1. Demonstrates the recent advances in geospatial analytics tools, technologies, and algorithms. 2. Provides insight and direction to the geospatial community regarding the future trends in scalable and intelligent geospatial analytics. 3. Exhibits recent geospatial applications and demonstrates innovative ways to use big geospatial data to address various domain-specific, real-world problems. 4. Recognizes the analytical and computational challenges posed and opportunities provided by the increased volume, velocity, and veracity of geospatial data.

This textbook introduces the use of Python programming for exploring and modelling data in the field of Earth Sciences. It drives the reader from his very first steps with Python, like setting up the environment and starting writing the first lines of codes, to proficient use in visualizing, analyzing, and modelling data in the field of Earth Science. Each chapter contains explicative examples of code, and each script is commented in detail. The book is minded for very beginners in Python programming, and it can be used in teaching courses at master or PhD levels. Also, Early careers and experienced researchers who would like to start learning Python programming for the solution of geological problems will benefit the reading of the book.

This book presents recent advances in studies of light propagation, scattering, emission and absorption in random media. Many natural and biological media vary randomly in time and space. Examples are terrestrial atmosphere and ocean, biological liquids and tissues to name but a few.

The number of Earth observation satellites launched in recent years is growing exponentially, along with the datasets they gather from free-to-access and commercial providers. The second edition of Practical Handbook of Remote Sensing is updated with new explanations and practical examples using the Copernicus satellite data and new versions of the open-source software. A new chapter and new applications have also been added. Thoroughly revised, the handbook continues to be a practical "how-to" remote sensing guide for those who want to use the technology, understand what is available, how to access it, and answer questions about our planet, but do not necessarily want to become scientific experts.

This book presents the first simultaneous detection of neutrons and positrons after a terrestrial gamma-ray flash (TGF), a highest-energy transient phenomenon on the earth, triggered by a lightning discharge, based on innovative ground-based observations made in the Hokuriku area of Japan. TGFs, known to be produced by lightning discharges since the 1990s, has been theoretically predicted to react with atmospheric nuclei via photonuclear reactions because they comprise high-energy photons of more than 10 MeV, but such photonuclear reactions by lightning discharges, which produce neutrons and unstable isotopes emitting positrons, were not observationally confirmed. The reactions and propagations of their products in the atmosphere are modeled with Monte Carlo simulations to quantitatively evaluate observations of TGFs, neutrons, and positrons at ground level. The successful comparison between observation and simulation is presented, and demonstrates that lightning discharges to trigger photonuclear reactions and to even produce isotopes in the atmosphere.

This book addresses the quantitative measurement of climate change vulnerability at the macro and micro-level and identifies household adaptation strategies to cope with the adverse effects of climate change. Focusing on five different agro-climatic regions of West Bengal: the hill region, foothill region, drought region, and coastal regions of Sunderban and Purba Midnapore, it presents research related to various sectors, including the agricultural, forestry and informal sectors. The book also offers insights into the impact of climate change on smallholdings, forest-dependent communities, fishing and crab collecting communities, casual labourers and workers in the informal sectors, and identifies the key vulnerabilities associated with climate change, as well as the causes of such vulnerability the extent to which remedial measures have been taken. The book particularly highlights the role of Indian governmental policies like Sarva Shiksa Abhiyan, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), the housing scheme, Indira Awas Yojana, the Food for Work Programme, and the rural road building scheme, Pradhan Mantri Grameen Sadak Yojana, which are important for rural development and in reducing vulnerability. Showcasing vulnerability measurement in the socio-ecological system, the book will appeal to developmental practitioners, government implementation agencies, policymakers and researchers in the field of environmental science and policymakers will find this book appealing.

This book reviews the theory and applications of the normal-mode functions in numerical weather prediction and weather and climate dynamics. The normal-mode functions, the eigensolutions of the linearized primitive equations describing the evolution of atmospheric winds and mass variables, have been used for a long time. They have played an important role in the development of data assimilation schemes and the initialization of numerical weather prediction models. Chapters also present how the normal modes can be applied to many theoretical and numerical problems in the atmospheric sciences, such as equatorial wave dynamics, baroclinic instability, energy transfers, and predictability across scales.

