Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) have fascinated and bewildered humans throughout history. Their mammalian affinities have been long recognized, but exactly which group of terrestrial mammals they descend from has, until recently, remained in the dark. Recent decades have produced a flurry of new fossil cetaceans, extending their fossil history to over 50 million years ago. Along with new insights from genetics and developmental studies, these discoveries have helped to clarify the place of cetaceans among mammals, and enriched our understanding of their unique adaptations for feeding, locomotion and sensory systems. Their continuously improving fossil record and successive transformation into highly specialized marine mammals have made cetaceans a textbook case of evolution - as iconic in its own way as the origin of birds from dinosaurs. This book aims to summarize our current understanding of cetacean evolution for the serious student and interested amateur using photographs, drawings, charts and illustrations.

This book explains the engineering required to bring geothermal resources into use. The book covers specifically engineering aspects that are unique to geothermal engineering, such as measurements in wells and their interpretation, transport of near-boiling water through long pipelines, turbines driven by fluids other than steam, and project economics. The explanations are reinforced by drawing comparisons with other energy industries.

The Alps, with their outstanding outcrop conditions, represent a superb natural laboratory for many geological processes, and have played a crucial role in the history of geology. This book gives an up-to-date and holistic overview of the key aspects of Alpine geology. After a brief presentation of the plate tectonic framework, the rock suites are discussed, starting with the pre-Triassic crystalline basement, followed by Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary sequences. The lithological description of the rock types is supplemented by a discussion of their paleogeographic and plate tectonic contexts. The book goes on to describe the structure of the Alps (including the Jura Mountains and the Alpine foreland to the north and south) illustrated by numerous cross-sections. The evolution of the Alps as a mountain chain incorporates a discussion of the Alpine metamorphic history and a compilation of orogenic timetables. The final sections cover the evolution of Alpine drainage patterns and the region s glacial history. Readership: The book is essential reading for students and lecturers on Alpine courses and excursions, and all earth-scientists interested in the geology of the region.

This is the first volume of a collection of essays focusing on progress in tsunami science since the great tsunami of 26 December. A magnitude Mw 9.1 earthquake (third strongest ever instrumentally recorded) generated a global tsunami that killed about 230,000 people along the coasts of 14 countries in the Indian Ocean and propagated as far as the North Pacific and North Atlantic. Since then, various countries from around the globe contributed major funding to tsunami research and mitigation, enabling the installation of hundreds of new high-precision instruments, the development of new technology and the establishment of more modern communication systems. As a result, incredible progress has been achieved in tsunami research and operation during the ten years after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The papers presented in this first of two special volumes of Pure and Applied Geophysics reflect the state of tsunami science during this time. Eight papers are related to case studies highlighting regional hazards around the globe, while five papers record progress in tsunami warning systems. Benchmark studies that describe the accuracy of numerical models for tsunami impact, as well as a variety of inundation and generation studies, are presented by 7 additional papers.

The Magaliesberg by Vincent Carruthers was first published in 1990. A second edition was published in 2000 and reprinted in 2007. It has now been revised again for publication to coincide with the international proclamation of the Magaliesberg Biosphere. The book has been highly successful and is a valuable source of information about the Magaliesberg, its geology, biodiversity and human history. During the decades since its publication substantial changes have taken place in in South Africa and in the Magaliesberg region and the revised editions to the book have taken cognisance of these. Most importantly, The Magaliesberg has had a profound influence on government and public awareness of the region and it has led directly to application to UNESCO for the Magaliesberg to be registered as a Biosphere Reserve in June 2014. This international recognition of the importance of the area will greatly enhance conservation efforts and stimulate tourism, education and research in the region. The current edition of the book celebrates this accomplishment and it will continue to be the primary source of information for public readership. The Magaliesberg mountains are more than two billion years old - one of the oldest mountain ranges on the planet – and the book traces their creation and the changes in the landscape over this vast passage of time. The ancient geomorphology has given rise to a wide spectrum of different habitats and a consequent diversity of plant and animal life. The book’s extensive descriptions of the fauna and flora of the area inspire the reader to consider the impact that man has on his environment. Each of the main plant and animal groups – trees, flowers, birds, mammals, reptiles and insects – has a full chapter devoted to it with checklists of every species found in the area indicating both the Scientific as well as common names. The second half of the book is dedicated to the immensely rich human history of the Magaliesberg and is equally comprehensive. Starting with the pre-hominid ancestors of humankind it describes the paleontological and archaeological evidence of the succession of people who have lived in the mountains over hundreds of thousands of years. Stone Age tools and etchings, Iron Age walled villages as well as the forts and battlefields of more recent centuries are all brought to life in detailed accounts of the people and events of the time. Carruthers’s eloquent writing style is easy to read and grabs the reader’s attention from the start. The comprehensive book is based on exhaustive research and is complemented by numerous illustrations and full-colour photographs. Carruthers’s love for the area is obvious and he describes the Magaliesberg as a ‘priceless national asset’, which this book has helped, and continues to help, to preserve. The many full-colour and black and white photographs, as well as detailed illustrations on every page, add value to the book and make it a publication that appeals to those readers who are academically inclined, as well as those who are amateur environmentalists or historians.

