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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences
This volume represents an effort to bring together communities of land-based hydrogeology and marine hydrogeology. The issues of submarine groundwater discharge and its opposite phenomenon of seawater invasion are discussed in this book from the geophysical, geochemical, biological, and engineering perspectives. This is where land hydrogeology and marine hydrogeology overlap. Submarine groundwater discharge is a rapidly developing research field. The SCOR and LOICZ of the IGBP have recently established a working group for this research. IASPO and IAHS under IUGG also recently formed a new joint committee "Seawater/Groundwater Interactions" to collaborate with oceanographers and hydrologists.
Meeting the food requirements of an ever-increasing population is a pressing challenge for every country around the globe. Soil degradation has a negative impact on food security by reducing the cultivated land areas, while at the same time the world population is predicted to increase to 9.2 billion in 2050. Soil degradation adversely affects soil function and productivity and degraded soils now amount to 6 billion ha worldwide. The major factors are salinization, erosion, depletion of nutrients due to exhaustive agricultural practices and contamination with toxic metal ions and agrochemicals, which reduces the activity of soil microbe. In addition, poor soil management also decreases fertility. As such, measures are required to restore the soil health and productivity: organic matter, beneficial microorganisms and nutrient dynamics can all improve the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil. Understanding the role of soil health restoration and management in sustainability and nutritional security calls for a holistic approach to assess soil functions and examine the contributions of a particular management system within a defined timescale. Further, best management practices in cropping systems are important in ensuring sustainability and food and nutritional security without compromising the soil quality and productivity po tential. Rational soil management practices must allow environmentally and economically sustain able yields and restoration of soil health.
This book maps extreme temperature increase under dangerous climate change scenarios in Brazil and their impacts on four key sectors: agriculture, health, biodiversity and energy. The book draws on a careful review of the literature and climate projections, including relative risk estimates. This synthesis summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge and provides decision-makers with risk analysis tools, to be incorporated in public planning policy, in order to understand climate events which may occur and which may have significant consequences.
This 4-volume set focuses on the use of microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up pollutants in soil, such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and chlorinated solvents, which reduce the soil's fertility and renders it unfit for plant growth. The volumes cover the many diverse eco-friendly microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation techniques for sustainable soil management. Bioremediation and Phytoremediation Technologies in Sustainable Soil Management: Volume 1: Fundamental Aspects and Contaminated Sites begins with an overview of phytoremediation and phytotechnologies and the role of environmental factors. It goes on to introduce soil assessment techniques and offers methods of remediation designed to combat soil and agricultural degradation. Attention is given to specific types of sites and soil pollution, such as soils contaminated by heavy metals; microbial and phytoremediation-based removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from coal, crude oil, and gasoline; microbial bioremediation and amelioration of pesticide-contaminated soils; phytoremediation techniques for biomedical waste contaminated sites; as well as biomediation processes for human waste sites. Biopesticides are also explained in the book as an alternative to conventional pesticides as well as the possibilities for the improvement of modern bio-pesticides. Volume 2: Microbial Approaches and Recent Trends focuses on new and emerging techniques and approaches to address soil pollution. These include the use of rhizobacteria, archae, cyanobacteria, and microalgae as biofertilizers and for soil bioremediation efforts. New technologies for assessment of soil bioremediation are explored also. The chapters provides in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the technologies used and highlights the use of different microbial enzymes that are used in the process of bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up different pollutants without causing damage to the natural environment. Volume 3: Inventive Techniques, Research Methods, and Case Studies is organized in three themes: plants in green remediation, tools and techniques in bioremediation and phytoremediation, and special sites and their remediation techniques. Innovative new techniques that advance the use of molecular biological approaches, nanotechnology, immobilization, vermicomposting and genetic modification developments are investigated to take advantage of these possibilities. Volume 4: Degradation of Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls addresses pesticide degradation, PCBs degradation, and genetic interventions. It begins by describing environment pesticide degradation, mechanisms and sustainability, microbes and microbial enzymes, plant microbe interactions, organophosphorus degradations and endosulfan degradation. It then goes on to discuss PCBs and degradation, cypermethrin, degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium, carvone and surfactants for degradation of PCBs. The book also advocates for genetic systems for degradation of PCBs and pesticides, with discussion of the different advantages and disadvantages for each strategy and the various techniques. Together, these four volumes provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies for safe and sustainable soil management. The diverse topics help to arm biologists, agricultural engineers, environmental and soil scientists and chemists with the information and tools they need to address soil toxins that are a dangerous risk to plants, wildlife, humans and, of course, the soil itself.
