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.

  • Advances in Marine Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 56
    • English
    Advances in Marine Biology has been providing in-depth and up-to-date reviews on all aspects of marine biology since 1963 -- over 40 years of outstanding coverage! The series is well-known for both its excellence of reviews and editing. Now edited by D.W. Sims (Marine Biological Association Laboratory, Plymouth, UK), with an internationally renowned Editorial Board, the serial publishes in-depth and up-to-date content on a wide range of topics that will appeal to postgraduates and researchers in marine biology, fisheries science, ecology, zoology, and biological oceanography.

  • Advanced Drilling Engineering

    Principles and Designs
    • 1st Edition
    • G. Robello Samuel + 1 more
    • English
    Drilling technology has advanced immensely in the past 20 years. Directional drilling, rotary steerable drilling and other smart downhole techniques and tools have progressed past the typical vertical and horizontal well, allowing drilling engineers to design wells of complex geometry and extract energy resources from remote, untapped places. While technology continues to excel, there is a growing need for multidisciplinary information to assist in the design and planning of complex wells. To answer this need, Robello Samuel, with the help of Xiushan Liu, releases a necessary reference titled Advanced Drilling Engineering. Samuel and Liu’s volume covers full understanding of elaborate drilling processes and engineering well design aspects. Starting with well trajectory and wellbore positioning, they explain well-path planning for directional and extended-reach wells. Other vital topics include collision avoidance, checking for proximity between neighboring wells, downhole survey tools plus MWD/LWD and through bit logging, and intelligent smart well technology, including downhole monitoring tools.

  • Neoproterozoic-Cambrian Tectonics, Global Change and Evolution

    A Focus on South Western Gondwana
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 16
    • Claudio Gaucher + 3 more
    • English
    The book deals with the record of important Neoproterozoic to Early Palaeozoic events in southwestern Gondwana, that heralded the Cambrian explosion and the dawn of modern ecosystems. It contains a detailed account of the Neoproterozoic to Cambrian geological record in a poorly-known part of the world, which is at the same time key to understand fundamental processes at the Proterozoic-Cambrian transition. The emphasis is placed on litho-, bio-, chemostratigraphy and magmatism. The palaeoclimatic, tectonic, evolutionary radiation and extinction events and associated mineralizations will be identified and discussed. A synthesis of all data is provided at the end of the book, integrating the data from all cratons and fold belts in southwestern Gondwana. The events will be individualized, their impact discussed and correlations between different successions both within and outside Gondwana proposed.The book is organized in three sections. Section one is an introduction to the neoproterozoic and Cambrian seen as a time of upheavals, extremes and innovations. Section two comprises nineteen chapters dealing with the neoproterozoic-Cambr... events in southwestern Gondwana. Section three will provide a synthesis on every major topic, and a critical assessment of the global implications of the presented data.

  • Carbonates in Continental Settings

    Geochemistry, Diagenesis and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 62
    • English
    This book provides an up-to-date compilation of the latest research on the petrography, facies, paleonvironmental significance and economic aspects of continental carbonates. The overall organization of the book first emphasizes the descriptive aspects and processes operating on carbonate deposits in greatly varied settings, and then considers applications for basin analysis, as well as economic and historical aspects. This volume will be a valuable tool for graduate and postgraduate students as well as for experienced researchers. The first part (volume 61 in this series) will deal with the facies, environments, and processes of carbonates in continental settings.

  • The Myrdalsjokull Ice Cap, Iceland

    Glacial Processes, Sediments and Landforms on an Active Volcano
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 13
    • English
    Lowland glaciers are usually considered the best analogs for formerly glaciated areas and as such, many Icelandic glaciers have been intensively investigated with regard to process-orientated sediment-landform interrelationships. The Mýrdalsjökull ice cap has, thus, served as an excellent "ice-age laboratory." Furthermore, a substantial effort has been directed toward understanding the interaction between volcanic activity and glacier response, such as meltwater outbursts (jökulhlaups) and sudden events of rapidly flowing glacier ice. The book reviews the following themes related to Mýrdalsjökull: glaciology, glacial and quaternary geology, sedimentology, tephrochronology and eruption history of Katla, and crustal movements. All authors are involved in research about the subglacial Katla volcano and Mýrdalsjökull.

  • Multiphase Flow Metering

    Principles and Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 54
    • Gioia Falcone + 2 more
    • English
    Over the last two decades the development, evaluation and use of MFM systems has been a major focus for the Oil & Gas industry worldwide. Since the early 1990's, when the first commercial meters started to appear, there have been around 2,000 field applications of MFM for field allocation, production optimisation and well testing. So far, many alternative metering systems have been developed, but none of them can be referred to as generally applicable or universally accurate. Both established and novel technologies suitable to measure the flow rates of gas, oil and water in a three-phase flow are reviewed and assessed within this book. Those technologies already implemented in the various commercial meters are evaluated in terms of operational and economical advantages or shortcomings from an operator point of view. The lessons learned about the practical reliability, accuracy and use of the available technology is discussed. The book suggests where the research to develop the next generation of MFM devices will be focused in order to meet the as yet unsolved problems. The book provides a critical and independent review of the current status and future trends of MFM, supported by the authors’ strong background on multiphase flow and by practical examples. These are based on the authors’ direct experience on MFM, gained over many years of research in connection with both operators and service companies. As there are currently no books on the subject of Multiphase Flow Metering for the Oil & Gas industry, this book will fill in the gap and provide a theoretical and practical reference for professionals, academics, and students.

