Monitoring drought’s slow evolution and identifying the end of a drought is still a big challenge for scientists, natural resource managers, and decision makers. This comprehensive two-volume set with contributions from over 200 experts, and featuring case studies representing numerous countries throughout the world, discusses different aspects of drought from types, indices, and forecasting to monitoring, modeling, and mitigation measures. It also addresses how climate change is impacting drought and decision-making concluding with lessons learned about science, policy, and managing uncertainty. Features: Provides a global perspective on drought prediction and management and a synthesis of the recent state of knowledge. Covers a wide range of topics from essential concepts and advanced techniques for forecasting and modeling drought to societal impacts, consequences, and planning Presents numerous case studies with different management approaches from different regions and countries. Addresses how climate change impacts drought, the increasing challenges associated with managing drought, decision making, and policy implications. Includes contributions from hundreds of experts around the world. Professionals, researchers, academics, and postgraduate students with knowledge in Environmental Sciences, Ecology, Agriculture, Forestry, Hydrology, Water Resources Engineering, and Earth Sciences, as well as those interested in how climate change impacts drought management, will gain new insights from the experts featured in this two-volume handbook.

The Mediterranean region contains a diverse and interesting climate ranging from areas with permanent glaciers to areas of subtropical, semiarid regions. The region is potentially sensitive to climate change and its progress has environmental, social, and economic implications within and beyond the region. Produced by the Mediterranean Climate Variability and Predictability Research Networking Project, this book reviews the evolution of the Mediterranean climate over the past two millennia with projections further into the twenty-first century as well as examining in detail various aspects of the Mediterranean region's climate including evolution, atmospheric variables, and oceanic and land elements. Integrated with this, the book also considers the social and economic problems or vulnerabilities associated with the region. Written and reviewed by multiple researchers to ensure a high level of information presented clearly, Mediterranean Climate Variables will be an invaluable source of information for geologists, oceanographers, and anyone interested in learning more about the Mediterranean climate.

New York Times–bestselling author Tristan Gooley opens our eyes to the secret language of trees―and the natural wonders they reveal all around us

Trees are keen to tell us so much. They’ll tell us about the land, the water, the people, the animals, the weather, and time. And they will tell us about their lives, the good bits and bad. Trees tell a story, but only to those who know how to read it.

In How to Read a Tree, Gooley uncovers the clues hiding in plain sight: in a tree’s branches and leaves; its bark, buds, and flowers; even its stump. Leaves with a pale, central streak mean that water is nearby. Young, low-growing branches show that a tree is struggling. And reddish or purple bark signals new growth.

Like snowflakes, no two trees are exactly the same. Every difference reveals the epic story this tree has lived―if we stop to look closely.

This book comprises select proceedings of the annual conference of the Indian Geotechnical Society. The conference brings together research and case histories on various aspects of geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering. The book presents papers on geotechnical applications and case histories, covering topics such as (i) Characterization of Geomaterials and Physical Modelling; (ii) Foundations and Deep Excavations; (iii) Soil Stabilization and Ground Improvement; (iv) Geoenvironmental Engineering and Waste Material Utilization; (v) Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering; (vi) Earth Retaining Structures, Dams and Embankments; (vii) Slope Stability and Landslides; (viii) Transportation Geotechnics; (ix) Geosynthetics Applications; (x) Computational, Analytical and Numerical Modelling; (xi) Rock Engineering, Tunnelling and Underground Constructions; (xii) Forensic Geotechnical Engineering and Case Studies; and (xiii) Others Topics: Behaviour of Unsaturated Soils, Offshore and Marine Geotechnics, Remote Sensing and GIS, Field Investigations, Instrumentation and Monitoring, Retrofitting of Geotechnical Structures, Reliability in Geotechnical Engineering, Geotechnical Education, Codes and Standards, and other relevant topics. The contents of this book are of interest to researchers and practicing engineers alike.

This book presents the phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of freshwater red algae. Its content is divided into five chapters. The first chapter provides a brief history of freshwater red algal research, habits and collecting methods, general biogeographic trends and an overview of the taxonomic/phylogenetic placement of freshwater taxa. The other four chapters are taxonomic treatments of non-marine red algae based on taxonomic levels, i.e. classes within the phylum Rhodophyta, orders within each class, families within each order, and genera within each family. Descriptions, phylogenetic data (including numerous trees), geographic range (maps for most species) and dichotomous keys for identification are presented. Comprehensive data are provided for more than 220 species.

