Every rock is a tangible trace of the earth's past. In The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks, Donald R. Prothero tells the fascinating stories behind the discoveries that shook the foundations of geology. In twenty-five chapters-each about a particular rock, outcrop, or geologic phenomenon-Prothero recounts the scientific detective work that took us from the unearthing of exemplary specimens to tectonic shifts in how we view our planet and history. Prothero follows in the footsteps of the scientists who asked-and answered-geology's biggest questions: How do we know how old the earth is? What happened to the supercontinent Pangea? How did ocean rocks end up at the top of Mount Everest? What can we learn about our planet from meteorites and moon rocks? The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks answers these questions through expertly chosen case studies, such as Pliny the Elder's firsthand account of the eruption of Vesuvius; the granite outcrops that led a Scottish scientist to theorize that the landscapes he witnessed were far older than Noah's Flood; the gypsum deposits under the Mediterranean Sea that indicate that it was once a desert; and how trying to date the age of meteorites revealed the dangers of lead poisoning. Each of these breakthroughs filled in a piece of the puzzle that is the earth, with scientific discoveries dovetailing with each other to offer increasingly solid evidence of the geologic past. Summarizing a wealth of information in an entertaining, approachable style, The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks is essential reading for the armchair geologist, the rock hound, and all who are curious about the earth beneath their feet.

With the rapid development of Chinese urbanization in the 21st century, "urban diseases" become more serious, mainly manifested in water environmental pollution, urban flooding, water shortage, and deterioration of water ecology. It is necessary to establish a modern rainwater management system, scientifically solve the problem of excess urban rainwater and to improve water environment quality. Improvement of water environment quality is conducive to the ecological function of a sponge city. Sponge city construction has contributed to control non-point source pollution. Sponge systems cause the stagnation and purification of rainwater runoff, which is an important guarantee for water environment quality. This monograph summarizes theories and practices of the integrated water environment treatment in Chongqing, a typical representative mountainous city in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region. Based on the mountainous terrain and unique water environment characteristics in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region, the monograph analyzes measures and difficulties in the basin water environment integrated treatment. Moreover, the monograph makes suggestions for risk management amid drainage systems during the COVID-19 epidemic.

This book deals with the behaviour of soft ground improved by some of the more common methods, including the installation of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs), or the installation of soil-cement columns formed by deep mixing, or the preloading of soft ground by application of a vacuum pressure in addition to, or instead of, a surcharge loading. In particular, it describes the theories and the numerical modelling techniques that may be applied to these soft ground improvement schemes to estimate the immediate and time-dependent mechanical response of the in situ soil. Particular emphasis has been placed on methods that reliably predict ground deformations associated with ground improvement techniques.

The book commences with a brief description of the various ground improvement methods and then describes general techniques for modelling the behaviour of soft clay subsoils by the finite element method, as well as details of the methods for modelling soft soils improved by the installation of PVDs. It also includes chapters describing the theory of vacuum consolidation and methods for calculating vacuum pressure-induced ground deformation, as well as a theory which can be used to predict the response of soft ground improved by the installation of soil-cement columns. An important distinguishing feature of this book is the routine use of comparisons of predictions of the proposed models with the results of laboratory studies, and particularly field case studies, in order to validate the proposed methods of analysis. The field case histories are from soft soil sites at various locations around the world.

The book is directed towards students of geotechnical engineering as well as geotechnical practitioners. In the main it provides complete derivations of most of the important theoretical results, as the intention was to write a book that could be used as both a teaching text and a reference work for students and practitioners.

Audience The book is intended for geotechnical practitioners as well as for students.

Pliny's World offers readers a translation of the Natural History's opening books unprecedented for its completeness, accuracy and accessibility. Here, in quirky, often breathless style, Pliny lays the foundation of a hugely influential encyclopedia with coverage of the universe, stars, planets and moon, followed by earth's climate and then its physical and human geography. From Rome as ruling centerpoint, Pliny surveys the known world and its countless peoples in a vast arc from the Atlantic to Sri Lanka, embracing the Danube, Euphrates and Nile lands, Atlas and Caucasus mountains, Germany, Africa, Arabia, India. Passages from later books further illustrating his geographical grasp are appended, on topics as varied as wine, water, trees, birds and fish. Throughout, Pliny's frank expression of strong opinions about religion, distorted human values, abuse of the environment (and more) reveals uncannily modern preoccupations. His work remained an inspirational resource through the Renaissance, and still fascinates today.

