The taphonomic approach within paleontology, archaeology, and paleoanthropology continues to produce advances in understanding postmortem biochemical and morphological transformations. Conversely, advances in understanding the early and intermediate postmortem period generated in the forensic realm can and should be brought to the attention of scientists who study the historic and prehistoric past.

Building on the success of Forensic Taphonomy: The Postmortem Fate of Human Remains, Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives presents new and updated techniques. It expands the taphonomic focus on biogeographic context and microenvironments and integrates further the theoretical and methodological links with archaeology and paleontology.

Topics covered include:
o Microenvironmental variation and decomposition in different environments
o Taphonomic interpretation of water deaths
o Mass graves, mass fatalities and war crimes, archaeological and forensic approaches
o Updates in geochemical and entomological analysis
o Interpretation of burned human remains
o Discrimination of trauma from postmortem change
o Taphonomic applications at the scene and in the lab

This comprehensive text takes an interdisciplinary and international approach to understanding taphonomic modifications. Liberally illustrated with photographs, maps, and other images, Advances in Forensic Taphonomy: Method, Theory, and Archaeological Perspectives is a valuable source of information for postmortem death investigation.

Understanding the mechanisms associated with metal complexes and the sequestering metal contaminants in the environment is essential for effective remediation. Heavy Metal Release in Soils describes and quantifies desorption/release kinetics and dissolution reactions in the release of heavy metals from soil.
The book focuses on:
New techniques - microscopic surface techniques, NMR and electrophoresis, XAFS, SFM, and time-resolved ATR-FTIR
Theoretical analysis and kinetic approaches - adsorption/desorption hysteresis, competitive sorption and transport, multi-component models, speciation kinetics, isotherms and soil and metal parameters, and the role of soil properties on transport
Applications - arsenic speciation and mobility in contaminated soils, modeling activity of CD, Zn, and Cu in contaminated soils, and in situ chemical immobilization
A timely addition to the literature, this book highlights the desorption/release mechanisms for the purpose of resolving remediation dilemmas in contaminated environments. It gives you the added advantage of case studies at both the microscopic and macroscopic scales, and provides both experimental and numerical investigations. With contributions from an international panel of authors, Heavy Metals Release in Soils fills a gap in the current literature concerned with subsurface contaminant fate and transport processes.

This multidisciplinary book focuses on the relationships and interactions between palaeobiogeography, biogeography, dispersal, vicariance, migrations and evolution of organisms in the SE Asia-Australasian region. The book investigates biogeographic links between SE Asia and Australasia which go back more than 500 million years. It also focuses on the links between geological evolution and biological migrations and evolution in the region. It was in the SE Asian region that Alfred Russell Wallace established his biogeographic line, now known as Wallace's Line, which was the beginning of biogeography. Wallace also independently developed his theory of evolution based on his work in this area.;The book brings together, for the first time, geologists, palaeontologists, zoologists, botanists, entomologists, evolutionary biologists and archaeologists, in the one volume, to relate the region's geological past to its present biological peculiarities. The book is organized into six sections. Section 1 Paleobiogeographic Background provides overviews of the geological and tectonic evolution of SE Asia-Australasia, and changing patterns of land and sea for the last 540 million years. Section 2 Palaeozoic and Mesozoic Geology and Biogeography discusses Palaeozoic and Mesozoic biogeography of conodonts, brachiopods, plants, dinosaurs and radiolarians and the recognition of ancient biogeographic boundaries or Wallace Lines in the region. Section 3 Wallace's Line focuses on the biogeographic boundary established by Wallace, including the history of its establishment, its significance to biogeography in general and its applicability in the context of modern biogeography.;Section 4 Plant biogeography and evolution includes discussion on primitive angiosperms, the diaspora of the southern rushes, and environmental, climatic and evolutionary implications of plants and palynomorphs in the region. The biogeography and migration of insects, butterflies, birds, rodents and other non-primate mammals is discussed in section 5, Non Primates. The final section 6 Primates focuses on the biogeographic radiation, migration and evolution of primates and includes papers on the occurrence and migration of early hominids and the requirements for human colonization of Australia.

