The constant increase in the consumption of mineral resources, as well as the growing awareness of their exploitation, is causing deep concern within the scientific community. This concern is justified by the fact that the energy transition will increase the pressure on these resources, as renewable energies require an increased and more diversified quantity of mineral materials. This book presents an overview of the exploitation of these mineral resources, where the natural, regulatory and environmental constraints interfere with economic, financial and geopolitical interests. By mobilizing the fields of the humanities, geosciences and engineering, it also analyzes the challenges that the energy transition will encounter, challenges related to the contradictory effects that the acceleration of the extraction of these resources will have on their physical availability, the economies that exploit them and the populations that live off of them

This book comprises the select proceedings of the International Conference on Recent Advances in Civil Engineering (ICRACE) 2020, held at the Cochin University of Science and Technology, Cochin, Kerala, India. The book focuses on latest research in different areas of civil engineering and lays special emphasis on sustainable construction practices. It is divided into seven major themes: (i) Modern materials and sustainable construction, (ii) Environmental engineering and management, (iii) Geotechnical engineering, (iv) Health, safety and environment, (v) Irrigation, water resources and management, (vi) Structural Engineering, and (vii) Transportation engineering and traffic planning. Given the range of the topics covered, this book can be useful for students, scholars and professionals interested in the different sub-disciplines of civil engineering.

Handbook of Flotation Reagents: Chemistry, Theory and Practice: Flotation of Gold, PGM and Oxide Minerals, Volume 2 focuses on the theory, practice, and chemistry of flotation of gold, platinum group minerals (PGMs), and the major oxide minerals, along with rare earths. It examines separation methods whose effectiveness is limited when using conventional treatment processes and considers commercial plant practices for most oxide minerals, such as pyrochlore-containing ores, copper cobalt ores, zinc ores, tin ores, and tantalum/niobium ores. It discusses the geology and mineralogy of gold, PGMs, and oxide minerals, as well as reagent and flotation practices in beneficiation. The book also looks at the factors affecting the floatability of gold minerals and describes PGM-dominated deposits such as Morensky-type deposits, hydrothermal deposits, and placer deposits. In addition, case studies of flotation and beneficiation in countries such as Canada, Africa, Russia, Chile, and Saudi Arabia are presented. This book will be useful to researchers, university students, and professors, as well as mineral processors faced with the problem of beneficiation of difficult-to-treat ores.

Current developments in air pollution modeling are explored as a series of contributions from researchers at the forefront of their field. This newest contribution on air pollution modeling and its application is focused on local, urban, regional and intercontinental modeling; emission modeling and processing; data assimilation and air quality forecasting; model assessment and evaluation; atmospheric aerosols. Additionally, this work also examines the relationship between air quality and human health and the effects of climate change on air quality. This work is a collection of selected papers presented at the 36th International Technical Meeting on Air Pollution Modeling and its Application, held in Ottawa, Canada, May 14-18, 2018. The book is intended as reference material for students and professors interested in air pollution modeling at the graduate level as well as researchers and professionals involved in developing and utilizing air pollution models.

Explores the complex physico-chemical processes involved in active volcanism and dynamic magmatism Understanding the magmatic processes responsible for the chemical and textural signatures of volcanic products and igneous rocks is crucial for monitoring, forecasting, and mitigating the impacts of volcanic activity. Dynamic Magma Evolution is a compilation of recent geochemical, petrological, physical, and thermodynamic studies. It combines field research, experimental results, theoretical approaches, unconventional and novel techniques, and computational modeling to present the latest developments in the field. Volume highlights include: Crystallization and degassing processes in magmatic environments Bubble and mineral nucleation and growth induced by cooling and decompression Kinetic processes during magma ascent to the surface Magma mixing, mingling, and recharge dynamics Geo-speedometer measurement of volcanic events Changes in magma rheology induced by mineral and volatile content The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

In its first English-language edition, this book introduces the many-faceted interactions of animal populations with their habitats. From soil fauna, ants and termites to small and large herbivores, burrowing mammals and birds, the author presents a comprehensive analysis of animals and ecosystems that is as broad and varied as all nature. Chapter 2 addresses the functional role of animals in landscape ecosystems, emphasizing fluxes of energy and matter within and between ecosystems, and the effects of animals on qualitative and structural habitat change. Discussion includes chapters on the role of animal population density and the impacts of native herbivores on vegetation and habitats from the tropics to the polar regions. Cyclic mass outbreaks of species such as the larch bud moth in Switzerland, the mountain pine beetle and the African red-billed weaver bird are described and analyzed. Other chapters discuss Zoochory - the dispersal of seeds by ants, mammals and birds - and the influence of burrowing animals on soil development and geomorphology. Consideration extends to the impact of feral domestic animals. Chapter 5 focuses on problems resulting from introduction of alien animals and from re-introduction of animal species to their original habitats, discusses the effects on ecosystems of burrowing, digging and trampling by animals. The author also addresses keystone species such as kangaroo rats, termites and beavers. Chapter 6 addresses the role of animals in landscape management and nature conservation, with chapters on the impact of newcomer species such as animals introduced into Australia, New Zealand and Europe, and the consequences of reintroduction of species to original habitat. It also discusses the carrying capacity of natural habit, public attitudes toward conversation and more. The final section ponders the effects of climate on interactions between animals and their habitats.

