Manage a Hazard or Threat Effectively and Prevent It from Becoming a Disaster When disaster strikes, it can present challenges to those caught off guard, leaving them to cope with the fallout. Adopting a risk management approach to addressing threats, vulnerability, and risk assessments is critical to those on the frontline. Developed with first responders at the municipal, state, provincial, and federal level in mind, Physical Security and Environmental Protection guides readers through the various phases of disaster management, including prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. It contains the steps and principles essential to effectively managing a hazard or threat, preventing it from becoming a disaster. From the Initial Threat Assessment to Response and Recovery Operations Considering both natural and manmade disasters, this text includes sections on hazard analysis, emergency planning, effective communication, and leadership. It covers threat assessment, examines critical infrastructure protection, and addresses violent behavior. The text also outlines protection strategies; discussing strategy management, identifying suspicious behavior, and detailing how to avoid a potential attack. The text includes an overview on developing force protection plans, security plans, and business continuity plans. The book also addresses response and recovery operations, explores post-incident stress management, and poses the following questions: What hazards exist in or near the community? How frequently do these hazards occur? How much damage can they cause? Which hazards pose the greatest threat? This text includes the tools and information necessary to help readers develop business continuity, force protection, and emergency preparedness plans for their own group or organization.

Earth is, to our knowledge, the only life-bearing body in the Solar System. This extraordinary characteristic dates back almost 4 billion years. How to explain that Earth is teeming with organisms and that this has lasted for so long? What makes Earth different from its sister planets Mars and Venus? The habitability of a planet is its capacity to allow the emergence of organisms. What astronomical and geological conditions concurred to make Earth habitable 4 billion years ago, and how has it remained habitable since? What have been the respective roles of non-biological and biological characteristics in maintaining the habitability of Earth? This unique book answers the above questions by considering the roles of organisms and ecosystems in the Earth System, which is made of the non-living and living components of the planet. Organisms have progressively occupied all the habitats of the planet, diversifying into countless life forms and developing enormous biomasses over the past 3.6 billion years. In this way, organisms and ecosystems "took over" the Earth System, and thus became major agents in its regulation and global evolution. There was co-evolution of the different components of the Earth System, leading to a number of feedback mechanisms that regulated long-term Earth conditions. For millennia, and especially since the Industrial Revolution nearly 300 years ago, humans have gradually transformed the Earth System. Technological developments combined with the large increase in human population have led, in recent decades, to major changes in the Earth's climate, soils, biodiversity and quality of air and water. After some successes in the 20th century at preventing internationally environmental disasters, human societies are now facing major challenges arising from climate change. Some of these challenges are short-term and others concern the thousand-year evolution of the Earth's climate. Humans should become the stewards of Earth.

Environmental and Low-Temperature Geochemistry presents conceptual and quantitative principles of geochemistry in order to foster understanding of natural processes at and near the earth's surface, as well as anthropogenic impacts and remediation strategies. It provides the reader with principles that allow prediction of concentration, speciation, mobility and reactivity of elements and compounds in soils, waters, sediments and air, drawing attention to both thermodynamic and kinetic controls. The scope includes atmosphere, terrestrial waters, marine waters, soils, sediments and rocks in the shallow crust; the temporal scale is present to Precambrian, and the spatial scale is nanometers to local, regional and global. This second edition of Environmental and Low-Temperature Geochemistry provides the most up-to-date status of the carbon cycle and global warming, including carbon sources, sinks, fluxes and consequences, as well as emerging evidence for (and effects of) ocean acidification. Understanding environmental problems like this requires knowledge based in fundamental principles of equilibrium, kinetics, basic laws of chemistry and physics, empirical evidence, examples from the geological record, and identification of system fluxes and reservoirs that allow us to conceptualize and understand. This edition aims to do that with clear explanations of fundamental principles of geochemistry as well as information and approaches that provide the student or researcher with knowledge to address pressing questions in environmental and geological sciences. New content in this edition includes: Focus Boxes - one every two or three pages - providing case study examples (e.g. methyl isocyanate in Bhopal, origins and health effects of asbestiform minerals), concise explanations of fundamental concepts (e.g. balancing chemical equations, isotopic fractionation, using the Keq to predict reactivity), and useful information (e.g. units of concentration, titrating to determine alkalinity, measuring redox potential of natural waters); Sections on emerging contaminants for which knowledge is rapidly increasing (e.g. perfluorinated compounds, pharmaceuticals and other domestic and industrial chemicals); Greater attention to interrelationships of inorganic, organic and biotic phases and processes; Descriptions, theoretical frameworks and examples of emerging methodologies in geochemistry research, e.g. clumped C-O isotopes to assess seawater temperature over geological time, metal stable isotopes to assess source and transport processes, X-ray absorption spectroscopy to study oxidation state and valence configuration of atoms and molecules; Additional end-of-chapter problems, including more quantitatively based questions. Two detailed case studies that examine fate and transport of organic contaminants (VOCs, PFCs), with data and interpretations presented separately. These examples consider the chemical and mineralogical composition of rocks, soils and waters in the affected system; microbial influence on the decomposition of organic compounds; the effect of reduction-oxidation on transport of Fe, As and Mn; stable isotopes and synthetic compounds as tracers of flow; geological factors that influence flow; and implications for remediation. The interdisciplinary approach and range of topics - including environmental contamination of air, water and soil as well as the processes that affect both natural and anthropogenic systems - make it well-suited for environmental geochemistry courses at universities as well as liberal arts colleges.