This encyclopedia provides a snapshot of our current geological knowledge on solid-surface Solar System bodies. Each entry contains information about the features' morphology, its interpretation, proposed formation models, distribution and occurrence, planetary or terrestrial analogs, and research history. The entries are fully referenced. All image captions include original image IDs. More than 600 named planetary feature types are discussed in the encyclopedia, covering a wide range of scales--from micrometers to global scale--and also include landform types (structural or topographic features), parts of landforms, terrain types or surface textures, surface patterns, and features identified at wavelengths extending from visible to radio waves (e.g., albedo, thermal infrared, and radar features). The book covers features formed by impact, aeolian, magmatic, volcanic, tectonic, fluvial, lacustrine, marine and coastal, mass movement, sedimentary, desiccation, liquefaction, periglacial, glacial, nival, sublimation, collapse, weathering, and selective erosion or other, including complex processes. Depending on the information and formation models available, the entries have different approaches. Some of them discuss their subject from the point of view of the inferred process or origin, others are morphology or description-based. As a default, entries focus on extraterrestrial landforms, while also mentioning their proposed terrestrial analogs. Most planetary landforms are not body-specific, but some have no known terrestrial counterparts. Named historic (obsolete) landform types are also included to provide reference for previous key research papers. To make it easier to find features with related origins, the encyclopedia contains entries that list landforms based on their formative processes. It also lists body-specific features on Mercury (5 feature types), Venus (40), the Earth (13), the Moon (15), Mars (87), Io (7), Europa (17), Callisto (7), Titan (9), Triton (2), mid-sized satellites (8), and small bodies (3). Also included are entries on the 51 planetary feature descriptor terms approved by IAU.

The culmination of more than a decade of fieldwork and related study, this unique book uses analyses of perimortem taphonomy in Ice Age Siberia to propose a new hypothesis for the peopling of the New World. The authors present evidence based on examinations of more than 9000 pieces of human and carnivore bone from 30 late Pleistocene archaeological and palaeontological sites, including cave and open locations, which span more than 2000 miles from the Ob River in the West to the Sea of Japan in the East. The observed bone damage signatures suggest that the conventional prehistory of Siberia needs revision and, in particular, that cave hyenas had a significant influence on the lives of Ice Age Siberians. The findings are supported by more than 250 photographs, which illustrate the bone damage described and provide a valuable insight into the context and landscape of the fieldwork for those unfamiliar with Siberia.

This book is an introductory text to a range of numerical methods used today to simulate time-dependent processes in Earth science, physics, engineering, and many other fields. The physical problem of elastic wave propagation in 1D serves as a model system with which the various numerical methods are introduced and compared. The theoretical background is presented with substantial graphical material supporting the concepts. The results can be reproduced with the supplementary electronic material provided as python codes embedded in Jupyter notebooks. The book starts with a primer on the physics of elastic wave propagation, and a chapter on the fundamentals of parallel programming, computational grids, mesh generation, and hardware models. The core of the book is the presentation of numerical solutions of the wave equation with six different methods: 1) the finite-difference method; 2) the pseudospectral method (Fourier and Chebyshev); 3) the linear finite-element method; 4) the spectral-element method; 5) the finite-volume method; and 6) the discontinuous Galerkin method. Each chapter contains comprehension questions, theoretical, and programming exercises. The book closes with a discussion of domains of application and criteria for the choice of a specific numerical method, and the presentation of current challenges.

An exploration of the relationship between river behaviour and environmental change. The research involves a wide range of disciplines including geomorphology, geophysics, archaeology, palaeoecology, engineering and planning.

Detailing the latest developments in the disciplines of geotechnical engineering, clay science and geochemistry concerned with the fundamental properties of clay liner and buffer materials.

A discussion of the fundamental aspects of fluid flow phenomena in a jointed rock mass, as well as various geological (structural) features and their influence on flow deformation characteristics. Various types of laboratory triaxial apparatus used in testing are also highlighted.

Delivering a synthesis of almost one hundred and fifty years of research into the Jordan Rift Valley, this genuinely comprehensive text presents a model explaining the tectonic evolution of this part of the Syrian-African Rift Valley, which may affect opinions regarding the geotectonic pattern of the entire western Levant.
Also including datings and paleoenvironmental reconstructions for all important phases in the history of the Jordan Valley, particular focus is placed on the last two million years, when numerous habitation sites, the oldest of which represents the initial spread of Man out of Africa, indicate the region was almost continuously populated.