This open access book offers a timely guide to challenges and current practices to permanently plug and abandon hydrocarbon wells. With a focus on offshore North Sea, it analyzes the process of plug and abandonment of hydrocarbon wells through the establishment of permanent well barriers. It provides the reader with extensive knowledge on the type of barriers, their functioning and verification. It then discusses plug and abandonment methodologies, analyzing different types of permanent plugging materials. Last, it describes some tests for verifying the integrity and functionality of installed permanent barriers. The book offers a comprehensive reference guide to well plugging and abandonment (P&A) and well integrity testing. The book also presents new technologies that have been proposed to be used in plugging and abandoning of wells, which might be game-changing technologies, but they are still in laboratory or testing level. Given its scope, it addresses students and researchers in both academia and industry. It also provides information for engineers who work in petroleum industry and should be familiarized with P&A of hydrocarbon wells to reduce the time of P&A by considering it during well planning and construction.

This volume in the Space Sciences Series of ISSI is dedicated to the detennination of the Earth's gravity field, which was the topic of a workshop organized by ISSI from 11 to 15 March 2002 in Bern. The aim of the meeting was to gather active researchers from various fields (satellite geodesy, gravity field modelling, solid Earth physics, oceanography, etc.) to assess the exciting new developments that are made possible by space missions currently in orbit or about to be launched. Following some general enquiries with the scientific community concerning the desirability of organising a workshop on the proposed topic, a group of four con- venors (Gerhard Beutler, Univ. of Bern; Mark Drinkwater, ESA-ESTEC, Noord- wijk; Reiner Rummel, Techn. Univ. Miinchen; Rudolf von Steiger, ISS I, Bern) for- mulated the aims and goals of the workshop, structured the workshop into six sec- tions, nominated a list of session chairs (Georges Balmino, GRGS-CNES, Toulouse; Roberto Sabadini, Univ. of Milano, Christian Le Provost, Obs. Midi-Pyrenees, Toulouse; Philip Woodworth, Bidston Observatory, Birkenhead; Miguel Aguirre, ESA-ESTEC, Noordwijk), who in turn set up a programme of introductory talks. The workshop was organized such as to have only plenary sessions with typically half-hour presentations and ample time for discussions. The last day was devoted to conclusions and future objectives.

This book is aimed at description of recent progress in radiative transfer, atmospheric remote sensing, snow optics, and light scattering. Light scattering/ radiative transfer and atmospheric optics research community will greatly benefit from the publication of this book.

A distinguished team of Western European scholars has written an advanced, full-length physical geography designed to be a state-of -the-art evaluation of the physical environment of Western Europe, being both retrospective and prospective in its perception of environmental change. The unique natural and regional environments of Western Europe are discussed, as well as the physical geographic framework of the region. Particular emphasis is placed on the impact and responses of human society on the physical environment of the region which is characterized by a very high population density. As an enhanced reference work it will be of enduring value.

Spatial Modeling in GIS and R for Earth and Environmental Sciences offers an integrated approach to spatial modelling using both GIS and R. Given the importance of Geographical Information Systems and geostatistics across a variety of applications in Earth and Environmental Science, a clear link between GIS and open source software is essential for the study of spatial objects or phenomena that occur in the real world and facilitate problem-solving. Organized into clear sections on applications and using case studies, the book helps researchers to more quickly understand GIS data and formulate more complex conclusions. The book is the first reference to provide methods and applications for combining the use of R and GIS in modeling spatial processes. It is an essential tool for students and researchers in earth and environmental science, especially those looking to better utilize GIS and spatial modeling.

This book deals with how to measure innovation in crisis management, drawing on data, case studies, and lessons learnt from different European countries. The aim of this book is to tackle innovation in crisis management through lessons learnt and experiences gained from the implementation of mixed methods through a practitioner-driven approach in a large-scale demonstration project (DRIVER+). It explores innovation from the perspective of the end-users by focusing on the needs and problems they are trying to address through a tool (be it an app, a drone, or a training program) and takes a deep dive into what is needed to understand if and to what extent the tool they have in mind can really bring innovation. This book is a toolkit for readers interested in understanding what needs to be in place to measure innovation: it provides the know-how through examples and best practices. The book will be a valuable source of knowledge for scientists, practitioners, researchers, and postgraduate students studying safety, crisis management, and innovation.