People have been interested in caves for a very long time. Our distant ancestors used them for shelter, as sources of water, and as places in which to conduct essential rituals. They adorned their walls with quite sophisticated artwork depicting both their existential and spiritual concerns. Caves feature in our mythology, they are used as places of worship in many cultures, and they are used throughout the world as places in which to store prized foodstuffs and wine. For at least two hundred years they have attracted scientists, artists, photographers, and recreational cavers. This book aims examines how caves form, the light they shed on past environments and climates, and the values, both environmental and cultural, that they provide to humanity. This second edition of Caves: Processes, Development, and Management is a welcome revision of the author's earlier treatment released over twenty years ago. It has been updated, significantly expanded, and largely rewritten. The intervening years have seen a dramatic increase in karst and cave research globally, with significant advances in our understanding of fundamental processes, in our ability to extract proxy climatic and environmental data from cave deposits, and in our understanding of the breadth of cave values and as a result the complexity of their management needs. This new edition adopts a broad international perspective in the research examples used and the cited literature, and has actively sought out material from the tropical world and the southern continents, thus avoiding the European and North American bias frequently found in speleological publications. Caves: Processes, Development, and Management, Second Edition, is organised into four sections. In the first section, contemporary processes of cave formation are examined. The second section of the book deals with past processes and their physical manifestation. In the third section, the use of caves by various organisms from bacteria to humans is explored. The final section of the book reviews our changing approaches to cave management and to catchment management on karst terrains. The book will be of use to anyone who is interested in caves and karst, or who wants to understand about cave formation, development, values and management.

This book includes basic knowledge and understanding on the characteristics of aerosols over the continent and oceanic regions, their composition, residence times, sinks and size distributions, and their effects in the radiative transfer and climate of Earth.

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.

Ice is melting around the world and glaciers are disappearing. Water, which has been solid for thousands and even millions of years, is being released into streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Embedded in this new fluid water, and now being released, are ancient microbes whose effects on today's organisms and ecosystems is unknown and unpredictable. These long sleeping microbes are becoming physiologically active and may accelerate global climate change. This book explores the emergence of these microbes. The implications for terrestrial life and the life that might exist elsewhere in the universe are explored. Key Selling Points: Explores the role of long frozen ancient microbes will have when released due to global warming Describes how ice preserves microbes and microbial genomes for thousands or millions of years Reviews work done on permafrost microbiology Identifies potential health hazards and environmental risks Examines implications for the search for extraterrestrial life.

Advanced information technology infrastructure is increasingly being employed in the Earth sciences to provide researchers with efficient access to massive central databases and to integrate diversely formatted information from a variety of sources. These geoinformatics initiatives enable manipulation, modeling and visualization of data in a consistent way, and are helping to develop integrated Earth models at various scales, and from the near surface to the deep interior. This book uses a series of case studies to demonstrate computer and database use across the geosciences. Chapters are thematically grouped into sections that cover data collection and management; modeling and community computational codes; visualization and data representation; knowledge management and data integration; and web services and scientific workflows. Geoinformatics is a fascinating and accessible introduction to this emerging field for readers across the solid Earth sciences and an invaluable reference for researchers interested in initiating new cyberinfrastructure projects of their own.