  • Carbonates in Continental Settings

    Facies, Environments, and Processes
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 61
    • English
    This book provides an up-to-date compilation of the latest research on the petrography, facies, paleonvironmental significance and economic aspects of continental carbonates. The overall organization of the book first emphasizes the descriptive aspects and processes operating on carbonate deposits in greatly varied settings, and then considers applications for basin analysis, as well as economic and historical aspects. This volume will be a valuable tool for graduate and postgraduate students as well as for experienced researchers. The second part (volume 62 in this series) will deal with the geochemistry, diagenesis and applications of carbonates in continental settings.

  • Working Guide to Drilling Equipment and Operations

    • 1st Edition
    • William Lyons
    • English
    Working Guide to Drilling Equipment and Operations offers a practical guide to drilling technologies and procedures. The book begins by introducing basic concepts such as the functions of drilling muds; types of drilling fluids; testing of drilling systems; and completion and workover fluids. This is followed by discussions of the composition of the drill string; air and gas drilling operations; and directional drilling. The book identifies the factors that should be considered for optimized drilling operations: health, safety, and environment; production capability; and drilling implementation. It explains how to control well pressure. It details the process of fishing, i.e. removal of a fish (part of the drill string that separates from the upper remaining portion of the drill string) or junk (small items of non-drillable metals) from the borehole. The remaining chapters cover the different types of casing and casing string design; well cementing; the proper design of tubing; and the environmental aspects of drilling.

  • Working Guide to Petroleum and Natural Gas Production Engineering

    • 1st Edition
    • William Lyons
    • English
    Working Guide to Petroleum and Natural Gas Production Engineering provides an introduction to key concepts and processes in oil and gas production engineering. It begins by describing correlation and procedures for predicting the physical properties of natural gas and oil. These include compressibility factor and phase behavior, field sampling process and laboratory measurements, and prediction of a vapor-liquid mixture. The book discusses the basic parameters of multiphase fluid flow, various flow regimes, and multiphase flow models. It explains the natural flow performance of oil, gas, and the mixture. The final chapter covers the design, use, function, operation, and maintenance of oil and gas production facilities; the design and construction of separators; and oil and gas separation and treatment systems.

  • Working Guide to Reservoir Engineering

    • 1st Edition
    • William Lyons
    • English
    Working Guide to Reservoir Engineering provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of reservoir engineering. The book begins by discussing basic concepts such as types of reservoir fluids, the properties of fluid containing rocks, and the properties of rocks containing multiple fluids. It then describes formation evaluation methods, including coring and core analysis, drill stem tests, logging, and initial estimation of reserves. The book explains the enhanced oil recovery process, which includes methods such as chemical flooding, gas injection, thermal recovery, technical screening, and laboratory design for enhanced recovery. Also included is a discussion of fluid movement in waterflooded reservoirs.

  • Groundwater Hydrology of Springs

    Engineering, Theory, Management and Sustainability
    • 1st Edition
    • Neven Kresic + 1 more
    • English
    Groundwater Hydrology of Water Resource Series - Water is an essential environmental resource and one that needs to be properly managed. As the world places more emphasis on sustainable water supplies, the demand for expertise in hydrology and water resources continues to increase. This series is intended for professional engineers, who seek a firm foundation in hydrology and an ability to apply this knowledge to solve problems in water resource management. Future books in the series are: Groudwater Hydrology of Springs (2009), Groudwater Hydrology of River Basins (2009), Groudwater Hydrology of Aquifers (2010), and Groudwater Hydrology of Wetlands (2010). First utilized as a primary source of drinking water in the ancient world, springs continue to supply many of the world's cities with water. In recent years their long-term sustainability is under pressure due to an increased demand from groundwater users. Edited by two world-renowned hydrologists, Groundwater Hydrology of Springs: Theory, Management, and Sustainability will provide civil and environmental engineers with a comprehensive reference for managing and sustaining the water quality of Springs. With contributions from experts from around the world, this book cover many of the world's largest springs, providing a unique global perspective on how engineers around the world are utilizing engineering principles for coping with problems such as: mismanagement, overexploitation and their impacts both water quantity and quality. The book will be divided into two parts: part one will explain the theory and principles of hydrology as they apply to Springs while part two will provide a rare look into the engineering practices used to manage some of the most important Springs from around the world.

  • Elements of Physical Oceanography

    A derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences
    • 1st Edition
    • John H. Steele + 2 more
    • English
    Elements of Physical Oceanography is a derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, Second Edition and serves as an important reference on current physical oceanography knowledge and expertise in one convenient and accessible source. Its selection of articles—all written by experts in their field—focuses on ocean physics, air-sea transfers, waves, mixing, ice, and the processes of transfer of properties such as heat, salinity, momentum and dissolved gases, within and into the ocean. Elements of Physical Oceanography serves as an ideal reference for topical research.

