comprehensive resource for researchers, educators, and students alike.By deepening understanding of scientific language’s historical foundations, the book enhances terminology mastery, supports pedagogical efforts, and fosters interdisciplinary knowledge, making it an invaluable tool for those seeking a richer comprehension of scientific concepts rooted in classical languages.

  • Planetary Tectonism across the Solar System

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • Christian Klimczak + 2 more
    • English
    Planetary Tectonism across the Solar System, Volume Two in the Comparative Planetology series, addresses key questions surrounding planetary tectonism, such our understanding of the global contraction of Mercury, the formation of giant rift zones on Saturn’s icy moons, or the tesserated terrain on Venus. The book makes connections to Earth, such as how deformation on Mercury is both similar and different, and how to apply theoretical considerations behind plate tectonics on Earth to other planets. The book offers up-to-date, accessible and comprehensive discussions on the major tectonic processes and landforms that shape and drive the evolution of planets, moons and smaller bodies. By placing a singular emphasis on comparing tectonic processes and landforms on all relevant Solar System bodies, with the explicit objective of providing a systems-level understanding of this widespread phenomenon, this book is ideal for anyone studying planetary tectonism.

  • The Oscillating Universe

    Einsteinian Cosmology of Black Holes and Gravitational Waves
    • 1st Edition
    • Nick Gorkavyi
    • English
    The Oscillating Universe: Einsteinian Cosmology of Black Holes and Gravitational Waves introduces the concept of cyclic cosmology within the framework of General Relativity. This book unravels the mysteries behind the Big Bang, the accelerating expansion of the universe, and the role of gravitational radiation and black holes in shaping our cosmos. With a comprehensive mathematical description of the oscillating universe and variable gravitational mass, readers will grasp the significance of the latest cosmological revolution sparked by the recent discoveries of gravitational waves.Students, professional astronomers, and cosmologists will find this book to be a valuable resource. It offers a popular presentation of the history of modern cosmology, discussions on recent discoveries in the study of the universe, and an introduction to the cutting-edge cyclic cosmology theory. This book provides a unique opportunity to understand the evolving landscape of cosmology and the implications of cyclic cosmology.

  • Titan After Cassini-Huygens

    • 1st Edition
    • Rosaly M.C. Lopes + 3 more
    • English
    **2026 PROSE Award Finalist in Chemistry, Physics, Astronomy, and Cosmology**Titan After Cassini-Huygens is the most up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of our knowledge on Titan, including results and insights from the joint NASA/European Space Agency/Italian Space Agency mission Cassini-Huygens and the conclusions drawn by experts following detailed analysis of the mission data. Our knowledge of Titan has increased substantially due to observations from the Cassini-Huygens mission, which ended in 2017. Since then, observations from Earth, as well as laboratory and theoretical studies, have continued to add to our knowledge. These conclusions, combined with the latest ground-based and theoretical research, provide the most recent understanding of the science of Titan, covering the origin and evolution of Titan, its magnetic and plasma environment, surface, interior structure, geology, atmosphere, and the astrobiological potential for the oceans on the moon.The first book of the new COSPAR book series, Titan After Cassini-Huygens, is an integral reference for scientists, researchers, and academics working on Titan or ocean worlds.Part of the COSPAR Book SeriesEdited by Jean-Louis Fellous, former Executive Director of COSPAR (Committee on Space Research; 2008–2019)

  • Optics of the Moon

    • 1st Edition
    • Yuriy Shkuratov + 2 more
    • English
    Optics of the Moon offers a modern approach to lunar remote sensing. It presents methods for interpreting optics of surfaces with complicated structures, in particular, the lunar regolith. For example, this book illustrates how phase-ratio techniques can lead to the detection of surface structure anomalies and describes polarimetric studies of the lunar surface and their use. This book addresses many questions related to the surfaces of the Moon, such as why the Moon looks like a ball at a large phase angle and like a disk in full moon, why the lunar surface has slight color variations, and why at large phase angles its polarization degree closely correlates with albedo.Including historical perspectives, case studies, maps, and figures to enhance the understanding of both theory and techniques, Optics of the Moon is a valuable resource for researchers and students in lunar and planetary science and remote sensing.