This textbook on atmospheric thermodynamics is for students of meteorology or atmospheric science. It also serves as a reference text for working professionals in meteorology and weather forecasting. It is unique because it provides complete, calculus-based derivations of basic physics from first principles, and connects mathematical relationships to real-world, practical weather forecasting applications. Worked examples and practice problems are included throughout.

Documents morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, evolutionary changes, and interactions of 23 orders of insects from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas in Northern China This book showcases 23 different orders of insect fossils from the Mid Mesozoic period (165 to 125 Ma) that were discovered in Northeastern China. It covers not only their taxonomy and morphology, but also their potential implications on natural sciences, such as phylogeny, function, interaction, evolution, and ecology. It covers fossil sites; paleogeology; co-existing animals and plants in well-balanced eco-systems; insects in the spotlight; morphological evolution and functional development; and interactions of insects with co-existing plants, vertebrates, and other insects. The book also includes many elegant and beautiful photographs, line drawings, and 3-D reconstructions of fossilized and extant insects. Rhythms of Insect Evolution: Evidence from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in Northern China features chapter coverage of such insects as the: Ephemeroptera; Odonata; Blattaria; Isoptera; Orthoptera; Notoptera; Dermaptera; Chresmodidae; Phasmatodea; Plecoptera; Psocoptera; Homoptera; Heteroptera; Megaloptera; Raphidioptera; Neuroptera; Coleoptera; Hymenoptera Diptera; Mecoptera; Siphonaptera; Trichoptera and Lepidoptera. Combines academic natural science, popular science, and artistic presentation to illustrate rhythms of evolution for fossil insects from the Mid Mesozoic of Northern China Documents morphology, taxonomy, phylogeny, and evolutionary changes of 23 orders of insects from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous faunas in Northern China Presents interactions of insects with plants, vertebrates, and other insects based on well-preserved fossil evidence Uses photos of extant insects and plants, fossil and amber specimens, line drawings, and 3-D computer-generated reconstruction artworks to give readers clear and enjoyable impressions of the scientific findings Introduces insect-related stories from western and Chinese culture in text or sidebars to give global readers broader exposures Rhythms of Insect Evolution: Evidence from the Jurassic and Cretaceous in Northern China will appeal to entomologists, evolutionists, paleontologists, paleoecologists, and natural scientists.

Osman, the founder of the Ottoman Empire, had a dream in which a tree sprouted from his navel. As the tree grew, its shade covered the earth; as Osman's empire grew, it, too, covered the earth. This is the most widely accepted foundation myth of the longest-lasting empire in the history of Islam, and offers a telling clue to its unique legacy. Underlying every aspect of the Ottoman Empire's epic history--from its founding around 1300 to its end in the twentieth century--is its successful management of natural resources. Under Osman's Tree analyzes this rich environmental history to understand the most remarkable qualities of the Ottoman Empire--its longevity, politics, economy, and society. The early modern Middle East was the world's most crucial zone of connection and interaction. Accordingly, the Ottoman Empire's many varied environments affected and were affected by global trade, climate, and disease. From down in the mud of Egypt's canals to up in the treetops of Anatolia, Alan Mikhail tackles major aspects of the Middle East's environmental history: natural resource management, climate, human and animal labor, energy, water control, disease, and politics. He also points to some of the ways in which the region's dominant religious tradition, Islam, has understood and related to the natural world. Marrying environmental and Ottoman history, Under Osman's Tree offers a bold new interpretation of the past five hundred years of Middle Eastern history.

