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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences
This self-contained monograph gives a thorough introduction to the
theory of gravity which is used as the basis for developing
applications in exploration and geodesy. In addition, a survey of
gravity instrumentation is given, with emphasis on the theory of
underlying these instruments. The book finishes with an exposition
of forward modeling and inverston, again emphasizing fundamental
principles.
*Surveys gravity instrumentation with emphasis on the theory of why
certain instrumentation is used
*Presents thorough developments of the theory of gravity to aid in
creating applications in exploration and geodesy
*Emphasizes the fundamental principles of forward modeling and
inversion in the gravitational method
A participatory and integrated procedure for the planning of water
resources is presented and illustrated through its application to a
real-world case study: the planning of a trans-boundary,
multi-purpose, regulated lake. Methods and concepts from Hydrology,
System Analysis, Optimal Control, Decision and Negotiation Theory
are presented and framed in a comprehensive and coherent procedure
for the efficient development of the decision-making process.
Relevant theoretical and mathematical aspects are briefly presented
for the non-expert reader, as well as all those practical details
that are often omitted in texts, but that constitute the very
essence of a project and make the difference between a successful
project and a failure. The book provides practicing professionals,
decision-makers and scientists with a complete, immediate example
of application of the Integrated Water Resource Management
paradigm.
- Complete development of a real world application of IWRM
- Integration of technical modelling and control aspects with
participatory and decision-making issues
- Enclosed DVD with videos and a hypertext with deep insights into
the IWRM application, related problems and practical solutions
* An accessible resource, covering the fundamentals of carbonate
reservoir engineering
* Includes discussions on how, where and why carbonate are formed,
plus reviews of basic sedimentological and stratigraphic principles
to explain carbonate platform characteristics and stratigraphic
relationships
* Offers a new, genetic classification of carbonate porosity that
is especially useful in predicting spatial distribution of pore
networks.
* Includes a solution manual
Lightning has evoked a numinous response as well as powerful
timeless references and symbols among ancient religions throughout
the world. Thunder and lightning have also taken on various
symbolic manifestations, some representing primary deities, as in
the case of Zeus and Jupiter in the Greco/Roman tradition, and Thor
in Norse myth. Similarly, lightning veneration played an important
role to the ancient civilizations of Mesoamerica and Andean South
America. Lightning veneration and the religious cults and their
associated rituals represent to varying degrees a worship of nature
and the forces that shape the natural world. The inter-relatedness
of the cultural and natural environment is related to what may be
called a widespread cultural perception of the natural world as
sacred, a kind of mythic landscape. Comparative analysis of the
Andes and Mesoamerica has been a recurring theme recently in part
because two of the areas of "high civilization" in the Americas
have much in common despite substantial ecological differences, and
in part because there is some evidence, of varying quality, that
some people had migrated from one area to the other. Lightning in
the Andes and Mesoamerica is the first ever study to explore the
symbolic elements surrounding lightning in their associated
Pre-Columbian religious ideologies. Moreover, it extends its
examination to contemporary culture to reveal how cultural
perceptions of the sacred, their symbolic representations and
ritual practices, and architectural representations in the
landscape were conjoined in the ancient past. Ethnographic accounts
and ethnohistoric documents provide insights through first-hand
accounts that broaden our understanding of levels of syncretism
since the European contact. The interdisciplinary research
presented herein also provides a basis for tracing back
Pre-Columbian manifestations of lightning its associated religious
beliefs and ritual practices, as well as its mythological,
symbolic, iconographic, and architectural representations to
earlier civilizations. This unique study will be of great interest
to scholars of Pre-Columbian South and Mesoamerica, and will
stimulate future comparative studies by archaeologists and
anthropologists.
After the 1998 flood of the Yangtze River, one of the world s most
important rivers, environmental experts realized that, to control
flooding, much more attention must be paid to vegetation cover on
bare lands, thin forest land, and shrub-covered land in mountain
areas. In 1999, an environmental monitoring project of the forests
in 11 provinces of the Yangtze River basin was undertaken. This
book reports on soil loss prediction and the successful practices
of soil loss control in eastern China in recent years.