  • Ices in the Solar-System

    A Volatile-Driven Journey from the Inner Solar System to its Far Reaches
    • 1st Edition
    • Richard Soare + 4 more
    • English
    Ices in the Solar System: A Volatile-Driven Journey from the Inner Solar System to Its FarReaches explores the origins, evolution and distribution of various ice species throughout thesolar system.Geographicall... the book’s focus on ice(s) migrates outwardly from Mercury, the Earth and theMoon, Mars, then Ceres and other volatile-rich small bodies; it carries on with the moons ofJupiter, Saturn, and Uranus, followed by Pluto and other Kuiper Belt/Trans-Neptunian objects.Conceptually and empirically, the book depicts the often-enigmatic narratives of the differentice species (H2O, CO2, CH4, etc.) in the solar system and examines their interaction with a widerange of surface, near-subsurface, interior and atmospheric processes.

  • New Frontiers in Astrobiology

    • 1st Edition
    • Rebecca Thombre + 1 more
    • English
    New Frontiers in Astrobiology presents a simple and concise overview of the emerging field of astrobiology. Astrobiology studies the evolution, origin, and future of life on Earth and beyond. This book provides a brief overview of the current research and future status of this fascinating field. The book covers a wide range of topics from the history of astrobiology, the big bang, prebiotic chemistry, theories of the origin of life, extreme environments on Earth, and the quest for intelligent life in space. Currently, there is a critical gap in knowledge related to the future scope of astrobiology and its applications in science and society. The hallmark of the book is that it takes critical perspectives to analyze the new frontiers in astrobiology post Mars 2020/ExoMars missions that encompass the latestdevelopments in the detection of biosignatures and habitability beyond our Solar System (exomoons, exoplanets). The book will be a valuable resource for students, researchers, and scientists who seek greater insights into understanding the current status and future of astrobiology.

  • Extreme Space Weather

    • 1st Edition
    • Ryuho Kataoka
    • English
    Extreme Space Weather not only allows readers to learn the basics of complex space weather phenomena and future directions for research in space physics and extreme space events. The book begins with a brief overview of space weather, including sunspot cycles, solar winds and geomagnetic fields. From there, the book moves on to extreme space weather phenomena, including mass coronal ejections, solar flares and magnetic storms. The book also includes a discussion of both observed and theoretical extreme events. This book is ideal for students and researchers in geophysics and space physics departments, as well as those in hazard and disaster preparedness.

  • Cross-Scale Coupling and Energy Transfer in the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere System

    • 1st Edition
    • Yukitoshi Nishimura + 3 more
    • English
    Cross-Scale Coupling and Energy Transfer in the Magnetosphere-Ionosp... System provides a systematic understanding of Magnetosphere-Ionosp... dynamics. Cross-scale coupling has become increasingly important in the Space Physics community. Although large-scale processes can specify the averaged state of the system reasonably well, they cannot accurately describe localized and rapidly varying structures in space in actual events. Such localized and variable structures can be as intense as the large-scale features. This book covers observations on quantifying coupling and energetics and simulation on evaluating impacts of cross-scale processes. It includes an in-depth review and summary of the current status of multi-scale coupling processes, fundamental physics, and concise illustrations and plots that are usable in tutorial presentations and classrooms. Organized by physical quantities in the system, Cross-Scale Coupling and Energy Transfer in the Magnetosphere-Ionosp... System reviews recent advances in cross-scale coupling and energy transfer processes, making it an important resource for space physicists and researchers working on the magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere.

  • Planetary Volcanism across the Solar System

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • Tracy K. P. Gregg + 2 more
    • English
    Planetary Volcanism across the Solar System compares and contrasts the vast array of planetary bodies in the Solar System, including Earth. The wealth of spacecraft data for almost all major solid-surface bodies in the Solar System indicate that volcanism has been a dominant mechanism in shaping the landscapes of these bodies. The book addresses key questions surrounding our understanding of planetary volcanism, such as how to integrate the data into a coherent view of how volcanic activity arises, how this mechanism shapes planets, which volcanic landforms are ubiquitous throughout the Solar System, and which are unique. By placing a singular emphasis on comparing volcanic processes and landforms on all relevant Solar System bodies, and with the explicit objective of providing a systems-level understanding of this widespread phenomenon, users will find an up-to-date, accessible and comprehensive discussion of the major volcanic processes and landforms that shape and drive the evolution of planets, moons and smaller bodies.