Understanding the Oceans brings together an internationally distinguished group of authors to consider the enormous advances in marine science that have been achieved since the voyages of HMS Challenger a century ago. The whole book draws inspiration from the seminal contribution made by the research conducted on those voyages, and each contributor considers the significance of the findings, relating them to the exciting developments of today and tomorrow.
Covering the whole spectrum of the marine sciences, the book has been written and edited very much with the non-specialist reader in mind. Marine scientists, whether students or researchers, will welcome this authoritative sweep through the history of their subject through to the present day; other scientists will find the book to be an accessible and informative introduction to marine science and its historical roots.

A discussion of the fundamental aspects of fluid flow phenomena in a jointed rock mass, as well as various geological (structural) features and their influence on flow deformation characteristics. Various types of laboratory triaxial apparatus used in testing are also highlighted.

The Joint 6th Biennial SGA-SEG Meeting was held in Krakow in August 2001. This volume contains 274 extended abstracts, grouped thematically under 18 session titles covering topics such as lead-zinc deposits; metamorphism affecting mineral deposits; and the environmental aspects of mining.

This volume is an excellently written and beautifully illustrated textbook compiled by a multidisciplinary group of experts examining the production, transport and deposition of volcaniclasts (tephra and epiclasts) as well as their economic geology.

The focus of this volume is research carried out as part of the program Mathematics of Planet Earth, which provides a platform to showcase the essential role of mathematics in addressing planetary problems and creating a context for mathematicians and applied scientists to foster mathematical and interdisciplinary developments that will be necessary to tackle a myriad of issues and meet future global challenges. Earth is a planet with dynamic processes in its mantle, oceans and atmosphere creating climate, causing natural disasters and influencing fundamental aspects of life and life-supporting systems. In addition to these natural processes, human activity has increased to the point where it influences the global climate, impacts the ability of the planet to feed itself and threatens the stability of these systems. Issues such as climate change, sustainability, man-made disasters, control of diseases and epidemics, management of resources, risk analysis and global integration have come to the fore. Written by specialists in several fields of mathematics and applied sciences, this book presents the proceedings of the International Conference and Advanced School Planet Earth, Mathematics of Energy and Climate Change held in Lisbon, Portugal, in March 2013, which was organized by the International Center of Mathematics (CIM) as a partner institution of the international program Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013. The book presents the state of the art in advanced research and ultimate techniques in modeling natural, economical and social phenomena. It constitutes a tool and a framework for researchers and graduate students, both in mathematics and applied sciences.

Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems provides information on soil processes and the carbon cycle in cold ecoregions as well as the soil carbon pool and its fluxes in the soils of cold ecoregions. Filling a void in this area of soil science, this resource explains soil processes influencing C dynamics under natural and disturbed ecosystems. The soils of the cold region ecosystems serve as a net sink of atmospheric C. However, an increase in global temperature could render them a net source. In the event of global warming, the cold regions ecosystems-arctic, sub-arctic, alpine, Antarctic, boreal forests, and peatlands-will undergo radical changes. Potential environmental change could drastically increase the active soil layer and influence the large C pool found in them. Topics include: soil C pools in different cold ecoregions, the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances on the soil C pool, the method of assessment of C and other properties of soils of the cold regions ecosytems while focusing on the fate of C in permafrost soils. Global Climate Change and Cold Regions Ecosystems covers the current and possible future effects of the cold ecoregions soil C pool on the global carbon pool.

UPGRADE YOUR SMALL TALK GUIDED BY WORLD-LEADING WEATHER EXPERTS! From Foggy and Freezing to Scorching and Stormy, join the ultimate weather adventure through the great British seasons and uncover the extraordinary in every single day*. Are YOU the ultimate weather watcher? Do you know your drizzle from your mizzle? Ever wondered what rainbows are really made of? And could you pinpoint where lightning has struck twice? Pore over beautiful cloudscapes, learn the secrets of sunsets, discover freak weather and fogbows, and why forecasting was so important in British history, from D-Day to the Great Fire of London. Perfect for rainy days in or cloudspotting on the go, the Met Office share the best of almost 170 years of forecasting for the first time in this beautifully illustrated book. Packed with mythbusting, top trivia, stunning visuals and archive gems, shooting the breeze has never been so interesting! *Even when it is tipping it down.

