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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences
This book highlights the need for effective water governance in
India given the fact that the country has been facing serious water
stress in recent years. The water management in the country needs a
serious scientific understanding coupled with the cooperative
approach rather than a competitive one. It looks at current water
regulations and underlines the need for overhaul of some laws to
ensure that high water usage efficiency is attained, groundwater
depletion is arrested and management of available resources is
carried out in a disciplined manner. It also looks at the role of
stakeholder engagement and pricing as a mechanism to manage demand
in the wake of rapid population growth and industrialization.
This book includes the proceedings of the conference "Problems of
the Geocosmos" held by the Earth Physics Department, St. Petersburg
State University, Russia, every two years since 1996. Covering a
broad range of topics in solid Earth physics and solar-terrestrial
physics, as well as more applied subjects such as engineering
geology and ecology, the book reviews the latest research in
planetary geophysics, focusing on the interaction between the
Earth's shells and the near-Earth space in a unified system. This
book is divided into four sections: * Exploration and Environmental
Geophysics (EG), which covers two broad areas of environmental and
engineering geophysics - near-surface research and deep geoelectric
studies; * Paleomagnetism and Rock Magnetism (P), which includes
research on magnetostratigraphy, paleomagnetism applied to
tectonics, environmental magnetism, and marine magnetic anomalies;
* Seismology (S), which covers the theory of seismic wave
propagation, Earth's structure from seismic data, global and
regional seismicity and sources of earthquakes, and novel seismic
instruments and data processing methods; and * Physics of
Solar-Terrestrial Connections (STP), which includes magnetospheric
phenomena, space weather, and the interrelationship between solar
activity and climate.
The study of nature is a complex science involving many different
fields from geology and meteorology to biology, zoology, and
botany. This complexity indicates nature's broad scope of impact.
It is at once beautiful and dangerous, displaying power beyond
human control. An understanding of the basic principles and
concepts of the study of nature is therefore both enriching and
practical. In The Handbook of Nature, authors Frank R. Spellman and
Joni Price-Bayer provide a comprehensive guide to the study of
nature in terms the layperson can grasp easily. This accessible
reference work is for the non-specialist looking for quick,
accurate information on all aspects of the study of nature. The
handbook is arranged thematically for a logical and user-friendly
progression through the material. It includes chapters on the
earth's structure and landforms, the atmosphere and weather, water
and water sources, and the many different forms of life from
single-celled organisms to complex vertebrates. Along with basic
natural scientific principles, the authors look closely at the
consequences of human interactions with the environment we inhabit.
This reference concludes with a glossary and index, and each
chapter provides further resources and recommended reading. It is
an essential tool for students and professionals alike.
Have we already entered a new epoch, the Anthropocene, dominated by
the impact of human activities? What of the effects of increasing
globalisation on the seas? Thirty-three experts on marine affairs
and the law of the sea examine the emerging challenges for the
World Ocean, inquiring into developments prompted by globalisation
in central issue-areas of the law of the sea. These are explored
systematically in sections on the key challenges and developments
in the interface of science, economic uses and law (Part I);
climate change and the oceans (Part II); sustainability of
fisheries (Part III); challenges and responses related to global
maritime transport (Part IV); and the regulatory responses to
global challenges in seas surrounding Europe (Part V).
Located on the Bay of Fundy, the St. Andrews Biological Station is
Canada's oldest permanent marine research institution. A Century of
Maritime Science reviews the fisheries, environmental,
oceanographic, and aquaculture research conducted over the last
hundred years at St. Andrews from the perspective of the
participating scientists. Introductory essays by two leading
historians of science situate the work at St. Andrews within their
historical context. With topics including the contributions of
women to the early study of marine biology in Canada; the study of
scallops, Atlantic salmon, and paralytic shellfish poisoning; and
the development of underwater camera technology, A Century of
Maritime Science offers a captivating mixture of first-hand
reminiscences, scientific expertise, and historical analysis.
This book discusses various statistical models and their
implications for developing landslide susceptibility and risk
zonation maps. It also presents a range of statistical techniques,
i.e. bivariate and multivariate statistical models and machine
learning models, as well as multi-criteria evaluation,
pseudo-quantitative and probabilistic approaches. As such, it
provides methods and techniques for RS & GIS-based models in
spatial distribution for all those engaged in the preparation and
development of projects, research, training courses and
postgraduate studies. Further, the book offers a valuable resource
for students using RS & GIS techniques in their studies.
This unique volume discusses various aspects of the Grand Ethiopian
Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the Aswan High Dam (AHD) including their
positive and negative impacts. It presents up-to-date research
findings by Egyptian scientists and researchers covering several
interesting hot topics under the following main themes: * Major
impacts of GERD compared with the AHD * Environmental impacts of
the AHD * Modeling scenarios investigating the impacts of GERD on
the AHD and downstream * Environmental and social impacts of GERD
on Egypt * Status and assessment of the sediment of the AHD
reservoir and modeling the impacts of GERD on Lake Nubia sediment
accumulation * Proposed scenarios for maximizing the benefits of
the AHD reservoir * International aspects of GERD and the AHD The
volume also offers a set of conclusions and recommendations to
optimize the cooperation between Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia. It
appeals to postgraduate students, researchers, scientists,
professionals and policy planners.