In terms of statistics, GIS offers many connections. With GIS, data are gathered, displayed, summarized, examined, and interpreted to discover patterns. Spatial Mathematics: Theory and Practice through Mapping uses GIS as a platform to teach mathematical concepts and skills through visualization of numbers. It examines theory and practice from disparate academic disciplines such as geography, mathematics, physics, and general social science. This approach allows students to grapple with biodiversity, crime, natural hazards, climate, energy, water, and other relevant real-world issues of the twenty-first century. Includes QR Codes Linked to Animated Maps, a Mapping Activity Site, or to an Interactive Webpage, Creating an Interactive Resource That Stays Relevant The book integrates competing philosophical views of the world: synthesis and analysis. These two approaches yield different results and employ different tools. This book considers both approaches to looking at real-world issues that have mathematics as a critical, but often unseen, component. This approach shows readers how to use mathematics to consider the broad problem at hand and to explore diverse realms in the worlds of geography and mathematics and in their interface. A truly interdisciplinary text, the book bridges the worlds of mathematics and geography and demonstrates how they are inextricably linked. It takes advantage of the convergence in citizen science, STEM education, and mapping that help readers become critical consumers of data-understanding its content, quality, limitations, and benefits. It provides thorough grounding in the analytical, statistical, and computational skills required for working in any field that uses geospatial technologies-not just surveyors and remote sensing analysts.

In 2011, there were fourteen natural calamities that each destroyed over a billion dollars worth of property in the United States alone. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast and major earthquakes struck in Italy, the Philippines, Iran, and Afghanistan. In the first half of 2013, the awful drumbeat continued a monster supertornado struck Moore, Oklahoma; a powerful earthquake shook Sichuan, China; a cyclone ravaged Queensland, Australia; massive floods inundated Jakarta, Indonesia; and the largest wildfire ever engulfed a large part of Colorado.

Despite these events, we still behave as if natural disasters are outliers. Why else would we continue to build new communities near active volcanoes, on tectonically active faults, on flood plains, and in areas routinely lashed by vicious storms?

A famous historian once observed that civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice. In the pages of this unique book, leading geologist Susan W. Kieffer provides a primer on most types of natural disasters: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, landslides, hurricanes, cyclones, and tornadoes. By taking us behind the scenes of the underlying geology that causes them, she shows why natural disasters are more common than we realize, and that their impact on us will increase as our growing population crowds us into ever more vulnerable areas.

Kieffer describes how natural disasters result from changes in state in a geologic system, much as when water turns to steam. By understanding what causes these changes of state, we can begin to understand the dynamics of natural disasters.

In the book s concluding chapter, Kieffer outlines how we might better prepare for, and in some cases prevent, future disasters. She also calls for the creation of an organization, something akin to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but focused on pending natural disasters."

Computers in Earth and Environmental Sciences: Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies in Hazards and Risk Management addresses the need for a comprehensive book that focuses on multi-hazard assessments, natural and manmade hazards, and risk management using new methods and technologies that employ GIS, artificial intelligence, spatial modeling, machine learning tools and meta-heuristic techniques. The book is clearly organized into four parts that cover natural hazards, environmental hazards, advanced tools and technologies in risk management, and future challenges in computer applications to hazards and risk management. Researchers and professionals in Earth and Environmental Science who require the latest technologies and advances in hazards, remote sensing, geosciences, spatial modeling and machine learning will find this book to be an invaluable source of information on the latest tools and technologies available.