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the science of the history of life. Paleobiologists bring many analytical tools to bear in interpreting the fossil record and the book introduces the latest techniques, from multivariate investigations of biogeography and biostratigraphy to engineering analysis of dinosaur skulls, and from homeobox genes to cladistics. All the well-known fossil groups are included, including microfossils and invertebrates, but an important feature is the thorough coverage of plants, vertebrates and trace fossils together with discussion of the origins of both life and the metazoans. All key related subjects are introduced, such as systematics, ecology, evolution and development, stratigraphy and their roles in understanding where life came from and how it evolved and diversified. Unique features of the book are the numerous case studies from current research that lead students to the primary literature, analytical and mathematical explanations and tools, together with associated problem sets and practical schedules for instructors and students. New to this edition The text and figures have been updated throughout to reflect current opinion on all aspects New case studies illustrate the chapters, drawn from a broad distribution internationally Chapters on Macroevolution, Form and Function, Mass extinctions, Origin of Life, and Origin of Metazoans have been entirely rewritten to reflect substantial advances in these topics There is a new focus on careers in paleobiology

Speleobiology, the study of cave life, is a relatively new science. The diversity of species that live in caves, springs, and aquifers is just beginning to be documented, and much of the underground world has yet to be explored. The surveys of cave life reported in this book represent an important step forward in understanding the biodiversity of caves in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The project whose research led to the publication of "Cave Life of Oklahoma and Arkansas" began in the 1970s as a study of Ozark cavefish and expanded to encompass two states and involve a number of research topics and collaborators. The authors and their team donned snorkeling gear, cave suits, and climbing harnesses and descended into caves in Oklahoma and Arkansas to study, inventory, and photograph this hidden world.
The result is a comprehensive checklist of the region's cave fauna, complete with descriptions of these rare animals' distribution and ecological niches. The cast of characters ranges from familiar and charismatic species, such as cave crayfish and gray bats, to rare and bizarre fauna, such as blind salamanders and cave dung beetles. More than 175 full-color illustrations include stunning, never-before-seen photographs (from the cameras of Dave Bunnel, Tim Ernst, and Dante B. Fenolio, among others)of cave animals--even some newly discovered species. The authors also address conservation of subterranean biodiversity, discussing not only threats to cave life such as invasive species, resource extraction, and habitat loss, but also current methods of preservation and protection, including legislation, land acquisition, people management, and cave gates. The book's appendices provide a comprehensive cave bibliography and checklists of subterranean animals for each cave.
Speleology is critical to science. Subterranean organisms are key indicators of groundwater quality, and their adaptations can lead to advances in medicine. "Cave Life of Oklahoma and Arkansas "advances our knowledge of, and can thus help us save, subterranean ecosystems--among the world's last frontiers.

Humanity has long been fascinated by the planet Mars. Was its climate ever conducive to life? What is the atmosphere like today and why did it change so dramatically over time? Eleven spacecraft have successfully flown to Mars since the Viking mission of the 1970s and early 1980s. These orbiters, landers and rovers have generated vast amounts of data that now span a Martian decade (roughly eighteen years). This new volume brings together the many new ideas about the atmosphere and climate system that have emerged, including the complex interplay of the volatile and dust cycles, the atmosphere-surface interactions that connect them over time, and the diversity of the planet's environment and its complex history. Including tutorials and explanations of complicated ideas, students, researchers and non-specialists alike are able to use this resource to gain a thorough and up-to-date understanding of this most Earth-like of planetary neighbours.

This interdisciplinary volume comprises papers from several fields related to compaction. Topics include: soil compaction for pavements and roads; deep soil compaction by vibration, impact and underground explosion; compaction control; and compaction processes in engineering.

This concise treatment of the fundamental principles of sedimentology and stratigraphy highlights the important physical, chemical, biological and stratigraphic characteristics of sedimentary rocks. It emphasizes the ways in which the study of sedimentary rocks is used to interpret depositional environments, changes in ancient sea level, and other intriguing aspects of Earth's history.

This is a field manual to aid in the analysis of sedimentary successions. It looks at topics such as: sandstone; trace fossils; limestones; and tectonic signatures in the basin fill.