This book focuses on scientific and technological aspects of groundwater-resources assessment and surveillance. It describes relevant risks and investigates selected techniques for the monitoring and mitigation of the individuated threats to groundwater quality. The authors discuss the concepts of groundwater-resources protection and offer examples of both geogenic and anthropogenic degradation of groundwater quality, such as heavy metals from mining activities and natural water-rock interactions, as well as risk of contamination due to geological CO2 storage practices etc. The volume also covers non-invasive monitoring techniques and briefly addresses innovative sensor technologies for the online assessment of water quality. Furthermore, the role played by geochemical techniques, the potential of environmental isotopes and the support provided by physical modelling are highlighted. The chapters guide the reader through various viewpoints, according to the diverse disciplines involved, without aiming to be exhaustive, but instead picking representative topics for their relevance in the context of groundwater protection and control. This book will be of interest to advanced students, researchers, policy-makers and stakeholders at various levels.

This book collects selected full papers presented at the International Symposium on Energy Geotechnics 2018 (SEG-2018), held on 25th - 28th September 2018, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). It covers a wide range of topics in energy geotechnics, including energy geostructures, energy geostorage, thermo-hydro-chemo-mechanical behaviour of geomaterials, unconventional resources, hydraulic stimulation, induced seismicity, CO2 geological storage, and nuclear waste disposal as well as topics such as tower and offshore foundations. The book is intended for postgraduate students, researchers and practitioners working on geomechanics and geotechnical engineering for energy-related applications.

This monograph presents the state of art of the geologic knowledge about the Spanish coast obtained through scientific research in the last 30 years.From a general point of view, coasts are the most quickly changing systems of the Earth. This is critical, since many human resources, such as the main part of economic and social activities, are located in the coastal areas. Especially in the case of Spain these coasts include cities, wide industrial areas (including harbor complexes), important ecologic systems, and our main economic resource: tourism. Understanding the dynamic functioning of each element of this coast is vital for correct future coastal management, so as to solve problems derived from bad plans developed in the last decades of the twentieth century. This is a valuable text for advanced graduate students and coastal researchers, which connects the specific dynamic functioning of the main Spanish coastal environments and their relationships with human activities.

Process and Form in Geomorphology marks a turning point in geomorphological research. Stoddart has brought together a team of the leading international experts to offer important new studies into the processes, theory and history of landforms, and to present a framework for taking research forward into the new millenium. Illustrated throughout, Process and Form in Geomorphology takes up the challenges of the research agenda set by Richard Chorley and offers fresh insights into his unique contribution.

This book presents a collection of essays that address various facets of the hydrogeology of Israel. Despite its small geographic size, Israel exhibits a variety of climates and is located between two regional fluctuating base levels. The respective chapters discuss the variety of hydrogeological configurations and hydrological processes produced by these geographical circumstances. In some cases, the interpretation of these aspects is deliberately left open to debate, because the authors were asked to provide, in addition to their own views, also alternative and even conflicting ones. Hydrogeological configurations similar to those in Israel can be found in other countries around the world. Therefore, researchers, scholars and professionals in this interdisciplinary field can benefit from and directly apply the considerable experience and expertise that has been gathered in Israel over the past few decades.

This thesis explores fluid distribution along the Nankai-Trough megathrust fault around the Kii Peninsula of Japan, where devastating earthquakes are expected to occur in the near future. Exploring fluid distribution along subduction zones is an important issue because the fluid is considered to control the occurrence of earthquakes. One of the effective strategies to estimate fluid content is retrieving receiver functions (RFs) from seismograms, but in the case of ocean-bottom seismometers (OBSs), noisy P-wave reverberations within the seawater column make such an analysis difficult. The author therefore developed a novel technique to suppress the water reverberations, which allows obtaining the fluid distribution data along a wide depth range on the plate interface. This thesis first presents the new technique, called the water layer filter method, and demonstrates its efficiency by using both synthetic and observation data. Then, using the method, a receiver function image of the Philippine Sea Plate is constructed to reveal dehydration processes of the subducting oceanic crust around the Kii Peninsula. Finally, the author performs high-frequency receiver function inversion analysis. The results indicate the presence of a thin fluid-rich sediment layer along the megathrust fault off the Kii Peninsula that acts as a pathway of fluid. Nowadays, the number of offshore observations is increasing worldwide. In this respect, the attempt to better analyze OBS data employing the new method will become more important in future studies.

Piton de la Fournaise and Karthala are both shield volcanoes in the southwest Indian Ocean. This publication summarizes the work done on these very active basaltic volcanoes. Piton de la Fournaise has a long history of scientific research and monitoring, with many data collected during recent eruptions. It is certainly one of the most studied volcanoes in the world. The work presented in this monograph includes geological, geophysical, geochemical and petrological aspects, but also studies on physical geography, natural hazards and the sociological and behavioural approaches.' The Karthala volcano may be less well known, but it serves as an interesting comparison to Piton de la Fournaise. Although situated close to the volcanoes of Hawaii, it differs from them by its more alkaline magmas and less frequent activity. It was also monitored for more than 25 years, producing extraordinary eruptions in recent years.