  • Ocean Currents

    • 1st Edition
    • John H. Steele + 2 more
    • English
    Elements of Physical Oceanography is a derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, Second Edition and serves as an important reference on current physical oceanography knowledge and expertise in one convenient and accessible source. Its selection of articles—all written by experts in their field—focuses on ocean physics, air-sea transfers, waves, mixing, ice, and the processes of transfer of properties such as heat, salinity, momentum and dissolved gases, within and into the ocean. Elements of Physical Oceanography serves as an ideal reference for topical research.

  • Measurement Techniques, Platforms and Sensors

    • 1st Edition
    • John H. Steele + 2 more
    • English
    Elements of Physical Oceanography is a derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, Second Edition and serves as an important reference on current physical oceanography knowledge and expertise in one convenient and accessible source. Its selection of articles—all written by experts in their field—focuses on ocean physics, air-sea transfers, waves, mixing, ice, and the processes of transfer of properties such as heat, salinity, momentum and dissolved gases, within and into the ocean. Elements of Physical Oceanography serves as an ideal reference for topical research.

  • Marine Biology

    • 1st Edition
    • John H. Steele + 2 more
    • English
    Elements of Physical Oceanography is a derivative of the Encyclopedia of Ocean Sciences, Second Edition and serves as an important reference on current physical oceanography knowledge and expertise in one convenient and accessible source. Its selection of articles—all written by experts in their field—focuses on ocean physics, air-sea transfers, waves, mixing, ice, and the processes of transfer of properties such as heat, salinity, momentum and dissolved gases, within and into the ocean. Elements of Physical Oceanography serves as an ideal reference for topical research.

  • Working Guide to Reservoir Rock Properties and Fluid Flow

    • 1st Edition
    • Tarek Ahmed
    • English
    Working Guide to Reservoir Rock Properties and Fluid Flow provides an introduction to the properties of rocks and fluids that are essential in petroleum engineering. The book is organized into three parts. Part 1 discusses the classification of reservoirs and reservoir fluids. Part 2 explains different rock properties, including porosity, saturation, wettability, surface and interfacial tension, permeability, and compressibility. Part 3 presents the mathematical relationships that describe the flow behavior of the reservoir fluids. The primary reservoir characteristics that must be considered include: types of fluids in the reservoir, flow regimes, reservoir geometry, and the number of flowing fluids in the reservoir. Each part concludes with sample problems to test readers knowledge of the topic covered.

  • Advances in Quaternary Entomology

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • Scott A. Elias
    • English
    Advances in Quaternary Entomology addresses the science of fossil insects by demonstrating their immense contribution to our knowledge of the paleoenvironmental and climatological record of the past 2.6 million years. In this comprehensive survey of the field, Scott A. Elias recounts development of scholarship, reviews the fossil insect record from Quaternary deposits throughout the world, and points to rewarding areas for future research. The study of Quaternary entomology is becoming an important tool in understanding past environmental changes. Most insects are quite specific as to habitat requirements, and those in non-island environments have undergone almost no evolutionary change in the Quaternary period. We therefore can use their modern ecological requirements as a basis for interpreting what past environments must have been like.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 9

    Evolution of the Earth
    • 1st Edition
    • David Stevenson
    • English
    Evolution of the Earth focuses on the formation of Earth. Topics include the differention of the core, mantle and crust; the formation of the ocean basins and continents; outgassing and volcanism; the initiation of plate tectonics, the origin and persistence of Earth's magnetic field; the growth of the inner core; changes in mantle convection through time; and the impact of life on the planet. The volume takes an interdisciplinary viewpoint that emphasizes the interplay of geophysics, other aspects of earth science and biological evolution. Some outstanding questions are identified and debated.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 5

    Geomagnetism
    • 1st Edition
    • Masaru Kono
    • English
    Treatise on Geophysics: Geomagnetism, Volume 5, provides an overview of the most important aspects of geomagnetism. The book begins by tracing the history of the study of geomagnetism. It then reviews global models of the Earth's magnetic field; the main sources of external magnetic field contributions; and the instruments and practices used to observe and measure the full range of features of the geomagnetic field. It discusses the origins of current knowledge of the secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field; crustal magnetism; geomagnetic excursions; the study of geophysical electromagnetic induction; the magnetization process; and the status of recent magnetic field data and their applications. The remaining chapters cover the geometry of the geomagnetic field and its temporal variability as recorded in volcanic and sedimentary rocks over the past few million years; the ocean crust as a recorder of geomagnetic field variations; and the theoretical basis for paleointensity experiments in igneous and sedimentary environments. The final chapter explains the concept of true polar wander (TPW), defined as shifts in the geographic location of Earth's daily rotation axis and/or by fluctuations in the spin rate (length of day anomalies).

