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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > General
Trees were central to Henry David Thoreau's creativity as a writer, his work as a naturalist, his thought, and his inner life. His portraits of them were so perfect, it was as if he could see the sap flowing beneath their bark. When Thoreau wrote that the poet loves the pine tree as his own shadow in the air, he was speaking about himself. In short, he spoke their language. In this original book, Richard Higgins explores Thoreau's deep connections to trees: his keen perception of them, the joy they gave him, the poetry he saw in them, his philosophical view of them, and how they fed his soul. His lively essays show that trees were a thread connecting all parts of Thoreau's being-heart, mind, and spirit. Included are one hundred excerpts from Thoreau's writings about trees, paired with over sixty of the author's photographs. Thoreau's words are as vivid now as they were in 1890, when an English naturalist wrote that he was unusually able to "to preserve the flashing forest colors in unfading light." Thoreau and the Language of Trees shows that Thoreau, with uncanny foresight, believed trees were essential to the preservation of the world.
During a discussion of how women are treated in traditionally male-dominated fields, paleobotanist Ellen Currano lamented to filmmaker Lexi Jamieson Marsh that, as the only young and female faculty member in her department, she was not taken seriously by her colleagues. If only she had the right amount of facial hair, she joked, maybe they would recognize her expertise. The next morning, she saw a message from Lexi saying: Let’s do this. Let’s get beards. That simple remark was the beginning of the Bearded Lady Project. Challenging persistent gender biases in the sciences, the project puts the spotlight on underrepresented geoscientists in the field and in the lab. This book pairs portraits of the scientists after donning fake beards with personal essays in which they tell their stories. The beautiful photography by Kesley Vance and Draper White—shot with a vintage large-format camera and often in the field, in deserts, mountains, badlands, and mudflats—recalls the early days of paleontological expeditions more than a century ago. With just a simple prop, fake facial hair, the pictures dismantle the stereotype of the burly, bearded white man that has dominated ideas of field scientists for far too long. Using a healthy dose of humor, The Bearded Lady Project celebrates the achievements of the women who study the history of life on Earth, revealing the obstacles they’ve faced because of their gender as well as how they push back.
This book presents and discusses research in the field of earth science, with a focus on the utilisation of biomass for renewable bioenergy development; depressions of superficial deposit; nature and origin of granitic rocks; nature and technology of geothermal energy, clean sustainable energy for the benefit of humanity and environment; kinetic energy metamorphosis of rocks; an improved workflow towards real-time microseismic data processing; a brief overview of the Brazilian legislation and the radioactive wastes geologic repository project; detection of groundwater and soil contamination by hydrocarbons using radon as a tracer; genetic programming applied to chemical and environmental engineering; and a multisided analysis of living matter in an aquatic ecosystem.
Part of an international series on paleontology and stratigraphy The publication, The Early Cretaceous (Late Ryazanian - Early Hauretivian) Ammonite Fauna of North-East Greenland, covers Peter Alsen's research in the areas of taxonomy, biostratigraphy and biogeography. The published findings are featured in the Fossils and Strata monograph series.
There is a revolution brewing in the field of Origin of Life: in the process of trying to figure how Life started, many researchers believe there is an impending second creation of life, not necessarily biological. Up-to-date understanding is needed to prepare us for the technological, and societal changes it would bring. Schrodinger's 1944 "What is life?" included the insight of an information carrier, which inspired the discovery of the structure of DNA. In "Conflicting Models of the Origin of Life" a selection of the world's experts are brought together to cover different aspects of the research: from progress towards synthetic life - artificial cells and sub-cellular components, to new definitions of life and the unexpected places life could (have) emerge(d). Chapters also cover fundamental questions of how memory could emerge from memoryless processes, and how we can tell if a molecule may have emerged from life. Similarly, cutting-edge research discusses plausible reactions for emergence of life both on Earth and on exoplanets. Additional perspectives from geologists, philosophers and even roboticists thinking about the origin of life round out this volume. The text is a state-of-the-art snapshot of the latest developments on the emergence of life, to be used both in graduate classes and by citizen scientists. With the prospect of new life emerging, it is important to engage the broadest sections of society to anticipate positive outcomes (e.g. efficient manufacturing), limit negative consequences, and potentially learn to recognize alien life.
