Skip to main content
Elsevier

Books in Earth and planetary sciences

Elsevier's Earth and Planetary Sciences collection brings together pioneering research on the complexities of our planet and beyond. Covering topics from Earth's structural dynamics and ecosystems to planetary exploration, these titles support advancements in geoscience, environmental science, and space studies, offering essential insights for researchers, professionals, and students.

  • Progress in Surface and Membrane Science

    Volume 6
    • 1st Edition
    • J. F. Danielli + 2 more
    • English
    Progress in Surface and Membrane Science, Volume 6 covers the developments in the study of surface and membrane science. The book discusses the progress in surface and membrane science; the solid state chemistry of the silver halide surface; and the experimental and theoretical aspects of the double layer at the mercury-solution interface. The text also describes contact-angle hysteresis; ion binding and ion transport produced by neutral lipid-soluble molecules; and the biophysical interactions of blood proteins with polymeric and artificial surfaces. Physical chemists, biophysicists, and physiologists will find the book invaluable.

  • Geomorphological Processes

    Studies in Physical Geography
    • 1st Edition
    • E Derbyshire + 2 more
    • K. J. Gregory
    • English
    Geomorphological Processes describes land forms and land form changes, particularly regarding the rates of operation of these events. This book describes the mechanics of the geomorphological processes; the text also shows the application of an equation to explain trends in geomorphology that involves land forms (or results, a dependent variable), processes, and materials (both independent variables). The authors explain endogenetic and exogenetic processes, as well as the control systems approach. They explain the drainage basin processes which collect, concentrate, and promote water mobility and sedimentation. They also discuss the coastal processes concerning waves, tidal variations, sediment budgets, hydrodynamics of near-shore zones; the book also addresses shoreline configuration, planning, and coastal protection. The authors analyze the cryonival and glacial process such as the formation of ice in the landscape, glacial erosion, debris entrainment, meltwater erosion, and glaci-aquatic sedimentation. The text shows the difficulty of measuring the parameters in the relationship between water action and sediment movement. This book is intended for first or second year students in geology, hydrology, and those whose majors are in meteorology. It can also benefit readers whose interest lie with the environment or with the general earth sciences.

  • Gemmology

    • 1st Edition
    • P. G. Read
    • English
    Gemmology is a text for students preparing for the Gemmological Association's Preliminary and Diploma examinations. The book is more expansive and up-to-date than the author's earlier book, Beginner's Guide to Gemmology. The book deals with the practical and theoretical sides of gemmology. Tracing the background and science of gemmology, the book covers the gem material, geological formation, and occurrence of gemstones on the earth. The composition of gemstones from the atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds comprising them is analyzed, and the relationship between chemical composition and durability of the stone is explained. The basics of crystallography is mentioned as a tool toward understanding gemmology after which cleavage, parting, and fracture are done. A gemstone's durability and hardness and how the latter influences engineering tests and the mining techniques are compared. An important test technique to identify unmounted stones is the measure of specific gravity using displacement measurement methods and hydrostatic methods. After more descriptive details are given in identification of gemstones, whether these are synthetic or simulants, through a comprehensive explanation of the materials found in these other gemstones, the fashioning, through shaping or polishing, of gemstones is explained. Emphasis is given on the critical angle in which light rays pass in different rock densities, and then the cutting styles, gemstone polishing, and grading are discussed. Students studying for the Gemmological Association's Preliminary and Diploma examinations, jewelers, lapidarists, and diamond cutters, as well as those engaged in the hobby of gemmology, will find this book helpful and full of information toward their endeavors and hobbies.

  • Advances in Hydroscience

    Volume 5
    • 1st Edition
    • Ven Te Chow
    • English
    Advances in Hydroscience, Volume 5 contains articles in three major areas of hydroscience, namely, stochastic hydrology, subsurface flow, and solid-state hydrology. This volume is composed of four chapters, and begins with a comprehensive review of the basic concepts, developments, and their potential application in stochastic hydrology, with emphasis on time series analysis and synthesis (model building). The next chapter deals with some of the advances in various scientific disciplines and their application to the analysis and prediction of seepage losses from open channels. These topics are followed by discussions on various phenomena of snow metamorphism, sintering, and development of intergranular bonds; a few methods for determining thermal conductivity, water vapor diffusivity; and the essential concepts of radiation interaction with a snow medium. The final chapter surveys the theory of infiltration, which is one important outcome of the mathematical-physica... approach to the study of water movement in unsaturated soil. This chapter specifically presents the general flow equation (a nonlinear Fokker-Planck equation). This book is of great value to hydrologists, engineers, scientists, and researchers who are interested in the interdisciplinary field of hydroscience.