Ever-increasing population growth has caused a proportional increased demand for water, and existing water sources are depleting day by day. Moreover, with the impact of climate change, the rates of rainfall in many regions have experienced a higher degree of variability. In many cities, government utilities have been struggling to maintain sufficient water for the residents and other users. The Handbook of Irrigation Hydrology and Management examines and analyzes irrigated ecosystems in which water storage, applications, or drainage volumes are artificially controlled in the landscape and the spatial domain of processes varies from micrometers to tens of kilometers, while the temporal domain spans from seconds to centuries. The continuum science of irrigation hydrology includes the surface, subsurface (unsaturated and groundwater systems), atmospheric, and plant subsystems. Further, the book includes coverage of environmental and economic impacts, water quality issues, water harvesting, satellite measurements for irrigation, and more. Features: Offers water-saving strategies to increase the judicious use of scarce water resources Presents strategies to maximize agricultural yield per unit of water used for different regions Compares irrigation methods to offset changing weather patterns and impacts of climate change

This book introduces readers to seismic inversion methods and their application to both synthetic and real seismic data sets. Seismic inversion methods are routinely used to estimate attributes like P-impedance, S-impedance, density, the ratio of P-wave and S-wave velocities and elastic impedances from seismic and well log data. These attributes help to understand lithology and fluid contents in the subsurface. There are several seismic inversion methods available, but their application and results differ considerably, which can lead to confusion. This book explains all popular inversion methods, discusses their mathematical backgrounds, and demonstrates their capacity to extract information from seismic reflection data. The types covered include model-based inversion, colored inversion, sparse spike inversion, band-limited inversion, simultaneous inversion, elastic impedance inversion and geostatistical inversion, which includes single-attribute analysis, multi-attribute analysis, probabilistic neural networks and multi-layer feed-forward neural networks. In addition, the book describes local and global optimization methods and their application to seismic reflection data. Given its multidisciplinary, integrated and practical approach, the book offers a valuable tool for students and young professionals, especially those affiliated with oil companies.

Science Communication in a Crisis: An Insider’s Guide identifies the principal challenges that scientists face when communicating with different stakeholder groups and offers advice on how to navigate the maze of competing interests and deliver actionable science when the clock is ticking. If a scientist’s goal is to deliver content and expertise to the people who need it, then other stakeholder groups—the media, the government, industry—need to be considered as partners to collaborate with in order to solve problems. Written by established scientist Christopher Reddy, who has been on the front lines of several environmental crisis events, the book highlights ten specific challenges and reflects on mistakes made and lessons learned. Reddy’s aim is not to teach scientists how to ace an interview or craft a soundbite, rather, through exploring several high-profile case studies, including the North Cape oil spill, Deepwater Horizon, and the 2021 Sri Lanka shipping disaster, he presents a clear pathway to effective and collaborative communication. This book will be a great resource for junior and established scientists who want to make an impact, as well as students in courses such as environmental and science communication.

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.

This book presents a comprehensive coverage of remote sensing technology used to gather information on 12 types of natural hazards in the terrestrial sphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. It clarifies in detail how to yield spatial and quantitative data on a natural hazard, including its spatial distribution, severity, causes, and the likelihood of occurrence. The author explains multiple methods of attaining data, describes the pros and cons of each method, and encourages readers to choose the best method applicable to their case. The author offers a practical approach to data analysis using the most appropriate methods and software. 1. Covers all major natural hazards including hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and avalanches. 2. Studies each natural hazard holistically, ranging from spatial extent, severity, impact assessment, causes, and prediction of occurrence. 3. Explains different remotely sensed data and the most appropriate method used. 4. Compares different ways of sensing and clarifies the pros and cons of any selected data or their analysis. 5. Provides ample examples of each aspect of a natural hazard studied augmented with graphic illustrations and quality assurance information. All professionals working in the field of natural hazards, senior undergraduate, and graduate students, will find in-depth approaches and sufficient information to become knowledgeable in the methods of yielding and analyzing data provided with remote sensing technology, ultimately providing a deeper understanding of natural hazards.