Adventures in Volcanoland charts journeys across deserts, through jungles and up ice caps, to some of the world's most important volcanoes, from Nicaragua to Hawaii, Santorini to Ethiopia, exploring Tamsin Mather's obsession with these momentous geological formations, the cultural and religious roles they have played in the minds of those living around them at different times throughout history, and the science behind their formation and eruptions. Volcanoes help to make and shape our world, bursting forth from inside of the earth and, in many places, looming over us. They have helped provide us with a habitable planet, playing a key role in creating the atmosphere, oceans and land. Present since the earth's beginning they continue to maintain its life support systems and, their extraordinary chemistry may even have created the ingredients needed for life to kick start. In some places volcanoes are even beginning to provide us with part of the energy we need to curb our use of fossil fuels. They have fascinated humans for millennia, their eruptions charted throughout history, seeming to show us how the earth is living, breathing and changing and has been doing so for billions of years. Why exactly are these geological mammoths found where they are? What can they teach us about our environment, the Anthropocene and the ecological disaster that is climate change? Are there volcanoes on other planets, and what might they tell us about whether we could one day live there if we exhaust our own habitat? How can we predict if or when volcanoes might explode? Adventures in Volcanoland is an enthralling mix of travel, science and environmental writing for fans of Robert MacFarlane and Raynor Winn.

Proceedings of a conference on [title] held Dec. 1986, Bangkok. Covers stability of natural and man made slopes, design and analysis of foundations, underground openings and excavations, computer controlled testing and investigation of soils, computer aided solutions for some special problems in eng

Environmental Geology presents the student with a broad overview of environmental geology. The text looks both at how the earth developed into its present condition and where matters seem to be moving for the future. It is hoped that this knowledge will provide the student with a useful foundation for discussing and evaluating specific environmental issues, as well as for developing ideas about how the problems should be solved.

The Human Age is an intrepid exploration of the new geological epoch in which we now find ourselves: the Anthropocene. Defined as the Age of Man, this is the epoch in which human beings have become the driving forces that mould, transform and destroy Earth. Where natural occurrences once controlled climate, geology and the genesis and demise of species, humankind now holds the reins. Bringing together scientific theory, political argument, philosophical questioning and our deepest fears and hopes for the future, The Human Age explores this new age through informative and compelling text, and astounding photographs of the impact of human life on Earth. Powerful graphics depict the changing nature of the landscape and the very bedrock of our planet, and the destruction of ancient systems and environments that is resulting in global upheaval and climate breakdown. Creating a visual and written timeline of the age of human domination, The Human Age reveals how this era was born, the ways in which it is impacting us and our planet now, and the outlook for the future.

Explore the latest research in anthropological genetics and understand the genome's role in cultural and social development A Companion to Anthropological Genetics illustrates the role of genetic analysis in advancing the modern study of human origins, populations, evolution, and diversity. Broad in scope, this essential reference work establishes and explores the relationship between genetic research and the major questions of anthropological study. Through contributions by leading researchers, this collection explores molecular genetics and evolutionary mechanisms in the context of macro- and microevolution, paleontology, phylogeny, diet, and disease, with detailed explanations of quantitative methods, including coalescent and approximate Bayesian computation. With an emphasis on contextualizing new and developing genetic research within anthropological frameworks, this text offers critical perspective on the conditions of molecular evolution that accompany cultural and social transformation, while also addressing critical disciplinary questions, such as the ethical issues surrounding ancestry testing and community-based genetic research. Acts as an essential reference on the contributions of genetic science to the field of anthropology Features new work by leading researchers of the field Explores the evolution of immunity, including the genetics and epigenetics of pathogens, chronic illness, and disease resistance Provides in-depth examination of mutation and dietary adaptation, including AMY1, lactase persistence, and sensory polymorphisms Explains essential quantitative and phylogenetic methods for aligning genomic analysis with evolution and migration time scales Offering thorough coverage on leading questions and developing research, A Companion to Anthropological Genetics is a comprehensive resource for students and scholars.