This book gathers the proceedings of the 6th China High Resolution Earth Observation Conference (CHREOC). Since its inception, the conference series has become an influential academic event in the earth detection area and attracted more and more top experts and industry practitioners in related fields. CHREOC chiefly focuses on popular topics including military-civilian integration, the One Belt and One Road initiative, and the transformation of scientific research achievements, while also discussing new ideas, new technologies, new methods, and new developments. The CHREOC conferences have effectively promoted high-level institutional mechanisms, technological innovation, and industrial upgrading in the high-resolution earth observation area, and sparked new interest in the major national-sponsored project CHREOS. The majority of the contributing authors are researchers and experts participating in the CHREOS project. The papers highlight new findings, technical innovations, and research directions in the field of high-resolution earth observation. All articles have undergone several rounds of expert review and reflect cutting-edge advances. Accordingly, the proceedings offer an informative and valuable resource for both academic research and engineering practice.

This volume provides essential information on the origin and evolution of Greek rivers, as well as their ecological and anthropogenic characteristics. The topics covered include geomythology, biogeography, hydrology, hydrobiology, hydrogeochemistry, geological and biogeochemical processes, anthropogenic pressures and ecological impacts, water management - both in the antiquity and today - and river restoration. The book is divided into four parts, the first of which explores the importance of rivers for ancient Greek civilization and the natural processes affecting their evolution during the Holocene. In the second part, the hydrological, hydrochemical and biological features of Greek rivers and the unique biogeographical characteristics that form the basis for their high biodiversity and endemism are highlighted, while the third part comprehensively discusses the impacts of environmental pollution on the structure and function of Greek river ecosystems. In turn, the final part describes the current socio-economic factors in Greece that are affecting established water management practices, the application of ecohydrological approaches in restoring fragmented rivers, and the lessons learned from restoring aquatic ecosystems in general as a paradigm for understanding and minimizing anthropogenic impacts on water resources, at the Mediterranean scale. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike.

This book describes selected problems in contemporary spectroscopy in the context of quantum mechanics and statistical physics. It focuses on elementary radiative processes involving atomic particles (atoms, molecules, ions), which include radiative transitions between discrete atomic states, the photoionization of atoms, photorecombination of electrons and ions, bremsstrahlung, photodissociation of molecules, and photoattachment of electrons to atoms. In addition to these processes, the transport of resonant radiation in atomic gases and propagation of infrared radiation in molecular gases are also considered. The book subsequently addresses applied problems such as optical pumping, cooling of gases via laser resonance radiation, light-induced drift of gas atoms, photoresonant plasma, reflection of radio waves from the ionosphere, and detection of submillimeter radiation using Rydberg atoms. Lastly, topical examples in atmospheric and climate change science are presented, such as lightning channel glowing, emission of the solar photosphere, and the greenhouse phenomenon in the atmospheres of the Earth and Venus. Along with researchers, both graduate and undergraduate students in atomic, molecular and atmospheric physics will find this book a useful and timely guide.

Presents a comprehensive synopsis of the current state of cosmic rays, their modulation and their effects in the Earth's atmosphere. Leading scientists in the field assess the current state of our understanding of the spatial and temporal variations of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays in the Heliosphere, and their relation to effects of the Sun. The main objective is to understand the spatial and temporal variation of galactic and anomalous cosmic rays in the light of recent observations, theory and modeling by identifying the key mechanism(s) of cosmic ray modulation and how changes on the Sun relate to changes in the observed characteristics of cosmic rays in the Heliosphere; examining the current long-lasting solar minimum and understand its implications for solar-cycle variations and long-term variations; and interpreting the long-term variations of cosmogenic radionuclides in terms of solar variability and climate change on Earth. This volume is aimed at graduate students active in the fields of solar physics, space science, and cosmic ray physics. Originally published in Space Science Reviews journal, Vol. 176/1-4, 2013.

The book deals primarily with the aspects of advances in Self-Potential geophysical data modeling, different interpretation techniques, new ideas and an integrated study to delineate the subsurface structures associated with exploration, contamination, buried paleochannels, archaeological investigations, glaciology, geomorphology, subsurface mapping and also in hydrocarbon exploration.The book is specifically aimed with the state-of-art information regarding research advances and new development in these areas of study, coupled to extensive modelling and field investigations obtained from around the world. It is extremely enlightening for the students, research workers, scientists, faculty members in Applied Geophysics, Near Surface Geophysics, Potential field, Electrical and Electromagnetic methods, Mathematical Modeling Techniques in Earth Sciences, as well as Environmental and other practical problems associated with Earth Sciences.