The practical application of geomorphological science now forms a regular part of any project involving flood protection, fisheries, conservation, recreation, environmental protection and river restoration. In this book the authors use their extensive experience gained through fieldwork, analysis, and input to the design process to provide a thorough understanding of geomorphology in the river environment and describe effective ways to incorporate geomorphological science into river engineering and management.

This title showcases the sheer beauty of the sky, with magnificent colour photographs. All aspects are covered from the golden colours of dawn to spectacular storms and cloud formations. This is a stunning book that will fascinate everyone from budding meteorologists to lovers of beautiful images. Packed with full colour photographs, "Sky" showcases the sheer beauty of the sky. All aspects are covered from diverse cloud formations, the golden colours of dawn and dusk, spectacular storms and unique weather, plus a wide range of meteorological phenomena. The book also details the wonders of our night sky from the beautiful constellations, to meteors and the moon. Each image is reproduced in full colour and often full page. An inspiration for every budding meteorologist, keen sky watcher or lover of beautiful images.

This is a charming and beautifully illustrated book, first published in 1893, covering all aspects of the weather including: Times and Seasons, Months, Days of the week, Winter birds and times of their arrival, Sun, Moon and Stars, Wind, Clouds, Mists, Haze, Dew, Fog, Sky, Air, Sound, Sea, Tide, Heat, Rain, Rainbow, Frost, Hail, Snow, Ice, Thunder and Lightning. Measuring instruments include: Barometer, Thermometer, Hygrometer, Telescope, Spectroscope. Animals include: Quadrupeds, Birds, Fish, Molluscs, Reptiles, Insects, Plants etc. This new edition has been completely redesigned and is fully illustrated with reproductions of woodcuts, photographs and drawings throughout.

This is a charming and beautifully illustrated book, first published in 1893, covering all aspects of the weather including: Times and Seasons, Months, Days of the week, Winter birds and times of their arrival, Sun, Moon and Stars, Wind, Clouds, Mists, Haze, Dew, Fog, Sky, Air, Sound, Sea, Tide, Heat, Rain, Rainbow, Frost, Hail, Snow, Ice, Thunder and Lightning. Measuring instruments include: Barometer, Thermometer, Hygrometer, Telescope, Spectroscope. Animals include: Quadrupeds, Birds, Fish, Molluscs, Reptiles, Insects, Plants etc. This new edition has been completely redesigned and is fully illustrated with reproductions of woodcuts, photographs and drawings throughout.

This textbook presents all aspects of climate system dynamics, on all timescales from the Earth's formation to modern human-induced climate change. It discusses the dominant feedbacks and interactions between all the components of the climate system: atmosphere, ocean, land surface and ice sheets. It addresses one of the key challenges for a course on the climate system: students can come from a range of backgrounds. A glossary of key terms is provided for students with little background in the climate sciences, whilst instructors and students with more expertise will appreciate the book's modular nature. Exercises are provided at the end of each chapter for readers to test their understanding. This textbook will be invaluable for any course on climate system dynamics and modeling, and will also be useful for scientists and professionals from other disciplines who want a clear introduction to the topic.

We have long lorded over the ocean. But only recently have we become aware of the myriad life-forms beneath its waves. We now know that this delicate ecosystem is our life-support system; it regulates the earth's temperatures and climate and comprises 99 percent of living space on earth. So when we change the chemistry of the whole ocean system, as we are now, life as we know it is threatened.
In "Seasick, "veteran science journalist Alanna Mitchell dives beneath the surface of the world's oceans to give readers a sense of how this watery realm can be managed and preserved, and with it life on earth. Each chapter features a different group of researchers who introduce readers to the importance of ocean currents, the building of coral structures, or the effects of acidification. With Mitchell at the helm, readers submerge 3,000 feet to gather sea sponges that may contribute to cancer care, see firsthand the lava lamp-like dead zone covering 17,000 square kilometers in the Gulf of Mexico, and witness the simultaneous spawning of corals under a full moon in Panama.
The first book to look at the planetary environmental crisis through the lens of the global ocean, "Seasick "takes the reader on an emotional journey through a hidden realm of the planet and urges conservation and reverence for the fount from which all life on earth sprang.