This book, as a part of a series of CERES publications, provides a multi-regional and cross-sectoral analysis of food and water security, especially in the era of climate risks, biodiversity loss, pressure on scarce resources, especially land and water, increasing global population, and changing dietary preferences. It includes both conceptual research and empirically-based studies, which provides context-specific analyses and recommendations based on a variety of case studies from Africa, Middle East, and Asia regarding the fostering of long-term resilience of food and water security. The core approach of the volume consists of: assessing the structural drivers affecting the vulnerability of food and water security, under the persistence of current trends; identifying the best solutions and practices to enhance the climate resilience for food and water security; and fostering climate adaptation and biodiversity protection for food and water security.

This book focuses on some technical problems encountered in shield tunneling in hard-soft uneven stratum and extremely soft stratum, based on the recent shield tunneling engineering practice, and summarizes the achievements of shield tunneling in view of the technical problems from an overall and objective perspective. There are 6 chapters in this book. Chapter 1 introduces the development trend of shield tunneling method, defines classification of various stratum where shield tunneling applies, and mainly analyses the selection of shield machines and the configuration of cutters. Chapters 2 to 5 elaborates the strata characteristics and construction difficulties under various stratum conditions, puts forward adaptive selection and design keys of shield in various stratum, and emphatically analyses and summarizes the stability control technologies of shield tunnel face and driving control technology by case studies. Chapter 6 introduces the shield chamber opening technologies under hyperbaric condition, emphatically presents the basic requirements and operational preparations for the shield chamber opening, and puts forward innovative ideas of operation procedures, control points of key procedures, and safety requirements of shield chamber opening under hyperbaric condition.

Geomorphological Mapping: a professional handbook of techniques and applications is a new book targeted at academics and practitioners who use, or wish to utilise, geomorphological mapping within their work. Synthesising for the first time an historical perspective to geomorphological mapping, field based and digital tools and techniques for mapping and an extensive array of case studies from academics and professionals active in the area. Those active in geomorphology, engineering geology, reinsurance, Environmental Impact Assessors, and allied areas, will find the text of immense value.
Growth of interest in geomorphological mapping and currently no texts comprehensively cover this topicExtensive case studies that will appeal to professionals, academics and students (with extensive use of diagrams, potentially colour plates)Brings together material on digital mapping (GIS and remote sensing), cartography and data sources with a focus on modern technologies (including GIS, remote sensing and digital terrain analysis)Provides readers with summaries of current advances in methodological/technical aspectsAccompanied by electronic resources for digital mapping

The increasingly widespread production of toxins by marine and freshwater microalgae raises serious concerns regarding seafood and drinking water safety. This book compiles studies on the influence of climate change on the spreading of toxin-producing species in aquatic systems. The chemistry and biology of toxin production is revised and an outlook on control and prevention of the toxins' impact on human and animal health is given.

This innovative book investigates the concept of collapse in terms of our built environment, exploring the future transition of modern cities towards scenarios very different from the current promises of progress and development. This is not a book about the end of the world and hopeless apocalyptic scenarios. It is about understanding change in how and where we live. Collapse is inevitable, but in the built environment collapse could imply a manageable situation, an opportunity for change or a devastating reality. Collapsing gracefully means that there might be better ways to coexist with collapse if we learn more about it and commit to rebuild our civilisations in ways that avoid its worst effects. This book uses a wide range of practical examples to study critical changes in the built environment, to contextualise and visualise what collapse looks like, to see if it is possible to buffer its effects in places already collapsing and to propose ways to develop greater resilience. The book challenges all agents and institutions in modern cities, their designers and planners as well as their residents and users to think differently about built environment so as to ease our coexistence with collapse and not contribute to its causes. .