A much-needed, precise and practical treatment of a key topic in the energy industry and beyond, Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs is an invaluable reference for those in both industry and academia Authored by renowned experts in the field, this book covers the understanding, evaluation, and effects of fractures in reservoirs. It offers a comprehensive yet practical discussion and description of natural fractures, their origins, characteristics, and effects on hydrocarbon reservoirs. It starts by introducing the reader to basic definitions and classifications of fractures and fractured reservoirs. It then provides an outline for fractured-reservoir characterization and analysis, and goes on to introduce the way fractures impact operational activities. Well organized and clearly illustrated throughout, Applied Concepts in Fractured Reservoirs starts with a section on understanding natural fractures. It looks at the different types, their dimensions, and the mechanics of fracturing rock in extension and shear. The next section provides information on measuring and analyzing fractures in reservoirs. It covers: logging core for fractures; taking, measuring, and analyzing fracture data; new core vs. archived core; CT scans; comparing fracture data from outcrops, core, and logs; and more. The last part examines the effects of natural fractures on reservoirs, including: the permeability behavior of individual fractures and fracture systems; fracture volumetrics; effects of fractures on drilling and coring; and the interaction between natural and hydraulic fractures. Teaches readers to understand and evaluate fractures Compiles and synthesizes various concepts and descriptions scattered in literature and synthesizes them with unpublished oil-field observations and data, along with the authors' own experience Bridges some of the gaps between reservoir engineers and geologists Provides an invaluable reference for geologists and engineers who need to understand naturally fractured reservoirs in order to efficiently extract hydrocarbons Illustrated in full color throughout Companion volume to the Atlas of Natural and Induced Fractures in Core

The Good Earth is the product of collaboration between the content rigor provided by Earth Science specialists and the results of research on learning. The Good Earth has been explicitly designed to be compatible with active learning teaching strategies in the college classroom. The structural elements of this text will allow the instructor to incorporate these student-centered teaching methods into their Earth Science course. The authors have tested the book's content and pedagogy in large Earth Science classes for non-majors that are populated with mostly freshmen. Their experiences show that the materials and methods in The Good Earth can improve students' learning, increase daily attendance, reduce attrition, and increase students' enthusiasm in comparison with classes taught following a traditional lecture format.

Air pollution affects every living organism, including all kinds of vegetation on which we depend for survival. The second edition of this standard reference textbook provides a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of the direct and indirect impacts of air pollution on plant life. Written by an international team of experts, the book also covers the main historical aspects and sources of pollutants, atmospheric transport and transformations of pollutants, and issues of global change and the use of science in air pollution policy formulation.

Air Pollution and Plant Life Second Edition is a unique text in several ways:

• covering all the main phytotoxic pollutants with due consideration given to impacts at all levels of plant organisation from molecular to ecological.

• emphasising the effects of air pollutants in altering plant response to common stresses, both abiotic and biotic - fields in which considerable progress has been made since publication of the first edition.

• and including coverage of how research leads to pollution control policy development.

Air Pollution and Plant Life Second Edition is essential reading for students in Environmental Science, Biological Science and Agriculture, as well as environmental consultants and professionals involved in air quality research and the application of air quality guidelines and advice.

The ancient Greeks called it Gaia; the Romans Terra. We know it simply as Earth, the planet we call home. And what a planet it is. Formed around 4.6 billion years ago from the debris of the big bang and long-dead stars, at first it was nothing special, but somehow it evolved to become the most amazing place in the known Universe. The only living planet we know of, it also has a very unusual moon, a remarkably dynamic surface, a complex atmosphere and a deeply mysterious interior. This is Planet Earth is dedicated to the wonders of Planet Earth. Its past is long and dramatic and its future shrouded in mystery. Yet despite centuries of research, only now are we starting to understand Earth's complexity. ABOUT THE SERIES New Scientist Instant Expert books are definitive and accessible entry points to the most important subjects in science; subjects that challenge, attract debate, invite controversy and engage the most enquiring minds. Designed for curious readers who want to know how things work and why, the Instant Expert series explores the topics that really matter and their impact on individuals, society, and the planet, translating the scientific complexities around us into language that's open to everyone, and putting new ideas and discoveries into perspective and context.

Man’s environment is pervaded by ionizing radiation of predominantly natural origin but now with an important contribution from anthropogenic activities. Exposure to ionizing radiation can have serious health implications, which is why it is of concern to us. This book brings together under one cover, the fundamentals of radiological protection, the techniques used for measuring radioactivity and radionuclides and the methods for modelling the dispersion of radionuclides in the environment. Information on radioactive decay, the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter and biological effects of radiation is provided in a form that enables the reader to quickly appreciate its importance to the environment and human health. Summaries of the effects of past releases, including the Chernobyl accident, are included as well as examples of applications of models to calculate and predict concentrations of radionuclides in our environment.

This book is aimed at all those studying, at undergraduate and graduate levels, radioactivity in the environment and its impact on man. It will also serve as a handbook for workers in the fields of radiochemical analysis and environmental modelling and for scientists, consultants and environmental health and pollution officers who have to provide radiological data or information for legislative and related purposes.