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 8

    Core Dynamics
    • 1st Edition
    • Peter L. Olson
    • English
    Treaties on Geophysics: Core Dynamics, Volume 8, provides a comprehensive review of the current state of understanding of core dynamics. The book begins by analyzing a subject of long-standing and on-going controversy: the gross energetics of the core. It then explains the important elements of dynamo theory; actual fluid motions in the core; the basic physical principles involved in thermochemical convection in the core and the basic equations governing the convection; and turbulence and the small-scale dynamics of the core. This is followed by discussions of the state of knowledge on rotation-induced core flows; the use of first-principles numerical models of self-sustaining fluid dynamos; and the behavior of polarity reversals in numerical dynamo models. The remaining chapters cover the various roles the inner core plays in core dynamics and the geodynamo; experiments that have shaped knowledge about the flows in the core that produce the geodynamo and govern its evolution; and ways the mantle can affect core dynamics, and corresponding ways the core can affect the mantle.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 7

    Mantle Dynamics
    • 1st Edition
    • David Bercovici
    • English
    Treatise on Geophysics: Mantle Dynamics, Volume 7 aims to provide both a classical and state-of-the-art introduction to the methods and science of mantle dynamics, as well as survey leading order problems (both solved and unsolved) and current understanding of how the mantle works. It is organized around two themes: (1) how is mantle convection studied; and (2) what do we understand about mantle dynamics to date. The first four chapters are thus concerned with pedagogical reviews of the physics of mantle convection; laboratory studies of the fluid dynamics of convection relevant to the mantle; theoretical analysis of mantle dynamics; and numerical analysis and methods of mantle convection. The subsequent chapters concentrate on leading issues of mantle convection itself, which include the energy budget of the mantle; the upper mantle and lithosphere in and near the spreading center (mid-ocean ridge) environment; the dynamics of subducting slabs; hot spots, melting anomalies, and mantle plumes; and finally, geochemical mantle dynamics and mixing.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 10

    Planets and Moons
    • 1st Edition
    • Tilman Spohn
    • English
    Planets and Moons covers topics relating to the physics of the major planetary bodies in the solar system, starting with an introductory description of the solar system and collection of pertinent data, continuing with a discussion of the early history of the planets, and finishing with articles about planet dynamics, thermal evolution of planets and satellites, and descriptions of their magnetic fields and the processes that generate them. In addition to providing a review on the solid planets and the satellites, this volume addresses the interactions of solid surfaces and atmospheres as well as the roles of water and ice in shaping the surfaces of planetary bodies.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 6

    Crust and Lithosphere Dynamics
    • 1st Edition
    • Anthony B Watts
    • English
    Treatise on Geophysics: Crust and Lithosphere Dynamics, Volume 6, provides a comprehensive review of the state of knowledge on crust and lithosphere dynamics, which is defined as the study of how the outermost layers of the Earth respond to loads that are emplaced on, within, and below it and its implications for plate mechanics and mantle flow. The book begins with a chapter on plate kinematics, which shows how new observations and methodologies have improved the resolution of relative and absolute plate motions. This is followed by studies of plate mechanics, focusing on the long-term rheology of the plates and response of the plates to both relatively short-term and long-term loads. The book also includes chapters that examine the evidence from surface heat flow, borehole breakouts, and magma models for the thermal and mechanical structure of the lithosphere; the deformation of the lithosphere in extensional and compressional settings. The final two chapters deal with the structural styles of faulting in the shallow brittle part of the lithosphere, the brittle-ductile transition, and the shear zone in the ductile part of the lithosphere; and how developments in plate mechanics have impacted our understanding of geological processes.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 2

    Mineral Physics
    • 1st Edition
    • G David Price
    • English
    Treatise on Geophysics: Mineral Physics, Volume 2, provides a comprehensive review of the current state of understanding of mineral physics. Each chapter demonstrates the significant progress that has been made in the understanding of the physics and chemistry of minerals, and also highlights a number of issues which are still outstanding or that need further work to resolve current contradictions. The book first reviews the current status of our understanding of the nature of the deep Earth. These include the seismic properties of rocks and minerals; problems of the lower mantle and the core-mantle boundary; and the state of knowledge on mantle chemistry and the nature and evolution of the core. The discussions then turn to the theory underlying high-pressure, high-temperature physics, and the major experimental methods being developed to probe this parameter space. The remaining chapters explain the specific techniques for measuring elastic and acoustic properties, electronic and magnetic properties, and rheological properties; the nature and origin of anisotropy in the Earth; the properties of melt; and the magnetic and electrical properties of mantle phases.

  • Seismology and Structure of the Earth

    Treatise on Geophysics
    • 1st Edition
    • Barbara Romanowicz + 1 more
    • English
    Treatise on Geophysics: Seismology and Structure of the Earth, Volume 1, provides a comprehensive review of the state of knowledge on the Earths structure and earthquakes. It addresses various aspects of structural seismology and its applications to other fields of Earth sciences. The book is organized into four parts. The first part principally covers theoretical developments and seismic data analysis techniques from the end of the nineteenth century until the present, with the main emphasis on the development of instrumentation and its deployment. The second part reviews the status of knowledge on the structure of the Earths shallow layers, starting with a global review of the Earth's crustal structure. The third part focuses on the Earth's deep structure, divided into its main units: the upper mantle, the transition zone and upper-mantle discontinuities, the D region at the base of the mantle, and the Earth's core. The fourth part comprises two chapters which discuss constraints on Earth structure from fields other than seismology: mineral physics and geodynamics.