Ecological research is becoming increasingly quantitative, yet students often opt out of courses in mathematics and statistics, unwittingly limiting their ability to carry out research in the future. This textbook provides a practical introduction to quantitative ecology for students and practitioners who have realised that they need this opportunity.

The text is addressed to readers who haven't used mathematics since school, who were perhaps more confused than enlightened by their undergraduate lectures in statistics and who have never used a computer for much more than word processing and data entry. From this starting point, it slowly but surely instils an understanding of mathematics, statistics and programming, sufficient for initiating research in ecology. The book's practical value is enhanced by extensive use of biological examples and the computer language R for graphics, programming and data analysis.

Key Features: Provides a complete introduction to mathematics statistics and computing for ecologists.Presents a wealth of ecological examples demonstrating the applied relevance of abstract mathematical concepts, showing how a little technique can go a long way in answering interesting ecological questions.Covers elementary topics, including the rules of algebra, logarithms, geometry, calculus, descriptive statistics, probability, hypothesis testing and linear regression.Explores more advanced topics including fractals, non-linear dynamical systems, likelihood and Bayesian estimation, generalised linear, mixed and additive models, and multivariate statistics.R boxes provide step-by-step recipes for implementing the graphical and numerical techniques outlined in each section.

"How to be a Quantitative Ecologist" provides a comprehensive introduction to mathematics, statistics and computing and is the ideal textbook for late undergraduate and postgraduate courses in environmental biology.

"With a book like this, there is no excuse for people to be afraid of maths, and to be ignorant of what it can do."
--Professor Tim Benton, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, UK

"Modeling Uncertainty in the Earth Sciences" highlights the various issues, techniques and practical modeling tools available for modeling the uncertainty of complex Earth systems and the impact that it has on practical situations. The aim of the book is to provide an introductory overview which covers a broad range of tried-and-tested tools. Descriptions of concepts, philosophies, challenges, methodologies and workflows give the reader an understanding of the best way to make decisions under uncertainty for Earth Science problems.

The book covers key issues such as: Spatial and time aspect; large complexity and dimensionality; computation power; costs of 'engineering' the Earth; uncertainty in the modeling and decision process. Focusing on reliable and practical methods this book provides an invaluable primer for the complex area of decision making with uncertainty in the Earth Sciences.

Designed in direct response to student surveys, focus groups and interviews, Hendrix/Thompson's EARTH SCIENCE: AN INTRODUCTION, 3rd Edition, delivers concise yet comprehensive coverage in an engaging and accessible format for majors and non-majors alike. The revised text brings concepts to life with current research and examples, a new-and-improved art program, over 150 new photos, and a clean, modern design. A second-to-none supplements package equips you with a wealth of resources, including MindTap--the digital learning solution that enables you to learn on your own terms.

This book is the outcome of the work of contributors who participated in the wo- shop "Mapping Different Geographies (MDG)" in February 2010, held in Puchberg am Schneeberg, Austria. This meeting brought together cartographers, artists and geoscientists who research and practice in applications that focus on enhancing o- to-one communication or develop and evaluate methodologies that provide inno- tive methods for sharing information. The main intention of the workshop was to investigate how 'different' geographies are being mapped and the possibilities for developing new theories and techniques for information design and transfer based on place or location. So as to communicate these concepts it was important to appreciate the many contrasting meanings of 'mapping' that were held by workshop participants. Also, the many (and varied) viewpoints of what different geographies are, were ela- rated upon and discussed. Therefore, as the focus on space and time was embedded within everyone's felds of investigation, this was addressed during the workshop. This resulted in very engaging discourse, which, in some cases, exposed the restrictions that certain approaches need to consider. For participants, this proved to be most useful, as this allowed them to appreciate the limits and restrictions of their own approach to understanding and representing different geographies. As well, the workshop also was most helpful as a vehicle for demonstrating the common ground of interest held by the very diverse areas of endeavour that the workshop participants work within.