This book explores the most recent developments in Earth Science research. Chapters include research on the Indian Summer Monsoon and its impacts on society and the economy; geothermal heat pumps (GSHPs) or direct expansion (DX) ground source heat pumps as a highly efficient renewable energy technology; a comprehensive review of biomass energy sources, environment and sustainable development; aerodynamic landforms and their sedimentological characteristics and environmental implications; the mechanism of assymetric basin formation and evolution; a discussion on the development of inselbergs; the application of GREENSCOPE as a sustainability assessment tool for chemical processes; sedimentary basin as a cradle for biodiversity, focusing on the Buenos Aires Province in Argentina; deep sea depositional systems and their use as primary target for hydrocarbon exploration and development; the transformation of rivers during the process of certain human activities; and the results of field observations of small river basin waters, including their chemical composition.
This book recognizes Mexico's effects and challenges in a natural disaster and offers empirical risk-reduction methods in critical cases. The proposals considered here include real and detailed analysis, a set of models, frameworks, strategies, and findings in the three stages of the disaster (before-during-after). This book: describes the methodology to find secure locations for the Regional Humanitarian Response Depot; offers recommendations for the sites and creation of an Export Logistics Cluster; shows how to use available technology and information to locate volunteers in the right spots describes mathematical models to help to allocate procedure of resources for restoring the affected community and proposes actions to create resilience in the country's main economic sectors, including agriculture and industry. The processes applied at recent disasters such as the 19S earthquake and their results are used as case studies, identifying possibilities for further improvement. The book also describes new trends for Mexico due to climate change and makes suggestions for mitigating future disasters. The proposals are also replicable to other highly populated societies with similar socio-economic structures. Finally, this book is the basis for generating more innovative recommendations by researchers, graduate students, academics, professionals, and practitioners to obtain better planning and better collaboration between all the humanitarian chain actors. This book intends to be of interest as a fundamental tool for decision-makers, governments, non-governmental organizations, and enterprises.
Part of a monograph series on fossils The publication, New Middle and Late Anisian (Middle Triassic) Ammonoid Faunas from Northwestern Nevada - Taxonomy and Biochronology details proceedings from the Fifth International Brachiopod Congress in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2005. Congress topics included various aspects of the study of brachiopods.
Advanced Steel Design of Structures examines the design principles of steel members under special loads and covers special geometric forms and conditions not typically presented in standard design books. It explains advanced concepts in a simple manner using numerous illustrative examples and MATLAB (R) codes. Features: Provides analysis of members under unsymmetrical bending Includes coverage of structures with special geometry and their use in offshore applications for ultra-deep water oil and gas exploration Presents numerical modeling and analysis of steel members under fire conditions, impact, and blast loads Includes MATLAB (R) examples that will aid in the capacity building of civil engineering students approaching this complex subject Written for a broad audience, the presentation of design concepts of steel members will be suitable for upper-level undergraduate students. The advanced design theories for offshore structures under special loads will be an attractive feature for post-graduate students and researchers. Practicing engineers will also find the book useful, as it includes numerous solved examples and practical tutorials.
Findings published in 1998 from a study of microfossils This detailed study publication, Cambrian Acritarchs from Upper Silesia, Poland - Biochronology and Tectonic Implications, is Number 46 within the Fossils and Strata series. The study described taxonomically diverse and well-preserved acritarchs from Poland. The international Fossils and Strata series features monographs in palaeontology and biostratigraphy with taxonomic descriptions. The series is owned by and published on behalf of The Lethaia Foundation in cooperation with the Scandinavian countries.
This handy pocket-sized field guide provides practical information and assistance to anyone engaged in small-scale surveys on the ground. Fully revised and updated throughout, the Fourth Edition includes comprehensive updates on the use of GPR and GPS and new sections on surface wave seismics and towed array systems. This has become the standard text in this area for use in the field and the experience of the two authors will ensure the book retains its place as one of the most popular handbooks in applied geophysics. * Fully revised and updated to incorporate new developments in the field; * Focus on quality control of the acquisition of data and basic field interpretation; * User-friendly, accessible writing style; * Includes updates on Ground Penetrating Radar and the use of GPS; * New section on surface wave methods. Additional material available on the companion website at www.wiley.com/go/milsom/geophysics4e
This book provides a systematical investigation on the reservoir characteristics and percolation mechanism of ultradeep carbonate gas reservoirs, including reservoir characteristics and classification, gas storage and percolation capacities, gas-phase and gas-water two-phase percolation mechanism, microscale complex gas-water relationship, reservoir sensitivity characteristics, and gas production characteristics of heterogeneous carbonate reservoirs. Some advanced and improved experimental techniques and analytical methods are introduced and applied, including comprehensive evaluation technique of storage and percolation capacities, ultra-high temperature and pressure physical simulation experiment technique, microscopic visualization technique based on CT scanning and microelectronics lithography, and physical simulation technique for heterogeneous reservoir development. In addition, it summarizes strategies for the efficient development of ultradeep carbonate gas reservoirs based on these theoretical research results. The key techniques and methods introduced in this monograph satisfy the need for efficient development of ultradeep carbonate gas reservoirs and provide theoretical basis and methodological value for investigations on similar gas reservoirs. This book serves as a reference for engineering technical professionals, researchers, and graduate students who are engaged in the exploration and development of carbonate gas reservoirs.