  • Treatise on Geophysics, Volume 3

    Geodesy
    • 1st Edition
    • Tom Herring
    • English
    Geodesy, which is the science of measuring the size and shape of the Earth, explores the theory, instrumentation and results from modern geodetic systems. The beginning sections of the volume cover the theory of the Earth's gravity field, the instrumentation for measuring the field, and its temporal variations. The measurements and results obtained from variations in the rotation of the Earth are covered in the sections on short and long period rotation hanges. Space based geodetic methods, including the global positioning system (GPS) and Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR), are also examined in detail.

  • Quaternary Coral Reef Systems

    History, development processes and controlling factors
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 5
    • Lucien F. Montaggioni + 1 more
    • English
    This book presents both state-of-the art knowledge from Recent coral reefs (1.8 million to a few centuries old) gained since the eighties, and introduces geologists, oceanographers and environmentalists to sedimentological and paleoecological studies of an ecosystem encompassing some of the world's richest biodiversity. Scleractinian reefs first appeared about 300 million years ago. Today coral reef systems provide some of the most sensitive gauges of environmental change, expressing the complex interplay of chemical, physical, geological and biological factors. The topics covered will include the evolutionary history of reef systems and some of the main reef builders since the Cenozoic, the effects of biological and environmental forces on the zonation of reef systems and the distribution of reef organisms and on reef community dynamics through time, changes in the geometry, anatomy and stratigraphy of reef bodies and systems in relation to changes in sea level and tectonics, the distribution patterns of sedimentary (framework or detrital) facies in relation to those of biological communities, the modes and rates of reef accretion (progradation, aggradation versus backstepping; coral growth versus reef growth), the hydrodynamic forces controlling water circulation through reef structures and their relationship to early diagenetic processes, the major diagenetic processes affecting reef bodies through time (replacement and diddolution, dolomitization, phosphatogenesis), and the record of climate change by both individual coral colonies and reef systems over the Quaternary.

  • Paleoseismology

    • 2nd Edition
    • Volume 95
    • James P. McCalpin
    • English
    Paleoseismology has become an important component of seismic risk analysis, which is mandated for nuclear power plants, dams, waste repositories, and other critical structures. This book is the first in the English language to be devoted solely to paleoseismology. It summarizes the development of the field from the 1960s to the present, encompassing material that is currently widely dispersed in journal articles.

  • Well Testing Project Management

    Onshore and Offshore Operations
    • 1st Edition
    • Paul J. Nardone
    • English
    Well test planning is one of the most important phrases in the life cycle of a well, if done improperly it could cost millions. Now there is a reference to ensure you get it right the first time. Written by a Consultant Completions & Well Test Engineer with decades of experience, Well Test Planning and Operations provides a road map to guide the reader through the maze of governmental regulations, industry codes, local standards and practices. This book describes how to plan a fit-for-purpose and fault free well test, and to produce the documents required for regulatory compliance. Given the level of activity in the oil and gas industry and the shortage of experienced personnel, this book will appeal to many specialists sitting in drilling, completion or exploration departments around the world who find themselves in the business of planning a well test, and yet who may lack expertise in that specialty. Nardone provides a roadmap to guide the planner through this complex subject, showing how to write the necessary documentation and to coordinate the many different tasks and activities, which constitute well test planning. Taking the reader from the basis for design through the well Test program to well test reports and finally to the all-important learning to ensure continuous improvement.

  • Calcareous algae

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 4
    • English

  • Climate Change

    Observed impacts on Planet Earth
    • 1st Edition
    • Trevor Letcher
    • English
    The climate of the Earth is always changing. As the debate over the implications of changes in the Earth's climate has grown, the term climate change has come to refer primarily to changes we've seen over recent years and those which are predicted to be coming, mainly as a result of human behavior. This book serves as a broad, accessible guide to the science behind this often political and heated debate by providing scientific detail and evidence in language that is clear to both the non-specialist and the serious student.

  • 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.

  • Geophysical Electromagnetic Theory and Methods

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 43
    • Michael S. Zhdanov
    • English
    In this book the author presents the state-of-the-art electromagnetic (EM)theories and methods employed in EM geophysical exploration.The book brings together the fundamental theory of EM fields and the practicalaspects of EM exploration for mineral and energy resources.This text is unique in its breadth and completeness in providing anoverview of EM geophysical exploration technology. The book is divided into four parts covering the foundations of EMfield theory and its applications, and emerging geophysical methods.Part I is an introduction to the field theory required for baselineunderstandin... Part II is an overview of all the basic elements ofgeophysical EM theory, from Maxwell's fundamental equations to modernmethods of modeling the EM field in complex 3-D geoelectrical formations. Part III deals with the regularized solution of ill-posedinverse electromagnetic problems, the multidimensional migration and imaging ofelectromagnetic data, and general interpretation techniques. Part IV describes major geophysical electromagnetic methods—direct current (DC), induced polarization (IP), magnetotelluric(MT), and controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) methods—and covers different applications of EM methods in exploration geophysics, includingminerals and HC exploration, environmental study, and crustal study.