The book seeks to comprehend how indigenous knowledge systems of local communities can be effectively used in disaster management of various types. A prime example is the 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, promoting indigenous environmental management knowledge and practices. Traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples includes information and insight that supplement conventional science and environmental observations, a comprehensive understanding of the environment, natural resources, culture, and human interactions with them which is not documented before. A great deal of this knowledge have been lost in translation. In this book, the authors attempt to keep a record of each and every traditional knowledge study of the indigenous communities in managing the disasters. The use of indigenous knowledge systems in disaster understanding and management is the primary focus of the chapters.   This book is organized into four major sections. The first part gives an overview and help in conceptualizing the different concepts of hazard and disaster perception and how response and adaptation are connected with it. This part also discusses the concept of the connection between hazard and sustainable development and how the understanding of risk reduction and resilience can happen with the help of indigenous knowledge, insights, and strategies. The second part of the book introduces the different approaches to disaster and risk management. It establishes how vulnerability influences the risk associated with a hazard and the responses can be both positive and negative in disaster management. The approaches of the indigenous communities in managing a disaster, their resilience, capacity building, and community-based preparedness will be the area of prime focus in this chapter. Part 3 of this book describes the concept of sustainability through indigenous knowledge and practice. The sole highlight of this chapter is the indigenous knowledge efficacies in disaster identification, risk reduction, climate risk management, and climate action. The last section of the book explores how to meet the gaps between local knowledge and policy formulation. It highlights how traditional knowledge of the indigenous communities can prove to be beneficial in developing a holistic regional-based policy framework which will be easily accepted by the target stakeholders since they will be more acquainted with the local strategies and methods. This section ends with an assessment and discussion of the gaps and future scopes in disaster risk reduction through integrating local knowledge and modern technologies.

Contents:
Introduction to modelling. Models as appropriate simplifications of reality. Examples of models used in engineering. Characteristics of soil behaviour. Volumetric response. Stress level dependency. Stress history dependency. Implications for modelling. Physical modelling. Scaling laws. Compromises to address soil behavoiur. Possibilities of single gravity modelling. Interpretation of single gravity laboratory models. Interpretation of full scale modelling. Examples of single gravity models. Centrifuge modelling. Scaling laws revisited. Types of centrifuges. Design of centrifuge models. Interpretation of centrifuge models. Examples of centrifuge models. Theoretical modelling. Simple models which do not require extensive numerical programs. Elastic analysis. Embedded wall - mobilisation model. Numerical modelling. Basics of numerical analysis. Finite elements. Finite difference. Assumptions and specifications. Soil constitutive modelling. Elastic models. Elastic-perfectly plastic models. Elastic-hardening plastic models. Elastic-kinematic hardening plastic models. Modelling non-monotonic loading. Soil stiffness. Selection of soil properties. Soil structure interaction. Serviceability calculations. Effect of choice of soil model on pattern of deformations. Flexible footing. Flexible retaining wall. Tunnel lining. Pile under lateral loading. Examples of numerical modelling. Examples where traditional design approaches have difficulty. Stage construction of embankments. Earthquake loading. Conclusion. What to expect from geotechnical modelling. What not to expect from geotechnical modelling. Future developments. Elastic-kinematic hardening plastic models. Modelling non-monotonic loading. Soil stiffness. Selection of soil properties. Soil Structure interaction. Serviceability calculations. Effect of choice of soil model on pattern of deformations. Flexible footing. Flexible retaining wall. Tunnel lining. Pile under lateral loading. Examples of numerical modelling. Examples where traditional design approaches have difficulty. Stage construction of embankments. Earthquake loading. Conclusion. What to expect from geotechnical modelling. What not to expect from geotechnical modelling. Future developments.

The paradigm and models of traditional soil science lack the ability to adequately address issues of soil dynamics, environmental integration, and change. Unexplainable research results obtained from traditional soil studies applied to non-traditional soil phenomena in physical geography, archaeology and ecology speak to the current need for soil science to move beyond description and classification and into a dynamic process-oriented soil science capable of providing explanations. Soils do not behave as static inert geologic detritus affected by climate, organisms, relief, and parent material through time, but instead soils behave as self-organizing systems dynamically interrelating with their environment. Recognition of this dynamic behaviour required a re-examination of how scientists in general think and in how modern soil science specifically evolved its basic paradigms and models. This book examines the dynamics of soil organic carbon and demonstrates the self-organizing nature of soil through time as soil responds to a wide range of environmental and human perturbations.

'Physical Properties of Rocks - a Workbook' is a symbiosis of a brief description of physical fundamentals of rock properties (based on typical experimental results and relevant theories and models) with a guide for practical use of different theoretical concepts. For this purpose a companion web site contains a selection of model based equations in excel worksheets for practical application and training by the user to work with his own data (or to ''play" in order to demonstrate the effects of various input information and to demonstrate the effects of various input information in petrophysical work.

In two special chapters the problem of relationships between petrophysical parameters based on various model concepts is presented as a foundation for combined interpretation. This part also contains the author's 'structured model'.

The workbook is a result of the more than 40 years experience of the author in teaching at universities and industrial courses.

Presents all practical relevant properties of rock in one volume
Experimental and theoretical fundamentals in a systematic framework
Special focus on relationships between properties