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the kinetic theory for describing flow problems from molecular scale, hydrodynamic scale, to Darcy scale. The author presents various numerical algorithms to solve the same Boltzmann-like equation for different applications of different scales, in which the dominant transport mechanisms may differ. This book presents a concise introduction to the Boltzmann equation of the kinetic theory, based on which different simulation methods that were independently developed for solving problems of different fields can be naturally related to each other. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of different methods will be discussed with reference to each other. It mainly covers four advanced simulation methods based on the Boltzmann equation (i.e., direct simulation Monte Carlo method, direct simulation BGK method, discrete velocity method, and lattice Boltzmann method) and their applications with detailed results. In particular, many simulations are included to demonstrate the applications for both conventional and unconventional reservoirs. With the development of high-resolution CT and high-performance computing facilities, the study of digital rock physics is becoming increasingly important for understanding the mechanisms of enhanced oil and gas recovery. The advanced methods presented here have broad applications in petroleum engineering as well as mechanical engineering , making them of interest to researchers, professionals, and graduate students alike. At the same time, instructors can use the codes at the end of the book to help their students implement the advanced technology in solving real industrial problems.

This book documents analyses of the Late Cretaceous dinosaur nesting sites of the Lameta Formation at Jabalpur, Districts Dhar and Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh; Districts Kheda and Panchmahal (Gujarat); and the Pisdura, Dongargaon and Pavna sectors in the Chandrapur Districts of Maharashtra, which are exposed in India along an east-west and central axis. In this work, special emphasis has been given to the dinosaur nesting sites of the east-central Narbada River region, including its regional geology. The work was undertaken to provide detailed information concerning dinosaur eggs, eggshell fragments, nests and clutches found in the Lameta Formation of peninsular India. Prior to the present work there had been no detailed review of systematic work on the taxonomy, and of micro- and ultrastructural studies of dinosaur eggs and eggshells from the Lameta Formation. The study documents the field and laboratory investigations that facilitated the reconstruction of the morphotaxonomy, models for the burial pattern of eggs and eggshells, taphonomic implications,and the palaeoenvironmental context and palaeoecological conditions during the Late Cretaceous at the time of the extrusion of the Deccan traps, which may have been partly responsible for the extinction of the dinosaurs. The need to follow a parataxonomic classification for Indian dinosaur eggs and eggshell types is very apparent, and this book addresses this aspect in some detail. The emphasis on the application of parataxonomic schemes is based on the description of new oospecies and their comparison with previously known forms. The present work has led to the recovery of numerous nests, many collapsed eggs and hundreds of dinosaur eggshell fragments from the localities situated near the east, west and central Narbada River regions. It will be of interest to academics and professional palaeontologists, and all students of dinosaurs.

The Routledge Handbook of Law and the Anthropocene provides a critical survey into the function of law and governance during a time period when humans have power to impact the Earth system. The Anthropocene is a 'crisis of the earth system'. This book addresses its implications for law and legal thinking in the 21st century. Unpacking the challenges of the Anthropocene for advocates of ecological law and politics, this handbook pursues a range of approaches to the scientific fact of anthropocentrism, with contributions from lawyers, philosophers, geographers and environmental and political scientists. Rather than adopting a hubristic normativity, the contributors engage methods, concepts and legal instruments in a way that underscores the importance of humility and an expansive ethical worldview. Contributors to this volume are the leading scholars and future leaders in the field. Rather than upholding orthodoxy, the handbook also problematizes received wisdom and is grounded in the conviction that the ideas we have inherited from the Holocene must all be open to question. Engaging such issues as the Capitalocene, Gaia theory, the rights of nature, posthumanism, the commons, geoengineering and civil disobedience, this handbook will be of enormous interest to academics, students and others with interests in ecological law and the current environmental crisis.

This book presents contributions from the joint event 8th INGEO International Conference on Engineering Surveying and 4th SIG Symposium on Engineering Geodesy, which was planned to be held in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on April 1-4, 2020 and was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic situation. Editors, in cooperation with the Local Organisers, are decided to organize the Conference on-line at October 22-23, 2020. We would like to invite you to participation through http://ingeo-sig2020.hgd1952.hr/index.php/2020/08/31/ingeosig2020-virtual-conference-october-22-23-2020/. The event brought together professionals in the fields of civil engineering and engineering surveying to discuss new technologies, their applicability, and operability.

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.