  • Earth as an Evolving Planetary System

    • 4th Edition
    • Kent C. Condie
    • English
    Earth as an Evolving Planetary System, Fourth Edition discusses key topics dealing with the evolution and interaction through time of Earth’s crust, mantle, core, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. It addresses the questions of why Earth is unique among planets of the solar system, and how the various subsystems in the planet have interacted over 4.6 billion years in the habitable planet that we live on. This new edition includes over 100 new pages of material, data, and images and is a key reference for students and researchers in Earth and planetary sciences. Earth as an Evolving Planetary System, Fourth Edition includes new material that has become available since the third edition, including new sections on the Mid-lithosphere discontinuity, geoneutrinos, mantle oxidation, continental emergence, Earth cycles (new chapter) and recycling processes, the evolution of Earth from a stagnant lid to a plate tectonic regime, the controversy over how the continents have grown, when plate tectonics began, and exoplanets.

  • Space Science and Public Engagement

    21st Century Perspectives and Opportunities
    • 1st Edition
    • Amy Paige Kaminski
    • English
    Space Science and Public Engagement: 21st Century Perspectives and Opportunities critically examines the many dimensions of public engagement with space science by exploring case studies that show a spectrum of public engagement formats, ranging from the space science community's efforts to communicate developments to the public, to citizenry attempting to engage with space science issues. It addresses why public engagement is important to space science experts, what approaches they take, how public engagement varies locally, nationally and internationally, and what roles "non-experts" have played in shaping space science. Space scientists, outreach specialists in various scientific disciplines, policymakers and citizens interested in space science will find great insights in this book that will help inform their future engagement strategies.

  • Mars Geological Enigmas

    From the Late Noachian Epoch to the Present Day
    • 1st Edition
    • Richard Soare + 3 more
    • English
    Mars Geological Enigmas: From the Late Noachian Epoch to the Present Day presents outstanding questions on the geology of Mars and divergent viewpoints based on varying interpretations and analyses. The result is a robust and comprehensive discussion that provides opportunities for planetary scientists to develop their own opinions and ways forward. Each theme opens with an introduction that includes background on the topic and lays out questions to be addressed. Alternate perspectives are covered for each topic, including methods, observations, analyses, and in-depth discussion of the conclusions. Chapters within each theme reference each other to facilitate comparison and deeper understanding of divergent opinions.

  • Model Ecosystems in Extreme Environments

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • English
    Model Ecosystems in Extreme Environments, Second Edition examines ecosystems at the most extreme habitats and their interaction with the environment, providing a key element in our understanding of the role and function of microorganisms in nature. The book highlights current topics in the field, such as biodiversity and the structure of microbial communities in extreme environments, the effects of extreme environmental conditions on microbial ecosystems, and ecological and evolutionary interactions in extreme environments, among other topics. It will be a valuable text for faculty and students working with extremophiles and/or microbial ecology and researchers, including astrobiologists, biologists, evolutionary scientists, astronomers, geochemists and oceanographers.

  • Kappa Distributions

    Theory and Applications in Plasmas
    • 1st Edition
    • George Livadiotis
    • English
    Kappa Distributions: Theory and Applications in Plasmas presents the theoretical developments of kappa distributions, their applications in plasmas, and how they affect the underpinnings of our understanding of space and plasma physics, astrophysics, and statistical mechanics/thermodyna... Separated into three major parts, the book covers theoretical methods, analytical methods in plasmas, and applications in space plasmas. The first part of the book focuses on basic aspects of the statistical theory of kappa distributions, beginning with their connection to the solid backgrounds of non-extensive statistical mechanics. The book then moves on to plasma physics, and is devoted to analytical methods related to kappa distributions on various basic plasma topics, spanning linear/nonlinear plasma waves, solitons, shockwaves, and dusty plasmas. The final part of the book deals with applications in space plasmas, focusing on applications of theoretical and analytical developments in space plasmas from the heliosphere and beyond, in other astrophysical plasmas. Kappa Distributions is ideal for space, plasma, and statistical physicists; geophysicists, especially of the upper atmosphere; Earth and planetary scientists; and astrophysicists.