This state-of-the-art volume reviews both past work and current
research, with contributions from internationally recognized
experts. The book is organized into fourteen chapters and designed
to embrace the full range of terrestrial geochemical sediments.
Part of the Fossils and Strata Series from the Scandinavian University Press The publication, Deep-sea Benthic Foraminifera from Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary Strata in the South Atlantic: Taxonomy and Paleoecology, is from an international series on stratigraphy and paleontology
"Vegetation Description and Data Analysis: A Practical Approach," Second Edition is a fully revised and up-dated edition of this key text. The book takes account of recent advances in the field whilst retaining the original reader-friendly approach to the coverage of vegetation description and multivariate analysis in the context of vegetation data and plant ecology. Since the publication of the hugely popular first edition there
have been significant developments in computer hardware and
software, new key journals have been established in the field and
scope and application of vegetation description and analysis has
become a truly global field. This new edition includes full
coverage of new developments and technologies.
A quantitative, broad, hands-on introduction to the cutting-edge science of global warming This textbook introduces undergraduates to the concepts and methods of global warming science, covering topics that they encounter in the news, ranging from the greenhouse effect and warming to ocean acidification, hurricanes, extreme precipitation, droughts, heat waves, forest fires, the cryosphere, and more. This book explains each of the issues based on basic statistical analysis, simple ordinary differential equations, or elementary chemical reactions. Each chapter explains the mechanisms behind an observed or anticipated change in the climate system and demonstrates the tools used to understand and predict them. Proven in the classroom, Global Warming Science also includes "workshops" with every chapter, each based on a Jupyter Python notebook and an accompanying small data set, with supplementary online materials and slides for instructors. The workshop can be used as an interactive learning element in class and as a homework assignment. Provides a clear, broad, quantitative yet accessible approach to the science of global warming Engages students in the analysis of climate data and models, examining predictions, and dealing with uncertainty Features workshops with each chapter that enhance learning through hands-on engagement Comes with supplementary online slides, code, and data files Requires only elementary undergraduate-level calculus and basic statistics; no prior coursework in science is assumed Solutions manual available (only to instructors)
Something Hidden in the Ranges is designed for readers interested in natural and environmental history and specifically the natural history of Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. We all see the largest features of ecosystems - the impressively rugged mountain peaks, the clear blue lakes, and the extensive forests - but each of these readily visible features depends on largely invisible creatures and flows of material and energy. This book draws on a wide array of scientific research to tell stories such as how streams provide energy to the adjacent forest, how lake sediments record the history of pollutants entering the lake with wind-blown dust, and how a network of fungi keeps forests healthy. Individual chapters explore forests at lower and higher elevations and how trees rely on microbes in the soil, in the forest canopy, and even within individual pine needles to obtain the food they need. Other chapters focus on subalpine lakes, mountain streams, beaver meadows, and alpine tundra. Written to be easily understood by any reader, this book will change the way you perceive and think about natural landscapes.
Remotely sensed data, in the form of digital images captured from spaceborne and airborne platforms, provide a rich analytical and observational source of information about the current status, as well as changes occurring in, on, and around the Earth's surface. The data products, or simply images processed from these platforms, provide an additional advantage in that geographic areas or regions of interest can be revisited on a regular cycle. This revisit cycle allows geospatial analysts and natural resource managers to explore changing conditions over time. Image Processing and Data Analysis with ERDAS IMAGINE (R) explains the principles behind the processing of remotely sensed data in a simple, easy to understand, and "how-to" format. Organized as a step-by-step guide with exercises adapted from original research and using publicly available imagery, such as NASA Landsat, ESA Sentinel-2, Orthophotos, and others, this book gives readers the ability to quickly gain the practical experience needed to navigate the ERDAS IMAGINE (R) software as well as learn certain applications in Esri's ArcMap ArcGIS for Desktop software and Quantum the GIS (QGIS) open source applications package. It also helps readers to easily move beyond the information presented in this book and tackle more advanced skills. Written by two professors with long experience in remote sensing and image processing, this book is a useful guide and reference for both undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, instructors, managers, and agency professionals who are involved in the study of Earth systems and the environment.