  • Cohesive Sediments in Open Channels

    Erosion, Transport and Deposition
    • 1st Edition
    • Emmanuel Partheniades
    • English
    Approx.384 pages

  • Fault-Zone Properties and Earthquake Rupture Dynamics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 94
    • Eiichi Fukuyama
    • English
    The dynamics of the earthquake rupture process are closely related to fault zone properties which the authors have intensively investigated by various observations in the field as well as by laboratory experiments. These include geological investigation of the active and fossil faults, physical and chemical features obtained by the laboratory experiments, as well as the seismological estimation from seismic waveforms. Earthquake dynamic rupture can now be modeled using numerical simulations on the basis of field and laboratory observations, which should be very useful for understanding earthquake rupture dynamics.

  • The Changing Alpine Treeline

    The Example of Glacier National Park, MT, USA
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 12
    • David R. Butler + 3 more
    • English
    The alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) is an area of transition high on mountains where closed canopy forests from lower elevations give way to the open alpine tundra and rocky expanses above. Alpine tundra is an island biome and its ecotone with forest is subject to change, and like oceanic islands, alpine tundra is subject to invasion – or the upward advance of treeline. The invasion of tundra by trees will have consequences for the tundra biome as invasion does for other island flora and fauna. To examine the invasibility of tundra we take a plant’s-eye-view, wherein the local conditions become extremely important. Among these local conditions, we find geomorphology to be exceptionally important. We concentrate on aspects of microtopography (and microgeomorphology) and microclimate because these are the factors that matter: from the plant’s-eye-view, but we pay attention to multiple scales. At coarse scales, snow avalanches and debris flows are widespread and create “disturbance treelines” whose elevation is well below those controlled by climate. At medium scales, turf-banked terraces create tread-and-riser topography that is a difficult landscape for a tree seedling to survive upon because of exposure to wind, dryness, and impenetrable surfaces. At fine scales, turf exfoliation of the fronts of turf-banked risers, and boulders, offer microsites where tree seedlings may find shelter and are able to gain a foothold in the alpine tundra; conversely, however, surfaces of needle-ice pans and frost heaving associated with miniature patterned ground production are associated with sites inimical to seedling establishment or survival. We explicitly consider how local scale processes propagate across scales into landscape patterns. The objective of this book is to examine the controls on change at alpine treeline. All the papers are focused on work done in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. Although any one place is limiting, we are able to examine the alpine treeline here in some detail – and an advantage is that the treeline ecotone in Glacier National Park is quite variable in itself due to the underlying variability in geomorphology at multiple scales. This book will provide insights into an important ecological phenomenon with a distinctly geomorphic perspective. The editors collectively have over 100 years of experience in working in geomorphology, biogeography, and ecology. They also have each worked on research in Glacier National Park for several decades. The book will be a reference for a variety of professionals and students, both graduate and undergraduate, with interests in Physical Geography, Geomorphology, Ecology, and Environmental Science. Because of the importance of the alpine treeline ecotone for recreation and aesthetic interests in mountain environments, wildland and park managers will also use this book.

  • Encyclopedic Dictionary of Hydrogeology

    • 1st Edition
    • D. J. Poehls + 1 more
    • English
    The scientific disciplines of hydrology and hydrogeology are expanding as the Earth's water is being recognized by governments and individuals as a shrinking resource—no entity can afford to take water for granted. At the present time, there is no single reference source for definitions. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Hydrogeology is a practical, comprehensive reference guide with complete definitions of terms in hydrogeology and other fields closely related to water practices. This concise reference not only defines terms and concepts, but also provides a clear explanation of key elements so that an in-depth understanding of processes may be obtained.

  • Well Completion Design

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 56
    • Jonathan Bellarby
    • English
    Completions are the conduit between hydrocarbon reservoirs and surface facilities. They are a fundamental part of any hydrocarbon field development project. The have to be designed for safely maximising the hydrocarbon recovery from the well and may have to last for many years under ever changing conditions. Issues include: connection with the reservoir rock, avoiding sand production, selecting the correct interval, pumps and other forms of artificial lift, safety and integrity, equipment selection and installation and future well interventions.

  • Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry

    • 2nd Edition
    • Susan Libes
    • English
    Introduction to Marine Biogeochemistry focuses on the ocean's role in the biogeochemical cycling of selected elements and the impact of humans on the cycling of these elements. Among the topics covered are the chemical composition of seawater from the perspectives of elemental speciation and the impacts of solutes on water's physical behavior; biogeochemical phenomena which control accumulation and preservation of marine sediments; marine chemistry of radioactive and stable isotopes; and seawater pollution. The book contains many examples as well as steady-state models to aid readers in understanding this growing and complex science..