  • Solar Wind Seven

    Proceedings of the 3rd COSPAR Colloquium Held in Goslar, Germany, 16-20 September 1991
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 3
    • E. Marsch
    • English
    The third COSPAR Colloquium entitled Solar Wind Seven was held in Goslar, Germany in September 1991. Twenty-two countries were represented by scientists, many of whom are leading experts in the area of heliospheric physics. The Proceedings reflect current research on solar wind and particularly emphasizes the source regions. The main topics covered encompass Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration; Large-Scale Structure of the Interplanetary Medium; Minor Ions, Neutrals and Cosmic Rays in the Heliosphere; Kinetic Physics, Waves and Turbulence and finally Heliospheric Dynamic Phenomena.

  • Earth as an Evolving Planetary System

    • 3rd Edition
    • Kent C. Condie
    • English
    Earth as an Evolving Planetary System, Third Edition, examines the various subsystems that play a role in the evolution of the Earth, including subsystems in the crust, mantle, core, atmosphere, oceans, and life. This third edition includes 30% new material and, for the first time, includes full color images in both the print and electronic versions. Topics in the great events chapters are now included in the beginning of the book, with the addition of a new feature of breakout boxes for each event. The second half of the book now focuses on a better understanding of Earth's history by looking at the interactions of the subsystems over time. The Earth’s atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere, crustal and mantle evolution, the supercontinent cycle, great events in Earth history, and the Earth in comparison to other planets are also covered.

  • Encyclopedia of the Solar System

    • 3rd Edition
    • Tilman Spohn + 2 more
    • English
    The Encyclopedia of the Solar System, Third Edition—winner of the 2015 PROSE Award in Cosmology & Astronomy from the Association of American Publishers—provides a framework for understanding the origin and evolution of the solar system, historical discoveries, and details about planetary bodies and how they interact—with an astounding breadth of content and breathtaking visual impact. The encyclopedia includes the latest explorations and observations, hundreds of color digital images and illustrations, and over 1,000 pages. It stands alone as the definitive work in this field, and will serve as a modern messenger of scientific discovery and provide a look into the future of our solar system. New additions to the third edition reflect the latest progress and growth in the field, including past and present space missions to the terrestrial planets, the outer solar systems and space telescopes used to detect extrasolar planets.

  • Lakes on Mars

    • 1st Edition
    • Nathalie A. Cabrol + 1 more
    • English
    On Earth, lakes provide favorable environments for the development of life and its preservation as fossils. They are extremely sensitive to climate fluctuations and to conditions within their watersheds. As such, lakes are unique markers of the impact of environmental changes. Past and current missions have now demonstrated that water once flowed at the surface of Mars early in its history. Evidence of ancient ponding has been uncovered at scales ranging from a few kilometers to possibly that of the Arctic ocean. Whether life existed on Mars is still unknown; upcoming missions may find critical evidence to address this question in ancient lakebeds as clues about Mars’ climate evolution and its habitability potential are still preserved in their sedimentary record. Lakes on Mars is the first review on this subject. It is written by leading planetary scientists who have dedicated their careers to searching and exploring the questions of water, lakes, and oceans on Mars through their involvement in planetary exploration, and the analysis of orbital and ground data beginning with Viking up to the most recent missions. In thirteen chapters, Lakes on Mars critically discusses new data and explores the role that water played in the evolution of the surface of Mars, the past hydrological provinces of the planet, the possibility of heated lake habitats through enhanced geothermal flux associated with volcanic activity and impact cratering. The book also explores alternate hypotheses to explain the geological record. Topographic, morphologic, stratigraphic, and mineralogic evidence are presented that suggest successions of ancient lake environments in Valles Marineris and Hellas. The existence of large lakes and/or small oceans in Elysium and the Northern Plains is supported both by the global distribution of deltaic deposits and by equipotential surfaces that may reflect their past margins. Whether those environments were conducive to life has yet to be demonstrated but from comparison with our planet, their sedimentary deposits may provide the best opportunity to find its record, if any. The final chapters explore the impact of climate variability on declining lake habitats in one of the closest terrestrial analogs to Mars at the Noachian/Hesperian transition, identify the geologic, morphologic and mineralogic signatures of ancient lakes to be searched for on Mars, and present the case for landing the Mars Science Laboratory mission in such an environment.