Geoinformatics for Geosciences: Advanced Geospatial Analysis using RS, GIS and Soft Computing is a comprehensive guide to the methodologies and techniques that can be used in Earth observation data assessments, geospatial analysis, and soft computing in the geosciences. The book covers a variety of spatiotemporal problems and topics in the areas of the environment, geohazards, urban analysis, health, pollution, climate change, resources and geomorphology, among others. Sections cover environmental and climate issues, analysis of geomorphological data, hazard and disaster impacts, natural and human resources, the influence of environmental conditions, geohazards, climate change, geomorphological changes, etc., and socioeconomic challenges. Detailing up-to-date techniques in geoinformatics, this book offers in-depth, up-to-date methodologies for researchers and academics to understand how contemporary data can be combined with innovative techniques and tools in order to address challenges in the geosciences.

Complex Systems lie at the heart of a variety of large-scale phenomena of great significance - global warming, ice ages, water, poverty, pandemics - and this text uses these case studies as motivations and contexts to explore complex systems and related topics of nonlinear dynamics and power-law statistics. Although detailed mathematical descriptions of these topics can be challenging, the consequences of a system being nonlinear, power-law, or complex are in fact quite accessible. This book blends a tutorial approach to the mathematical aspects of complex systems together with a complementary narrative on the global/ecological/societal implications of such systems. Nearly all engineering undergraduate courses focus on mathematics and systems which are small scale, linear, and Gaussian. Unfortunately there is not a single large-scale ecological or social phenomenon that is scalar, linear, and Gaussian. This book offers insights to better understand the large-scale problems facing the world and to realize that these cannot be solved by a single, narrow academic field or perspective. Instead, the book seeks to emphasize understanding, concepts, and ideas, in a way that is mathematically rigorous, so that the concepts do not feel vague, but not so technical that the mathematics get in the way. The book is intended for students in technical domains such as engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, and environmental studies. This second edition adds nine new examples, over 30 additional problems, 50 additional figures, and three new chapters offering a detailed study of system decoupling, extensive solutions to chapter problems, and a timely discussion on the complex systems challenges associated with COVID-19 and pandemics in general.

'Jake Fiennes is changing the face of farming in Britain... a revolutionising force' Isabella Tree Our relationship with our land is broken: we must heal it. Jake Fiennes is on a mission to change the face of the English countryside. As Conservation Manager at Holkham in Norfolk, one of the country's largest historic country estates, his radical habitat restoration and agricultural work has nurtured its species and risen its crop yields - bringing back wetlands, hedgerows, birds and butterflies over 25,000 acres of land. But this isn't rewilding - there is no 'wild' in Britain anymore. Mass farming, crop science and industrial chemicals have destroyed the majority of our natural landscape and wildlife over the last century. Land Healer is the story of Fiennes's ambition to bring back our flora and fauna - by reclaiming our traditions and trialling new experiments which could restore our symbiosis with our land, and save our shared future. Following the farming year and the natural cycle of the seasons, Land Healer chronicles a life of conservation lived at the edges, and is a manifesto for rethinking our relationship with the natural world before it's too late.

Autonomous Nature investigates the history of nature as an active, often unruly force in tension with nature as a rational, logical order from ancient times to the Scientific Revolution of the seventeenth century. Along with subsequent advances in mechanics, hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, nature came to be perceived as an orderly, rational, physical world that could be engineered, controlled, and managed. Autonomous Nature focuses on the history of unpredictability, why it was a problem for the ancient world through the Scientific Revolution, and why it is a problem for today. The work is set in the context of vignettes about unpredictable events such as the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius, the Bubonic Plague, the Lisbon Earthquake, and efforts to understand and predict the weather and natural disasters. This book is an ideal text for courses on the environment, environmental history, history of science, or the philosophy of science.

The Galapagos Islands are renown for their unique flora and fauna, inspiring Charles Darwin in the elaboration of his theory of evolution. Yet in his "Voyage of the Beagle," published in 1839, Darwin also remarked on the fascinating geology and volcanic origin of these enchanted Islands. Since then, the Galapagos continue to provide scientists with inspiration and invaluable information about ocean island formation and evolution, mantle plumes, and the deep Earth.