Everyone is familiar with the dodo and the wooly mammoth, but
how many people have heard of the scimitar cat and the Falkland
Island fox? "Extinct Animals" portrays over 60 remarkable animals
that have been lost forever during the relatively recent geological
past. Each entry provides a concise discussion of the history of
the animal--how and where it lived, and how it became extinct--as
well as the scientific discovery and analysis of the creature. In
addition, this work examines what led to extinction--from the role
of cyclical swings in the Earth's climate to the spread of humans
and their activities. Many scientists believe that we are in the
middle of a mass extinction right now, caused by the human
undermining of the earth's complex systems that support life.
Understanding what caused the extinction of animals in the past may
help us understand and prevent the extinction of species in the
future.
"Extinct Animals" examines the biology and history of some of
the most interesting creatures that have ever lived, including: The
American Terror Bird, which probably became extinct over 1 million
years ago, who were massive predators, some of which were almost 10
feet tall; the Rocky Mountain Locust, last seen in 1902, formed the
most immense animal aggregations ever known, with swarms estimated
to include over 10 trillion insects; the Giant Ground Sloth, which
was as large as an elephant; and the Neandertals, the first
Europeans, which co-existed with prehistoric Homo sapiens. "Extinct
Animals" includes illustrations--many created for the work--that
help the reader visualize the extinct creature, and each entry
concludes with a list of resources for those who wish to do further
research.
Glaciotectonism is an important component of modern glacial theory,
gaining widespread recognition within the past 25 years. This book
is outcome of compiling maps of glaciotectonic structures and
landforms for North America and central Europe, which is the basis
for better understanding the role of glaciotectonism as a key
component of glacial theory.
Glaciotectonism is intented to provide a comprehensive review and
description of glaciotectonic phenomena. The subject matter is
arranged in three broad sections. First, definitions, principles,
and methodologies of glaciotectonics in the field as well as in the
laboratory are described. Next, case histories of glaciotectonic
structures and landforms from the land and continental shelf
regions of North America and Eurasia are then covered in detail.
Practical applications for mining, highway construction, and other
human activities are also described. The last part of the book
covers regional and continental distribution of glaciotectonic
phenomena, dynamics of glaciotectonic deformation, and analogous
non-glacial deformation.
* Provides definitions, principles, and methodology of
investigation for glaciotectonic phenomena
* Features case histories of glaciotectonic structures and
landforms from the glaciated land and continental shelf regions of
North America and Eurasia
* Analyzes mechanical and theoretical glaciotectonic deformation;
analogous deformation of non-glacial origin
Volcanic seismology represents the main, and often the only,
tool to forecast volcanic eruptions and to monitor the eruption
process. This book describes the main types of seismic signals at
volcanoes, their nature and spatial and temporal distributions at
different stages of eruptive activity. Following from the success
of the first edition, published in 2003, the second edition
consists of 19 chapters including significant revision and five new
chapters. Organized into four sections, the book begins with an
introduction to the history and topic of volcanic seismology,
discussing the theoretical and experimental models that were
developed for the study of the origin of volcanic earthquakes. The
second section is devoted to the study of volcano-tectonic
earthquakes, giving the theoretical basis for their occurrence and
swarms as well as case stories of volcano-tectonic activity
associated with the eruptions at basaltic, andesitic, and dacitic
volcanoes. There were 40 cases of volcanic eruptions at 20
volcanoes that occurred all over the world from 1910 to 2005, which
are discussed. General regularities of volcano-tectonic earthquake
swarms, their participation in the eruptive process, their source
properties, and the hazard of strong volcano-tectonic earthquakes
are also described. The third section describes the theoretical
basis for the occurrence of eruption earthquakes together with the
description of volcanic tremor, the seismic signals associated with
pyroclastic flows, rockfalls and lahars, and volcanic explosions,
long-period and very-long-period seismic signals at volcanoes,
micro-earthquake swarms, and acoustic events. The final section
discuss the mitigation of volcanic hazard and include the
methodology of seismic monitoring of volcanic activity, the
examples of forecasting of volcanic eruptions by seismic methods,
and the description of seismic activity in the regions of dormant
volcanoes.
This book will be essential for students and practitioners of
volcanic seismology to understand the essential elements of
volcanic eruptions.
Provides a comprehensive overview of seismic signals at different
stages of volcano eruption.Discusses dozens of case histories from
around the world to provide real-world applications.Illustrations
accompany detailed descriptions of volcano eruptions alongside the
theories involved.
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