Water is an increasingly critical issue at the forefront of global policy change, management and planning. There are growing concerns about water as a renewable resource, its availability for a wide range of users, aquatic ecosystem health, and global issues relating to climate change, water security, water trading and water ethics. This handbook provides the most comprehensive reference ever published on water resource issues. It brings together multiple disciplines to understand and help resolve problems of water quality and scarcity from a global perspective. Its case studies and 'foundation' chapters will be greatly valued by students, researchers and professionals involved in water resources, hydrology, governance and public policy, law, economics, geography and environmental studies.

This book presents methods and results that cover and extend beyond the state-of-the-art in structural dynamics and earthquake engineering. Most of the chapters are based on the keynote lectures at the International Conference in Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics (ICESD), held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on June 12-14, 2017. The conference is being organised in memory of late Professor Ragnar Sigbjoernsson, who was an influential teacher and one of the leading researchers in the fields of structural mechanics, random fields, engineering seismology and earthquake engineering. Professor Sigbjoernsson had a close research collaboration with the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology (NTNU), where his research was mainly focused in dynamics of marine and offshore structures. His research in Iceland was mainly focused on engineering seismology and earthquake engineering. The keynote-lecture based chapters are contributed by leading experts in these fields of research and showcase not only the historical perspective but also the most recent developments as well as a glimpse into the future. These chapters showcase a synergy of the fields of structural dynamics, engineering seismology, and earthquake engineering. In addition, some chapters in the book are based on works carried out under the leadership and initiative of Professor Sigbjoernsson and showcase his contribution to the understanding of seismic hazard and risk in Iceland. As such, the book is useful for both researchers and practicing engineers who are interested in recent research advances in structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, and in particular to those interested in seismic hazard and risk in Iceland.

A considerable amount of scientific evidence has been collected leading to the conclusion that urban wastewater components should be designed as one integrated system, in order to protect the receiving waters cost-effectively. Moreover, there is a need to optimize the design and operation of the sewerage network and wastewater treatment plant (WwTP) considering the dynamic interactions between them and the receiving waters. This book introduces a method called Model Based Design and Control (MoDeCo) for the optimum design and control of urban wastewater components. The book presents a detailed description of the integration of modelling tools for the sewer, the wastewater treatment plants and the rivers. The complex modelling structure used for the integrated model challenge previous applications of integrated modelling approaches presented in scientific literature. The combination of modelling tools and multi-objective evolutionary algorithms demonstrated in this book represent an excellent tool for designers and managers of urban wastewater infrastructure. This book also presents two alternatives to solve the computing demand of the optimization of integrated systems in practical applications: the use of surrogate modelling tools and the use of cloud computer infrastructure for parallel computing.

London has many rivers, but they are often hidden under centuries of development. Rivers like the Walbrook, the Fleet or the Westbourne have left their mark on the city, and still form an important part of our subterranean world. David Fathers traces the course of twelve hidden rivers in a series of detailed guided walks, illustrating the traces they have left and showing the ways they have shaped the city. Each walk starts at the tube or rail station nearest to the source of the river, and then follows it down to the Thames through parkland, suburbia, historic neighbourhoods and the vestiges of our industrial past. Along the way there are encounters with such extraordinary Londoners as William Blake, Judy Garland, Paul Robeson, Terence Donovan, Bradley Wiggins, Nelson, Lenin, Freud, and the great Victorian engineer Joseph Bazalgette. Hidden Rivers of London contains over 120 km of walks, both north and south of the Thames. Winding through the hills, valleys and marshes that underlie the city, every page is a revelation.

An international team of over 150 experts provide up-to-date satellite imaging and quantitative analysis of the state and damics of the glaciers around the world, and they provide an in-depth review if analysis methodologies. Includes an e-published supplement.