  • Coastal Wetlands

    An Integrated Ecosystem Approach
    • 1st Edition
    • Gerardo M.E. Perillo + 3 more
    • English
    Coastal wetlands are under a great deal of pressure from the dual forces of rising sea level and the intervention of human populations both along the estuary and in the river catchment. Direct impacts include the destruction or degradation of wetlands from land reclamation and infrastructures. Indirect impacts derive from the discharge of pollutants, changes in river flows and sediment supplies, land clearing, and dam operations. As sea level rises, coastal wetlands in most areas of the world migrate landward to occupy former uplands. The competition of these lands from human development is intensifying, making the landward migration impossible in many cases. This book provides an understanding of the functioning of coastal ecosystems and the ecological services that they provide, and suggestions for their management. In this book a CD is included containing color figures of wetlands and estuaries in different parts of the world.

  • Rivers of Europe

    • 1st Edition
    • Klement Tockner + 2 more
    • English
    Based on the bestselling book, Rivers of North America, this new guide stands as 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 numerous full-color photographs and maps, Rivers of Europe includes conservation information on current patterns of river use and the extent to which human society has exploited and impacted them. Rivers of Europe provides the information ecologists and conservation managers need to better assess their management and meet the EU legislative good governance targets.

  • Emulsions and Oil Treating Equipment

    Selection, Sizing and Troubleshooting
    • 1st Edition
    • Maurice Stewart + 1 more
    • English
    The problem of removing water which is emulsified with produced oil has grown more widespread and often times more difficult as producers attempt to access more difficult reserves. This practical guide is designed to help engineers and operators develop a "feel" for selection, sizing, and troubleshooting emulsion equipment. These skills are of vital importance to ensure low operating costs and to meet crude export quality specifications. The book is written for engineers and operators, who need advanced knowledge of the numerous techniques and the equipment used to destabilize and resolve petroleum emulsions problems. In Emulsions and Oil Treating Equipment: Selection, Sizing and Troubleshooting the author provides engineers and operators with a guide to understanding emulsion theory, methods and equipment, and practical design of a treating system. Comprehensive in its scope, the author explains methods such as: demulsifiers, temperature, electrostatics and non-traditional methods of modulated or pulsed voltage control, as well as equipment such as: electrostatic treater (dehydrator), separator, gunbarr heater-treater and free water knockout. Written in a "how to" format, it brings together hundreds of methods, handy formulas, diagrams and tables in one convenient book.

  • Air and Gas Drilling Manual

    Applications for Oil and Gas Recovery Wells and Geothermal Fluids Recovery Wells
    • 3rd Edition
    • William C. Lyons
    • English
    The third edition of Air and Gas Drilling Manual describes the basic simulation models for drilling deep wells with air or gas drilling fluids, gasified two-phase drilling fluids, and stable foam drilling fluids. The models are the basis for the development of a systematic method for planning under balanced deep well drilling operations and for monitoring the drilling operation as well as construction project advances. Air and Gas Drilling Manual discusses both oil and natural gas industry applications, and geotechnical (water well, environmental, mining) industry applications. Important well construction and completion issues are discussed for all applications. The engineering analyses techniques are used to develop pre-operations planning methods, troubleshooting operations monitoring techniques and overall operations risk analysis. The essential objective of the book is drilling and well construction cost management control. The book is in both SI and British Imperial units.

  • The Fly River, Papua New Guinea

    Environmental Studies in an Impacted Tropical River System
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 9
    • Barrie R. Bolton
    • English
    In 1984 the OK Tedi Mining Company Limited began mining copper and gold mineralization from Mt. Fubilan, which is located at the headwaters of the OK Tedi. Subsequent mining in the region followed in 1990. Since this time there has been intense monitoring of the environment undertaken by those in the field in order to better understand the possible impact of mining. This book assembles and summarizes research spanning two decades undertaken by leading experts with firsthand experience. Much of this research is contained in internal company reports, giving the reader rare insight and firsthand knowledge.

  • Computational Methods for the Atmosphere and the Oceans

    Special Volume
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 14
    • Roger Temam + 1 more
    • English
    This book provides a survey of the frontiers of research in the numerical modeling and mathematical analysis used in the study of the atmosphere and oceans. The details of the current practices in global atmospheric and ocean models, the assimilation of observational data into such models and the numerical techniques used in theoretical analysis of the atmosphere and ocean are among the topics covered.