Map Interpretation for Structural Geologists covers various topics, from deciphering topography using contour patterns to interpreting folds, faults, unconformities and dykes. By interpreting several types of maps, this book gives readers the confidence to solve difficult geologic questions related to map interpretation in the classroom and in the field. Interpreting geological and structural maps is an inseparable part of learning structural geology in the undergraduate curriculum and postgraduate development.
As governments around the world work towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the trans-disciplinary topic of oceans management is fast being recognized as one of the most important challenges of the twenty-first century. This timely Handbook takes stock of the state of knowledge on ecosystem services derived from coastal and marine areas and offers innovative proposals for the future of this important topic. The Handbook on the Economics and Management of Sustainable Oceans brings together a carefully chosen collection of world-class contributions from ecology, economics and other development sciences. It provides policy-relevant scientific information on key topics such as ecosystem services from marine and coastal ecosystems and the nuances of economic valuation. Detailed chapters also consider relevant legal and sociological response policies for effective management of marine areas for enhanced human well-being. This comprehensive Handbook will be essential reading for advanced students and academics in economics, environment studies and resource management. The contributors also focus on the nexus of science-society and science-policy with the objective of educating decision-makers in governmental agencies, industry and civil society. Contributors include: M. Bailey, Y. Beaudoin, D. Belhabib, R. Bille, F. Bosello, J.H. Brito, V. Burgener, S. Bush, N. Carlson, S. Cataudella, L. Chabason, W. Chen, W. Cheung, G. da Fonseca, O.G. Davila, E. Delpiazzo, S.T.M. Dissanayake, P. Drankier, I. Drysdale, S. Dupont, F. Eboli, G. Fauville, N. Ferri, D. Fezzardi, M.R. Flores, Y. Fujita, B. Galil, M. Garmendia, A. Ghermandi, E. Giacomello, A. Giannouli, G. Gitti, J. Gowdy, R.A. Groeneveld, M. Hamid, S. Hansen, L. Hansson, L. Karrer, M. Kettunen, E. Kotoroni, P. Koundouri, V. Lam, H. Lindhjem, M. Loureiro, K. Magnussen, E. Mailli, A. Markandya, F. Marques, J. Marsden, F. Massa, J. Matos de Sousa, M. McField, G. Menezes, M. Metian, D. Miller, B. Milligan, K. Mintenbeck, E.Y. Mohammed, E.J. Molenaar, R. Mongruel, K. Mutafoglu, S. Navrud, P.A.L.D. Nunes, D.O. Obura, E. Ojea, N. Okubo, L. Onofri, A. Onuma, M. Omori, D. Osborn, A. Pacheco Capella, A. Padilla, C. Papagianni, M. Pascual, D. Pauly, A.G. Petersen, R. Pott, H. Ralison, A. Ressurreicao, J. Ribeiro, J. Richardson, J. Rochette, D. Russi, M. Samoilys, C. Santos, L.V. Santuario, P. Scheren, J.-P. Schweitzer, M. Seneque, C. Severin, P. Shah, I. Souliotis, A. Srour, P. Steele, D. Steinbach, R.M. Sultan, R. Sumaila, L.E. Svensson, V. Sweeney, J. Tanzer, P. ten Brink, L. The, F. Thevenon, J. van den Bergh, D. Waruinge, E. Watkins, S. Withana, P. Ziveri
The book examines a new concern in water quality policy, namely aquatic micropollutants. Micropollutants are chemicals detected in small concentrations in waterbodies today, originating from pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, or detergents, among others. Since the regulation of micropollutants is a fairly new issue, it has been largely neglected in social sciences. However, the search for appropriate solutions is of high political relevance at both the national and international levels, with many open questions arising that concern the most adequate governance structures and steering mechanisms. Solutions suitable for classical, macro-pollutants, such as nutrients, do not necessarily apply to micropollutants because of the diversity of compounds and sources, and for technical, financial, and societal reasons. The book addresses this knowledge gap by investigating the steering mechanisms at hand and their prospect for problem solving. In this regard, the research provides a systematic depiction and comparison of policy designs in place for the reduction of micropollutants in the Rhine basin. Moreover, the study yields insights into the governance structures in place, into actors' responsibilities and constellations, and policy processes regarding micropollutants. The study is furthermore embedded into broader theoretical questions of policy research. More precisely, this research is a contribution to policy analysis that aims to achieve more optimal policy results by providing for a better understanding of the nature of policy designs and the social mechanisms behind the choice of them. Despite the intrinsic aim of policy analysis at contributing to more optimal policy outcomes, there remains a lack of research regarding analytical tools that enable an ex-ante assessment of policy designs' problem-solving abilities. To explore such a research path, this book proposes a novel index of policy comprehensiveness for quantifying the prospective performance of policy designs in alleviating an underlying policy issue, e.g. reducing pollutants in waters. Furthermore, the book uncovers the social mechanisms behind policymaking and turns to the question: In which social settings is it possible to achieve a comprehensive policy design? Compared to purely micro-level explanations, the advantage of the network approach is that it goes beyond the mere aggregation of policy actors' attributes by taking into consideration actors' interdependencies. In order to take the network approach seriously, the study systematically links the structure of a policy network with comprehensive policy designs. Network concepts, such as coalition structure, interconnectedness, and belief similarity, are employed from policy change research here in order to explore the link between structural network characteristics and comprehensive policy design. By studying how network structures affect policy design, the book critically examines the explanatory value of the network approach.