Global Land Ice Measurements from Space - Satellite Multispectral Imaging of Glaciers (GLIMS book for short) is the leading state-of-the-art technical and interpretive presentation of satellite image data and analysis of the changing state of the world's glaciers. The book is the most definitive, comprehensive product of a global glacier remote sensing consortium, Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS, http: //www.glims.org).With 33 chapters and a companion e-supplement, the world's foremost experts in satellite image analysis of glaciers analyze the current state and recent and possible future changes of glaciers across the globe and interpret these findings for policy planners.

Climate change is with us for some time to come, and its impacts are being felt by the world's population. The GLIMS Book, to be released about the same time as the IPCC's 5th Assessment report onglobal climate warming, buttresses and adds rich details andauthority to the global change community's understanding of climate change impacts on the cryosphere. Thiswill be a definitive and technically complete reference for experts and students examining the responses of glaciers to climate change. Worldexperts demonstrate thatglaciers are changing in response to the ongoing climatic upheavalin addition to otherfactors that pertain to the circumstances of individual glaciers. The globalmosaic ofglacier changes is documented by quantitative analyses and are placed into a perspective of causative factors. Starting with a Foreword, Preface, and Introduction, theGLIMS book gives the rationale for and history of glaciermonitoring and satellite data analysis.It includes a comprehensive set of six "how-to"methodology chapters, twenty-five chaptersdetailing regional glacier state and dynamical changes, andan in-depth summary andinterpretation chapter placing theobserved glacier changes into a globalcontext of thecoupled atmosphere-land-ocean system.

An accompanying e-supplement will include oversize imagery and other other highly visual renderings of scientific data."

Echinoderms are an ancient and diverse group of marine animals with a rich fossil record. They occur abundantly in all modern oceans and at all depths, where they contribute importantly to patterns in biodiversity and to the structure and functioning of marine systems. It is therefore vital to understand how they will respond to a rapidly changing ocean climate and other anthropogenic stressors, informed by both the dynamics of the fossil record and responses of extant species. The theme of the 13th International Echinoderm Conference (Hobart, Tasmania, 5-9 January 2009) was the response of echinoderms to global change. Echinoderms in a Changing World contains a selection of plenary and contributed papers, and a comprehensive presentation of abstracts of all oral papers and posters. The collection will be useful to all students of echinoderm biology, ecology and palaeontology, from undergraduate level to professional researchers.

Based on more than twenty years of research and lecturing, Jordi Vila-Guerau de Arellano and his team's textbook provides an excellent introduction to the interactions between the atmosphere and the land for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and a reference text for researchers in atmospheric physics and chemistry, hydrology, and plant physiology. The combination of the book, which provides the essential theoretical concepts, and the associated interactive Chemistry Land-surface Atmosphere Soil Slab (CLASS) software, which provides hands-on practical exercises and allows students to design their own numerical experiments, will prove invaluable for learning about many aspects of the soil-vegetation-atmosphere system. This book has a modular and flexible structure, allowing instructors to accommodate it to their own learning-outcome needs.

The field of paleoclimatology relies on physical, chemical, and biological proxies of past climate changes that have been preserved in natural archives such as glacial ice, tree rings, sediments, corals, and speleothems. Paleoclimate archives obtained through field investigations, ocean sediment coring expeditions, ice sheet coring programs, and other projects allow scientists to reconstruct climate change over much of earth's history.

When combined with computer model simulations, paleoclimatic reconstructions are used to test hypotheses about the causes of climatic change, such as greenhouse gases, solar variability, earth's orbital variations, and hydrological, oceanic, and tectonic processes. This book is a comprehensive, state-of-the art synthesis of paleoclimate research covering all geological timescales, emphasizing topics that shed light on modern trends in the earth's climate. Thomas M. Cronin discusses recent discoveries about past periods of global warmth, changes in atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, abrupt climate and sea-level change, natural temperature variability, and other topics directly relevant to controversies over the causes and impacts of climate change. This text is geared toward advanced undergraduate and graduate students and researchers in geology, geography, biology, glaciology, oceanography, atmospheric sciences, and climate modeling, fields that contribute to paleoclimatology. This volume can also serve as a reference for those requiring a general background on natural climate variability.