  • Geochemical Anomaly and Mineral Prospectivity Mapping in GIS

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 11
    • E.J.M. Carranza
    • English
    Geochemical Anomaly and Mineral Prospectivity Mapping in GIS documents and explains, in three parts, geochemical anomaly and mineral prospectivity mapping by using a geographic information system (GIS). Part I reviews and couples the concepts of (a) mapping geochemical anomalies and mineral prospectivity and (b) spatial data models, management and operations in a GIS. Part II demonstrates GIS-aided and GIS-based techniques for analysis of robust thresholds in mapping of geochemical anomalies. Part III explains GIS-aided and GIS-based techniques for spatial data analysis and geo-information sybthesis for conceptual and predictive modeling of mineral prospectivity. Because methods of geochemical anomaly mapping and mineral potential mapping are highly specialized yet diverse, the book explains only methods in which GIS plays an important role. The book avoids using language and functional organization of particular commercial GIS software, but explains, where necessary, GIS functionality and spatial data structures appropriate to problems in geochemical anomaly mapping and mineral potential mapping. Because GIS-based methods of spatial data analysis and spatial data integration are quantitative, which can be complicated to non-numerate readers, the book simplifies explanations of mathematical concepts and their applications so that the methods demonstrated would be useful to professional geoscientists, to mineral explorationists and to research students in fields that involve analysis and integration of maps or spatial datasets. The book provides adequate illustrations for more thorough explanation of the various concepts.

  • Contourites

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 60
    • M. Rebesco + 1 more
    • English
    Contourites are sediments deposited or substantially reworked by bottom currents. The study of contourites is crucial for several fields of fundamental and applied research: paleoclimatology and paleo-oceanography, since these fairly continuous and relatively high-resolution sediments hold the key for priceless information on the variability in circulation patter, current velocity, oceanographic history and basin interconnectivity; hydrocarbon exploration, since accumulation of source rocks may be favored by weak bottom currents, whereas "clean" deep-sea sands may be formed by robust flows; and slope stability, since low-permeability fine-grained contourites facilitate the formation of overpressurized gliding planes when fresh contourites with a high pore-water content becomes rapidly loaded, or when their rigid biosiliceous microfabric collapses due to diagenetic conditions. Despite its significance, this group of sediments is poorly known by the majority of non-specialists. Notwithstanding the growing interest and the intensified research in contourites, a textbook that might also serve as a reference book on contourites was missing until now. This book addresses all aspects of the knowledge in the field of contourites and provides an authoritative and comprehensive coverage of the subject. It also can serve as a standard reference work for non-specialists, and in particular postgraduate students, university teachers and lecturers, researchers and professionals who are seeking an authoritative source of information about contourites.

  • Shore Processes and their Palaeoenvironmental Applications

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 4
    • Edward J. Anthony
    • English
    The last five years have been marked by rapid technological and analytical developments in the study of shore processes and in the comprehension of shore deposits and forms, and shoreline change over time. These developments have generated a considerable body of literature in a wide range of professional journals, thus illustrating the cross-disciplinary nature of shore processes and the palaeo-environmental dimension of shore change. The justification of the book lies in bringing together these developments using an objective approach that synthesises current advances, technical progress in the analysis of shores and shore processes, contradictory interpretations, and potential advances using future-generation developments in techniques. The book provides a comprehensive state-of-the-art presentation of shore processes and deposits across ranges of wave energy and tide-range environments, sediment supply and textural conditions, sea-level change, exceptional events and longer-term climate change, based on the most recently published literature in the marine sciences. The book insists on the nested time and spatial scales through which are inter-linked shore processes and deposits, thus providing a better understanding of the way shores change over time. The approach is thus cross-disciplinary, and gap-bridging between processes and deposits, between analytical techniques, and between timescales. The audience is from graduate level upwards, and the book is intended as a comprehensive reference source for professionals in a wide range of coastal science fields (geologists, sedimentologists, geomorphologists, oceanographers, engineers, managers, archaeologists…).

  • Principles of the Magnetic Methods in Geophysics

    • 1st Edition
    • English
    Magnetic methods are widely used in exploration, engineering, borehole and global geophysics, and the subjects of this book are the physical and mathematical principles of these methods regardless of the area of application. Beginning with Ampere's law, the force of interaction between currents is analyzed, and then the concept of the magnetic field is introduced and the fundamental features are discussed.Special attention is paid to measurements of relaxation processes, including topics as the spin echoes or refocusing. Also the special role of the magnetic method in the development of the plate tectonic theory is described.

  • The Sedimentary Basins of the United States and Canada

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 5
    • Andrew Miall
    • English
    In recent years there have been rapid strides in our understanding of plate-tectonic processes, many developments in methods of basin analysis, and the accumulation of much new surface and subsurface geological and geophysical data. Projects such as COCORP (in the United States) and Lithoprobe (in Canada) have provided essential insights into the deep crustal structure of the continent. Synthesis of all the available information about North America’s geological regions has not been attempted systematically since the “Decade of North American Geology” project undertaken by the Geological Society of America and the Geological Survey of Canada nearly twenty years ago. The book commences with a summary of the Phanerozoic geological history of the United States and Canada, illustrated with a suite of new paleogeographic maps, and tying in each of the subsequent regional chapters by the inclusion of numerous cross-references. This followed by a set of fifteen regional syntheses of the principal tectonic regions of the United States and Canada, focusing on the stratigraphic and tectonic history of the major sedimentary basins. Most of these chapters have been contributed by specialists, drawing on their own research, and providing interpretive summaries of a type not previously attempted.

Related subjects