Revealing the incredible diversity of fossilised plants and animals preserved for millions of years, this book profiles 300 examples of the most common and fascinating fossils, using an entry by entry approach. By including examples from all of the major variety of fossilised life, from preserved trees and grasses to molluscs, trilobites, fish and dinosaurs, Fossils offers a truly comprehensive overview of fossils from every continent and gives a sense of the huge amount of natural history available to us in the fossil record. Each fossil is illustrated with a clear and informative colour photograph, accompanied by informed and accessible text. The fossilised plants and animals are grouped by order, then within each order by family (and, where necessary, within each family by subfamilies). For easy reference, each entry includes a table of information on scientific name, order and family, habitat, distribution, geological period and dimensions.
This book sets out to give a rigorous mathematical description of the greenhouse effect through the theory of infrared atmospheric emission. In contrast to traditional climatological analysis, this approach eschews empirical relations in favour of a strict thermodynamical derivation, based on data from NASA and from the HITRAN spectroscopy database. The results highlight new aspects of the role of clouds in the greenhouse effect.
This book explains the hypoplastic modelling framework. It is divided into two parts, the first of which is devoted to principles of hypoplasticity. First, the basic features of soil's mechanical behaviour are introduced, namely non-linearity and asymptotic properties. These features are then incorporated into simple one-dimensional hypoplastic equations for compression and shear. Subsequently, a hypoplastic equivalent of the Modified Cam-Clay model is developed in 2D space using stress and strain invariants to demonstrate key similarities and differences between elasto-plastic and hypoplastic formulations. Lastly, the mathematical structure of hypoplastic models is explained by tracing their historical development, from the early trial-and-error models to more recent approaches. In turn, Part II introduces specific hypoplastic models for soils. First, two reference models for sand and clay are defined. After summarising their mathematical formulations, calibration procedures are described and discussed. Subsequently, more advanced modelling approaches are covered: the intergranular strain concept incorporating the effects of small strain stiffness and cyclic loading, viscohypoplasticity for predicting rate effects, soil structure to represent structured and bonded materials and soil anisotropy. The book concludes with a description of partial saturation and thermal effects: topics that are increasingly important to the disciplines of energy and environmental geotechnics. Selecting a constitutive model and its parameters is often the most important and yet challenging part of any numerical analysis in geotechnical engineering. Hypoplasticity involves a specific class of soil constitutive models, which are described in detail here. The book offers an essential resource, both for model users who need a more advanced model for their geotechnical calculations and are mainly interested in parameter calibration procedures, and for model developers who are seeking a comprehensive understanding of the mathematical structure of hypoplasticity.
This volume offers up-to-date and comprehensive information on various aspects of the Nile River, which is the main source of water in Egypt. The respective chapters examine the Nile journey; the Aswan High Dam Reservoir; morphology and sediment quality of the Nile; threats to biodiversity; fish and fisheries; rain-fed agriculture, rainfall data, and fluctuations in rainfall; the impact of climate change; and hydropolitics and legal aspects. The book closes with a concise summary of the conclusions and recommendations provided in the preceding chapters, and discusses the requirements for the sustainable development of the Nile River and potential ways to transform conflicts into cooperation. Accordingly, it offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, graduate students and policymakers alike.
The natural disasters are the killer agents which can/can't be predicted even though we have modern technology. Every year, in one place or another, disasters striking which is devastating the area and surroundings, leading to ecological disruption besides huge loss of life and property. India is vulnerable to cyclones, landslides/avalanches, earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires, epidemics, etc. The 5700-km long coast of India, with its dense population is vulnerable to cyclones/low depressions, tsunamis, etc. The 2400-km long rugged Himalayan terrain is vulnerable to landslides, avalanches and earthquakes. India is not only vulnerable to natural disasters, it is also experiencing industrial accidents. The Bhopal Gas tragedy is one of the major man-made disasters in the world. The state of Andhra Pradesh has 970-km long coastline with two major rivers, etc. The conference is conducted in Visakhapatnam, is famous for industries and tourism. Recently, several industrial accidents took place, besides major natural disasters like Hud-Hud, etc. Disaster management shall be implemented from the grass root level in vulnerable areas to improve the capacity building, so as to minimize the losses. The capacity building coupled with technology results in reduction of loss of life and property.