Motivated by an interdisciplinary Chapman Conference held in the Islands, this AGU volume provides cross-disciplinary collection of recent research into the origin and nature of ocean islands, from their deepest roots in Earth's mantle, to volcanism, surface processes, and the interface between geology and biodiversity.

Volume highlights include: - Case studies in biogeographical, hydrological, and chronological perspective- Understanding the connection between geological processes and biodiversity- Synthesis of decades of interdisciplinary research in physical processes from surface to deep interior of the earth- In-depth discussion of the concept of the island acting as a natural laboratory for earth scientists- Integrated understanding of the Galapagos region from a geological perspective

Collectively, "The Galapagos "presents case studies illustrating the Galapagos Archipelago as a dynamic natural laboratory for the earth sciences. This book would be of special interest to a multidisciplinary audience in earth sciences, including petrologists, volcanologists, geochronologists, geochemists, and geobiologists.

For Introductory Earth Science Courses Ideal for undergraduates with little or no science background, Earth Science provides a student-friendly overview of our physical environment that offers balanced, up-to-date coverage of geology, oceanography, astronomy, and meteorology. The authors' texts have always been recognized for their readability, currency, dynamic art program, delivery of basic principles and instructor flexibility. The Fourteenth Edition incorporates a new active learning approach, a fully updated and mobile visual program, and MasteringGeology(TM)-the most complete, easy-to-use, engaging tutorial and assessment tool available. This program will provide an interactive and engaging learning experience for your students. Here's how: *Personalize learning with MasteringGeology(TM): MasteringGeology provides students with engaging and interactive experiences that coach them through introductory physical geography with specific wrong-answer feedback, hints, and a wide variety of educationally effective content.*Teach with an active learning path: Chapters have been broken up into small manageable sections that help students actively analyze information, assess their progress and think about Earth science. *Use art that teaches. Each chapter contains 5-7 SmartFigures. SmartFigures are illustrations that use Quick Response (QR) codes to link students to lecture-style videos. Also found in each chapter and accessed by QR codes are Mobile Field Trips, where students virtually accompany Michael Collier on adventures to explore different landscapes. * Cultivate an active learning environment that helps students achieve a deeper understanding of the text. Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; My_Lab/Mastering does not come packaged with this content. If you would like to purchase both the physical text and My_Lab/Mastering search for ISBN-10: 0321934431/ISBN-13: 9780321934437. That package includes ISBN-10: 0321928091/ISBN-13: 9780321928092 and ISBN-10: 0321943147 /ISBN-13: 9780321943149. My_Lab/Mastering is not a self-paced technology and should only be purchased when required by an instructor.

The Quaternary is the most recent major subdivision of the geological record, covering the last 2.5 million years or so of earth history and extending to the present day. Over the course of the Quaternary, the earth's global climate system oscillated between glacial and interglacial modes. A reliable chronology is key to our understanding not only of the dramatic changes in the physical and biotic landscapes that resulted from these major climatic shifts, but also of the important human evolutionary and dispersal events that occurred during this period. "Quaternary Dating Methods" describes the different techniques that can be employed to establish a Quaternary timescale, and shows the wide range of contexts in which these can be applied.

The book begins with a review of the history of Quaternary dating from the early attempts based on biblical genealogies to recent developments involving radiometric methods. The basics of radioactivity and concepts of Quaternary stratigraphy are also introduced. Subsequent chapters cover the different dating techniques, beginning with those based on the radioactive decay of certain chemical elements, through the use of annually-banded records such as tree-rings and varves, to methods that enable materials either to be ranked in terms of relative order of antiquity or to be correlated using time-parallel marker horizons in different sedimentary sequences.

This book: Introduces each dating technique in a clear and straightforward manner, with a minimum of technical detail. Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each method. Focuses on the practical aspects of dating, with specific examples that show the versatility of the different approaches.Covers a broad field, including Quaternary Science, Earth Science and Archaeology.

This book is essential reading for second and third-year undergraduates in Physical Geography, Environmental Science, Earth Science and Archaeology, and for students taking courses in Quaternary Studies, Geochronology, and Palaeoclimatology. It is equally important for professionals in the fields of Earth, Environmental and Archaeological Sciences, who need to know about the range of dating techniques that are available, and about their strengths, limitations and potential applications.