Structure from Motion with Multi View Stereo provides hyperscale landform models using images acquired from standard compact cameras and a network of ground control points. The technique is not limited in temporal frequency and can provide point cloud data comparable in density and accuracy to those generated by terrestrial and airborne laser scanning at a fraction of the cost. It therefore offers exciting opportunities to characterise surface topography in unprecedented detail and, with multi-temporal data, to detect elevation, position and volumetric changes that are symptomatic of earth surface processes. This book firstly places Structure from Motion in the context of other digital surveying methods and details the Structure from Motion workflow including available software packages and assessments of uncertainty and accuracy. It then critically reviews current usage of Structure from Motion in the geosciences, provides a synthesis of recent validation studies and looks to the future by highlighting opportunities arising from developments in allied disciplines. This book will appeal to academics, students and industry professionals because it balances technical knowledge of the Structure from Motion workflow with practical guidelines for image acquisition, image processing and data quality assessment and includes case studies that have been contributed by experts from around the world.
From ski towns to national parks, fresh fruit to environmental lawsuits, the Sierra Nevada has changed the way Americans live. Where there was gold to be mined (and where there was not) redefined land, mineral, and water laws. Where rain falls (and where it doesn't) determines whose fruit grows on trees and whose appears on slot machines. All this emerges from the geology of the range and how it changed history, and in so doing, changed the country. The Mountains That Remade America combines geology with history to show how the particular forces and conditions that created the Sierra Nevada have effected broad outcomes and influenced daily life in the United States in the past and continue to do so today. Drawing connections between events in historical geology and contemporary society, Craig H. Jones makes geological science accessible and shows the vast impact this mountain range has had on the American West.
Earth is the only planet known to have fire. The reason is both simple and profound: fire exists because Earth is the only planet to possess life as we know it. Fire is an expression of life on Earth and an index of life s history. Few processes are as integral, unique, or ancient. Fire on Earth puts fire in its rightful place as an integral part of the study of geology, biology, human history, physics, and global chemistry. Fire is ubiquitous in various forms throughout Earth, and belongs as part of formal inquiries about our world. In recent years fire literature has multiplied exponentially; dedicated journals exist and half a dozen international conferences are held annually. A host of formal sciences, or programs announcing interdisciplinary intentions, are willing to consider fire. Wildfire also appears routinely in media reporting. This full-colour text, containing over 250 illustrations of fire in all contexts, is designed to provide a synthesis of contemporary thinking; bringing together the most powerful concepts and disciplinary voices to examine, in an international setting, why planetary fire exists, how it works, and why it looks the way it does today. Students, lecturers, researchers and professionals interested in the physical, ecological and historical characteristics of fire will find this book, and accompanying web-based material, essential reading for undergraduate and postgraduate courses in all related disciplines, for general interest and for providing an interdisciplinary foundation for further study. * A comprehensive approach to the history, behaviour and ecological effects of fire on earth * Timely introduction to this important subject, with relevance for global climate change, biodiversity loss and the evolution of human culture. * Provides a foundation for the interdisciplinary field of Fire Research * Authored by an international team of leading experts in the field * Associated website provides additional resources
Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops.
This book provides thorough and comprehensive coverage of most of the new and important quantitative methods of data analysis for graduate students and practitioners. In recent years, data analysis methods have exploded alongside advanced computing power, and it is critical to understand such methods to get the most out of data, and to extract signal from noise. The book excels in explaining difficult concepts through simple explanations and detailed explanatory illustrations. Most unique is the focus on confidence limits for power spectra and their proper interpretation, something rare or completely missing in other books. Likewise, there is a thorough discussion of how to assess uncertainty via use of Expectancy, and the easy to apply and understand Bootstrap method. The book is written so that descriptions of each method are as self-contained as possible. Many examples are presented to clarify interpretations, as are user tips in highlighted boxes.
'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. |
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