  • The Earth's Ionosphere

    Plasma Physics and Electrodynamics
    • 2nd Edition
    • Volume 96
    • Michael C. Kelley
    • English
    Although interesting in its own right, due to the ever-increasing use of satellites for communication and navigation, weather in the ionosphere is of great concern. Every such system uses trans-ionospheric propagation of radio waves, waves which must traverse the commonly turbulent ionosphere. Understanding this turbulence and predicting it are one of the major goals of the National Space Weather program. Acquiring such a prediction capability will rest on understanding the very topics of this book, the plasma physics and electrodynamics of the system.

  • Meteorites, Comets, and Planets

    Treatise on Geochemistry, Second Edition, Volume 1
    • 1st Edition
    • A.M. Davis
    • English
    Volume 1 provides a broad overview of the chemistry of the solar system. It includes chapters on the origin of the elements and solar system abundances, the solar nebula and planet formation, meteorite classification, the major types of meteorites, important processes in early solar system history, geochemistry of the terrestrial planets, the giant planets and their satellite, comets, and the formation and early differentiation of the Earth. This volume is intended to be the first reference work one would consult to learn about the chemistry of the solar system.Reprinted individual volume from the acclaimed Treatise on Geochemistry (10 Volume Set, ISBN 0-08-043751-6, published in 2003)

  • Science Technology Synergy for Research in the Marine Environment: Challenges for the XXI Century

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • L. Beranzoli + 2 more
    • English
    This volume is one of the most significant results of the conference "Science-Technology Synergy for Research in Marine Environment: Challenges for the XXI Century" held in Erice and Ustica, Italy, September 1999. It presents state of the art developments in technology and scientific research in sea floor observatories. Scientific conclusions of earth science and environmental studies obtained from these observatories as well as results from long term monitoring are provided. Descriptions of new technologies enabling deep sea long term observatories are offered and marine environment and risk assessment issues are discussed.This is the first work detailing recent and on going experiments world wide specifically devoted to deep sea multi disciplinary observation systems, the technology enabling sea floor observatories, and the presentation of first results from these systems.

  • Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards on a Populated Earth

    Computer Modeling
    • 1st Edition
    • John S. Lewis
    • English
    Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards explores the anticipated consequences of comet and asteroid impact. It presents the first computer simulations of the hazards of comet and asteroid bombardment of a populated Earth. Previous estimates of fatality and damage rates on the 100 to 10,000 year time scale are shown to be too low because they neglect rare, highly lethal outriders of the populations of bombarding objects, those with exceptional strength, unusually low entry velocity, and near-horizontal entry angles. This is the first realistic assessment of both the mean casualty rate and the expected statistical fluctuations in that rate. A breakdown of fatality and damage rates by impactor energy and compositional class suggests lessons for both asteroid search strategies and interdiction techniques.This book is written so that anyone with college level experience in the physical sciences can understand it. It includes a disk that allows the reader to simulate impact catastrophes. It serves as a useful resource in various physical sciences courses such as astronomy, planetary science, and environmental science.

  • Microsatellites as Research Tools

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 10
    • F.-B. Hsiao
    • English
    In order to reflect the increasing importance and interest of the microsatellites in high technology and scientific applications in space, the Colloquium on Microsatellites as Research Tools was organized to promote its usage and technology development and to foster the international cooperation, especially in the area of the Asia pacific region.Attended by 150 participants from 18 countries the colloquium was organized into five major themes: regional development, lessons learned, innovations, scientific applications, and education. A special session was organized as well by the organizing committee and supported by the National Space Program Office to present its development of the Taiwan's satellite program and the current status of ROCSAT-1 which is scheduled to be launched at the beginning of 1999.Two main conclusions were drawn from the material presented: microsatellite in general is a very good means for doing space research and technology development, and a suitable vehicle to promote international collaborations.

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