  • Monitoring Solar Heating Systems

    A Practical Handbook
    • 1st Edition
    • R. Ferraro + 2 more
    • English
    Monitoring Solar Heating Systems: A Practical Handbook focuses on the CEC Performance Monitoring Group’s objective to draw conclusions on benefits of installing solar heating systems in different parts of the European Economic Community. This book notes that small numbers of domestic solar heating systems have been built and installed in Europe, both in private homes and, more often, in homes built as part of national research and development programs. To demonstrate the value of solar energy and to monitor the behavior and output of solar heating systems, performance monitoring systems have been installed to collect the relevant performance data. Various recommendations are made and mentioned in Chapter 2, while several materials have been drawn together to assist those without previous detailed experience in this field to gain insight into monitoring the solar heat systems; these discussions are included in Chapters 3 and 4. This text also covers the monitoring of solar assisted active space heating systems, solar assisted passive space heating systems, and solar assisted domestic hot water systems. This book is a useful reference for those involved in monitoring the solar heating systems, who consider their task in light of the experience of others.

  • Biological Oceanographic Processes

    • 3rd Edition
    • Timothy R. Parsons + 2 more
    • English
    This revised edition of a popular textbook is written for students, physical oceanographers, engineers, hydrologists, fisheries experts and a number of other professionals who require quantitative expressions of biological oceanographic phenomena. It is designed to lead the reader, step by step, through a progression from the distribution of marine organisms, to discussions on trophic relations, to a final chapter on some practical applications of biological oceanography to fisheries and pollution problems. The book covers subject matter in the pelagic and benthic environments, and is intended to bridge the gap between entirely descriptive oceanography texts and works on the mathematical modelling of marine ecosystems.

  • Island Arcs

    Japan and Its Environs
    • 1st Edition
    • A. Sugimura + 1 more
    • English
    Developments in Geotectonics, 3: Island Arcs: Japan and its Environs focuses on geophysical and geological characteristics of island arcs. The book first reviews the geophysical and geological features of island arcs, including topography, crust and upper mantle structure, seismicity, direction of principal stresses of earthquakes, crustal deformation and fault systems, and geological structure. The distributions of Cenozoic volcanoes and hot springs, petrology of volcanic rocks, magnetic fields, and anomaly of electrical conductivity are also discussed. The publication also takes a look at the Cenozoic history of the Japanese Islands relative to the formation of island arcs. The Quaternary tectonic movements of Japan are reviewed. The text ponders on the processes under island arcs, such as generation and ascent of primary magma; convection current descending under island arcs; island arc tectonics and oceanic ridge tectonics; and mechanical process inferred from seismic wave radiation. The text is a valuable reference for geologists and readers interested in island arcs.

  • Descriptive Physical Oceanography

    An Introduction
    • 4th Edition
    • George L. Pickard + 1 more
    • English
    Descriptive Physical Oceanography: An Introduction, Fourth Enlarged Edition considers the synoptic or descriptive aspects of physical oceanography with considerable illustrative materials and some 45 additional figures. This book is divided into nine chapters, and begins with an introduction to the basic goal of physical oceanographic study. The next chapters describe the features of the ocean basins, physical properties of seawater, and the ocean's distribution of water characteristics. These topics are followed by discussions of the conservation of seawater volume and salt; the techniques and methods of physical oceanography; and the general features of the main ocean circulations, as well as the circulation and character of the water masses in the individual oceans. The final chapters examine some of the characteristics of coastal oceanography. This book will prove useful to undergraduate and graduate students with oceanography and related subjects.

  • Transistors

    • 1st Edition
    • E. J. M. Kendall
    • English
    Transistors covers the main thread of transistor development. This book is organized into 2 parts encompassing 19, and starts with an overview of the semi-conductor physics pertinent to the understanding of transistors, as well as features and applications of the point contact devices and junction devices. The subsequent part deals with the modulation of conductance of thin films of conductors by surface charges, the metal-semi conductor, and the semi-conductor triode. These topics are followed by discussions on the nature of the forward current, physical principles in transistor, the hole injection in transistor, and the double-surface transistor in which the emitter and collector contacts bear on the two opposite faces of a thin wedge or slab of semiconductor. Other papers describe the effects of electrical forming on the rectifying barrier, the junction in semiconductors and transistors, the theory of Alpha for diffused junction transistors, and a high frequency diffused transistor. The last chapters consider unipolar, analog, and thin film transistors This book will be of value to physicists and researchers in the allied fields.

  • Photogeology and Regional Mapping

    • 1st Edition
    • J. A. E. Allum
    • Robert Maxwell
    • English
    Photogeology and Regional Mapping covers the geological interpretation of aerial photographs, the compilation of the interpretations on to maps, the use of aerial photographs in the field, and the use of aerial photography for the production of the final geological map. This book is organized into 10 chapters and starts with an introduction to the aerial photograph. The subsequent chapters deal with the properties of the aerial photograph, including the scale, parallax and their difference. These chapters also survey the process of stereoscopy, the stereoscopic vision, pseudoscopic vision, and setting up the aerial photographs. These topics are followed by discussions on interpretation of the aerial photographs encoded into a map. Other chapters describe the production of the photogeological map and field mapping with the use of aerial photographs. The last chapters consider the compilation of the encoded aerial photographs made into maps and the photogrammetry for geologists that explains the minor control plot, detail plotting, measurement of height differences using a stereometer. This book will be of value to geologists.

Related subjects