This book provides a snapshot of the research activities of the Institute of Geotechnical Engineering, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences in Vienna, Austria. The topics are broad ranged including: * Centrifuge model testing * Constitutive model * Granular physics * Numerical simulation * Soil bioengineering The topics reflect our geotechnical research in a changing world. Traditional topics in foundation engineering are fading out and new topics are emerging. The European Commission is gratefully acknowledged for funding the following projects within its program FP7 and Horizon2020: MUMOLADE (Multiscale modelling of landslide and debris flow), REVENUES (Reinforced Vegetation Numerical Evaluation of Slopes) and GEORAMP (Geohazards - Risk Assessment, Mitigation and Prevention).

This book presents an up-to-the-minute overview of arsenic and fluoride pollution of soil and groundwater in Pakistan. It includes the author's doctoral dissertation on Lahore as a case study and describes the mechanism of pollution on the basis of the findings in that area. The book highlights the concrete situation in Pakistan - including the severity of the problem, its health effects and the risks posed to the people living in affected areas by these two major pollutants- and points out essential research areas that call for immediate attention. As such, it draws attention to the need for management strategies in the affected areas and offers a valuable reference work on Pakistan for students and researchers alike.

This book covers the more basic aspects of carbonate minerals and their interaction with aqueous solutions; modern marine carbonate formation and sediments; carbonate diagenesis (early marine, meteoric and burial); the global cycle of carbon and human intervention; and the role of sedimentary carbonates as indicators of stability and changes in the Earth's surface environment. The selected subjects are presented with sufficient background information to enable the non-specialist to understand the basic chemistry involved. Tested on classes taught by the authors, and approved by the students, this comprehensive volume will prove itself to be a valuable reference source to students, researchers and professionals in the fields of oceanography, geochemistry, petrology, environmental science and petroleum geology.

This book presents quality technical papers representing the recent developments in the field of hydrological modeling, water management and water governance including practical applications. The content covers multifarious aspects of hydrology and water resources. It includes an application of the Hydrologic Modelling System (HEC-HMS) which has been successfully demonstrated for assessment of floods. The authors suggest an approach for the mitigation of cyclone disaster through a case study of the Phailin cyclone, whilst considering mitigating pluvial flooding, developing suitable management strategies. The book includes chapters discussing the detrended fluctuation analysis which is carried out for multifractal description of droughts. Drought characteristics are analyzed, and drought indices evolved for drought preparedness/management. The use of science in community planning under changing climate is also studied and discussed. The authors present and experimental study wherein hydraulic coefficients are calibrated by using vertical orifice. A cross flow hybrid hydrokinetic turbine is also evaluated for performance, and high head regulating radial gate designed and studied its sensitivity. This book will appeal to researchers, field practitioners, NGO and other Governmental as well as private water practitioners

This book deals with a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for humans and their children. It is a discipline that addresses current issues: climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, poor-nation starvation, rich-nation obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control and biodiversity depletion. This series gathers review articles that analyze current agricultural issues and knowledge, then proposes alternative solutions.

This book helps to establish a simple framework to identify and use bird species as a bioindicator for high nature value (HNV) farmlands. This book focuses on suitable methods for monitoring the HNV areas, and presents the results of several case studies. The chapters put forward ways to integrate ecosystems assessment, geographical information systems (GIS) and strategies for conservation of local biodiversity. An innovative framework focuses on the use of species distribution models (SDMs) in order to explore the importance of each characteristic of HNV farmlands. Furthermore, the book examines the relationships among bird species richness, land use diversity and landscape metrics at a local scale in the farmlands.

This volume consists of 15 chapters and focuses on hazardous chemicals, how they are associated with plastics, and their environmental risks. It includes background information on plastics and additives chemistry, and their observed or potential effects on living organisms as well as the oceanographic aspects of marine debris dispersion. The respective chapters provide insights into the sorption/desorption of chemicals in and out of plastics, the mechanisms and kinetics, but also the scale of the concentrations of chemicals found in marine debris, particularly in microplastics. The occurrence of the various chemicals is analyzed, as well as the distribution profiles of the chemicals in microplastics throughout the world's oceans. The implications of the fact that plastics carry within them several chemicals are discussed in detail. In closing, new research topics that warrant further attention are identified. The book will appeal to all scientists who are already working or interested in starting to work on the topic of marine debris, as well as policymakers, NGOs and the broader informed public.

Tsunamis in the European-Mediterranean Region: From Historical Record to Risk Mitigation provides readers with a much needed, reliable, and up-to-date history of the region, including descriptions and parameters of the main events from pre-history to the present that are supported by parametric catalogues, pictorial material, and examples of instrumental records, such as tide-gauge records. The book presents a broader perspective of needed action for local and national governments, and international organizations, and is written by an internationally recognized expert in this field, providing an authoritative account of historical tsunamis in the eastern Mediterranean. It addresses key points of tsunami mitigation, including the systems currently available for tsunami recording, monitoring, and early warning, along with a presentation of the preventative measures that can be applied in all tsunami-vulnerable regions.

Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development offers a series of authoritative perspectives from varied viewpoints on key issues relevant in the use of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing, providing a timely presentation of requisite information on the implications of these technologies for those connected to unconventional oil and shale gas development. Utilizing expertise from a range of contributors in academia, non-governmental organizations, and the oil and gas industry, Environmental and Health Issues in Unconventional Oil and Gas Development is an essential resource for academics and professionals in the oil and gas, environmental, and health and safety industries as well as for policy makers.