This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This volume
shares new data relating to Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), with
emphasis on experiences in Eastern and Southern Africa. The book is
a collection of research by authors from over 30 institutions,
spanning the public and private sectors, with specific knowledge on
agricultural development in the region discussed. The material is
assembled to answer key questions on the following five topic
areas: (1) Climate impacts: What are the most significant current
and near future climate risks undermining smallholder livelihoods?
(2) Varieties: How can climate-smart varieties be delivered quickly
and cost-effectively to smallholders? (3) Farm management: What are
key lessons on the contributions from soil and water management to
climate risk reduction and how should interventions be prioritized?
(4) Value chains: How can climate risks to supply and value chains
be reduced? and (5) Scaling up: How can most promising climate
risks reduction strategies be quickly scaled up and what are
critical success factors? Readers who will be interested in this
book include students, policy makers, and researchers studying
climate change impacts on agriculture and agricultural
sustainability.
This book offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges in
hydrological modeling. Hydrology, on both a local and global scale,
has undergone dramatic changes, largely due to variations in
climate, population growth and the associated land-use and
land-cover changes. Written by experts in the field, the book
provides decision-makers with a better understanding of the
science, impacts, and consequences of these climate and land-use
changes on hydrology. Further, offering insights into how the
changing behavior of hydrological processes, related uncertainties
and their evolution affect the modeling process, it is of interest
for all researchers and practitioners using hydrological modeling.
Providing an appealing chronology of "all things dinosaur," this
book covers these ancient creatures' roles and surprising
importance in science, religion, and society at large. This
exhaustive, up-to-date book contains more than 2,000 entries about
dinosaurs and dinosaur-related topics. It provides not only
detailed information about their discovery, underlying science, and
recent technologies and theories but also encompasses all of the
facets of dinosaurs in society-for example, their use in consumer
marketing and promotion, popularization of dinosaurs in the media,
as "proof" for both evolutionists and creationists to substantiate
their claims about life's origins, and as cultural artifacts.
Organized chronologically, the book offers an informative and
entertaining timeline of how dinosaurs have appeared in science,
religion, and society since they were discovered in the 1800s,
covering everything from dinosaur museum displays to how dinosaurs
served advocates of young-Earth creationism. This fascinating work
enables a broad appreciation for the surprising significance of
dinosaurs in many aspects of our daily lives and modern society.
Depicts the history, breadth, depth, and diversity of how humans
have learned about, argued over, and made use of dinosaurs-a
resource appropriate for public, school, or academic libraries
Examines the events of the earliest discoveries of fossilized
remains of dinosaurs and how those discoveries often became
interwoven with religious ideas Includes photographs, a glossary,
an appendix of geological time, and a detailed, cross-referenced
index to assist researchers and general readers
Egyptian coastal lakes and wetlands are among the most productive
wetland ecosystems in the world. This volume explores their current
status and how it can be maintained and improved. It describes the
five Northern coastal lakes, their origin, physical and chemical
properties and current development activities, and discusses the
challenges facing these lakes, such as shrinking, pollution,
degradation, and adaptive management. Further topics include
hydrodynamics and modeling techniques, as well as strategies for
the sustainable development of these valuable resources. The book
closes with a concise summary of the conclusions and
recommendations presented in the chapters. As such, it offers an
invaluable resource for the academic community and postgraduate
students, as well as for environmental managers and policymakers.
This book examines the origins and dynamical characteristics of
atmospheric inertia-gravity waves in the Antarctic mesosphere.
Gravity waves are relatively small-scale atmospheric waves with a
restoring force of buoyancy that can transport momentum upward from
the troposphere to the middle atmosphere. In previous studies, the
dynamical characteristics of mesospheric gravity waves have not
been fully examined using numerical simulations, since performing a
numerical simulation with a high resolution and a high model-top
requires considerable computational power. However, recent advances
in computational capabilities have allowed us to perform numerical
simulations using atmospheric general circulation models, which
cover the troposphere to the mesosphere with a sufficiently fine
horizontal resolution to resolve small-scale gravity waves. The
book first describes the simulation of mesospheric gravity waves
using a high-resolution non-hydrostatic atmospheric model with a
high model top. The accuracy of the numerical results was confirmed
by the first Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere/Incoherent
Scattering (MST/IS) radar observation in the Antarctic. It also
depicts the origins and propagation processes of mesospheric
gravity waves on the basis of the results of the high-resolution
numerical model. The behaviors of mesospheric gravity waves can be
clearly explained using both fundamental and cutting-edge theories
of fluid dynamics
This book presents a collection of chapters covering research on
the Litani River Basin. The Litani River Basin occupies about a
quarter of Lebanon's surface area, and it has recently been subject
to severe geo-environmental conditions such as water contamination
and decreased discharge. This motivated the Lebanese government to
take action and start working on the remediation of the river.
These actions are also supported by international organizations
including the World Bank.
Art and Adaptability argues for a co-evolution of theory of mind
and material/art culture. The book covers relevant areas from great
ape intelligence, hominin evolution, Stone Age tools, Paleolithic
culture and art forms, to neurobiology. We use material and art
objects, whether painting or sculpture, to modify our own and other
people's thoughts so as to affect behavior. We don't just make
judgments about mental states; we create objects about which we
make judgments in which mental states are inherent. Moreover, we
make judgments about these objects to facilitate how we explore the
minds and feelings of others. The argument is that it's not so much
art because of theory of mind but art as theory of mind.
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