An Introduction to Mining Seismology describes comprehensively the
modern methods and techniques used to monitor and study seismicity
and rockbursts in mines. Key case histories from various worldwide
mining districts clearly illustrate and skillfully emphasize the
practical aspects of mining seismology. This text is intended as a
handbook for geophysicists and mining and rock mechanics engineers
working at mines. It will also serve as an essential reference tool
for seismologists working at research institutions on local
seismicity not necessarily induced by mining.
This book gathers the main research findings on monotonic, cyclic and postcyclic shear behavior of low-plasticity. Drawing on the low-plasticity silt from the Mississippi River Valley, it determines that the silt's critical state line can be changed due to liquefaction, and thus offers valuable insights and reference data for further investigations on soil mechanics and engineering applications to verify the above research findings. Low-plasticity silt with a plasticity index of less than 10, though commonly found around the world, nonetheless differs greatly from sand and clay in terms of its shear behavior. Failure to take into account the differences in shear characteristics between silt, clay and sand will lead to overconservative designs of offshore structures. In particular, dynamic loading from earthquakes, trains and ocean waves can set off the liquefaction of low-plasticity silt, and with it, major disasters and losses of properties. Additionally, some civil infrastructures have failed not only due to cyclic loading during an earthquake, but also due to reduction of shear strength or stiffness after that.
Vertisols, one of the eleven established soil orders, are clay soils with unusual and interesting properties. They cover more than 350 million hectares of land in the world and in tropical Africa alone there are over 100 million hectares. Because of their very small particle size and high surface area, these soils have higher physical and chemical reactivity than other soils. Their interaction with agrochemicals/industrial wastes, has been, increasingly, the subject of research especially in the last two decades. Vertisols create special problems when used for engineering purposes. This book is intended to provide comprehensive and state-of-the-art information about Vertisols worldwide. Special attention is given to the use and management of soils such as fertilizer use, crop selection, soil tillage, water restriction on land including irrigation, and soil erosion. A special chapter has been added to deal with geotechnical engineering of Vertisols. Vertisols have great potential for agricultural production but many, especially in the developing world, are underutilized due to a lack of understanding regarding their behaviour and management. This book is written by leading scientists worldwide. It is expected that this monograph will be of great use to soil scientists and agronomists, graduate and senior graduate students. Improvement of their management may solve the current food deficiency in the world.
The book is a practical manual which has been created to support the syllabus of agro-meteorology courses specifically designed for graduate and post-graduate students. The topics covered in the manual include working with meteorological instruments for measurement of various meteorological parameters like temperature, humidity, sunshine hours, precipitation, etc. Separate chapters have been included for computation of growing degree days, agro-climatic zones, crop modelling and agro-advisory services. The book will have great appeal to students of agriculture, horticulture, and forestry.
This book presents landslide studies using the geographic information system (GIS), which includes not only the science of GIS and remote sensing, but also technical innovations, such as detailed light detection and ranging profiles, among others. To date most of the research on landslides has been found in journals on topography, geology, geo-technology, landslides, and GIS, and is limited to specific scientific aspects. Although journal articles on GIS using landslide studies are abundant, there are very few books on this topic. This book is designed to fill that gap and show how the latest GIS technology can contribute in terms of landslide studies. In a related development, the GIS Landslide Workshop was established in Japan 7 years ago in order to communicate and solve the scientific as well as technical problems of GIS analyses, such as how to use GIS software and its functions. The workshop has significantly contributed to progress in the field. Included among the chapters of this book are GIS using susceptibility mapping, analyses of deep-seated and shallow landslides, measuring and visualization of landslide distribution in relation to topography, geological facies and structures, rivers, land use, and infrastructures such as roads and streets. Filled with photographs, figures, and tables, this book is of great value to researchers in the fields of geography, geology, seismology, environment, remote sensing, and atmospheric research, as well as to students in these fields.
This book presents an important discussion on soil and sustainable agriculture from a range of perspectives, addressing key topics such as sustainable intensification, the FAO Voluntary Guidelines, and the crucial role of appropriate tenure rights. This second volume of the International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy is divided into four parts, the first of which deals with several aspects of the theme "soil and sustainable agriculture." In turn, the second part covers recent international developments, the third part presents regional and national reports, and the fourth discusses cross-cutting issues. Given the range of key topics covered, the book offers an indispensable tool for all academics, legislators and policymakers working in this field. The "International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy" is a book series that discusses central questions in law and politics with regard to the protection and sustainable management of soil and land - at the international, national and regional level. The Chapter "The Use of Property Law Tools for Soil Protection" by Jessica Owley is available open access under a CC BY 4.0 license at link.springer.com. |
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