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.
An up-to-date and comprehensive survey of research in the field of geochemical sediments and landscapes
Discusses the main duricrusts, including calcrete, laterite and silcrete
Considers deposits precipitated in various springs, lakes, caves and near-coastal environments
Considers the range of techniques used in the analysis of geochemical sediments, representing a significant advance on previous texts

Comprehensive coverage of the whole Earth system throughout its entire existence and beyond Complete with a new introduction by the authors, this updated edition helps provide an understanding of the past, present, and future processes that occur on and in our Earth--the fascinating, yet potentially lethal, set of atmospheric, surface, and internal processes that interact to produce our living environment. It introduces students to our planet's four key interdependent systems: the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, focusing on their key components, the interactions between them, and environmental change. The book also uses geological case studies throughout, in addition to the modern processes. Topics covered in the Second Edition of Earth Environments: Past, Present and Future include: an Earth systems model; components systems and processes; atmospheric systems; oceanography; surface and internal geological systems; biogeography; and aspects of Earth's record. The book also discusses the impact of climate and environmental change in a final chapter that draws together Earth's systems and their evolution, and looks ahead to potential future changes in Earth's environments. Updated to include all the major developments since 2008 Features research boxes containing summaries based on recent key journal articles Includes a companion web site containing multiple choice revision quizzes for students, PowerPoint slides for lecturers, useful links, and more Presents further reading for each topic so that students can build their knowledge base to underpin their own undergraduate research project/dissertation Offers additional case studies in each chapter for enhanced reader understanding Earth Environments: Past, Present and Future is an excellent text for undergraduates in geosciences, environmental science, physical geography, natural hazards, and ecology.

For Introductory Earth Science Courses This package includes MasteringGeology (TM) 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-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: * 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. * Personalize learning with MasteringGeology. This package includes MasteringGeology, an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. Interactive, self-paced tutorials provide individualized coaching to help students stay on track. With a wide range of activities available, students can actively learn, understand, and retain even the most difficult concepts. MasteringGeology should only be purchased when required by an instructor. Please be sure you have the correct ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information.

This book offers a study of the three evolutions in a circle (cosmos, life, and knowledge) with the aim of discussing human social behavior, a metaphor of the general behavior of nature (from which man derives) within the fluctuating equilibrium between the opposite tendencies to cohesion and shredding; a circularity revealing an indefinite and probably never conclusive run-up of human beings to the knowledge of nature; an analysis that demonstrates any theoretical/practical impossibility to formulate absolute certainties, since it depicts a situation in which man finds himself hovering between a rational way of living and the contradictory modus operandi of mythos. All that, within a society where the powerful communication and transportation technologies give rise to conflicts and fragmentations, where anyone's will to self-distinguishing is enhanced by highlighting any small difference and obscuring any large similarity. The main difference between this book and existing ones stems from its interdisciplinary nature, particularly because it establishes a close connection between three, apparently so different disciplines-cosmology, life sciences, and sociology-compared with respect to their increasing complexity laws, giving rise to always more chaotic configurations.

Spatial Analysis for Radar Remote Sensing of Tropical Forests is based on the authors' extensive involvement in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mapping projects, targeting the health of an earth ecosystem with great relevance for climate change studies: the tropical forests. The subject is developed from a vantage point provided by analysis in a combined space, scale (frequency), time, wavelength, polarization domain. The combination of space and scale offers the capability to zoom in and out like a virtual microscope to the resolution in tune with the underlying ecological phenomenon. It also enables statistical measures (correlations) related to the forest spatial distribution in case of backscatter, or to the canopy height variations in case of interferometric observations. The time dimension brings into play measures of the ecosystem dynamics, such as the flooding extent in the swamp forests, deforestation or degradation events. Wavelength and polarization agility extend the abovementioned capabilities by radar observations that are in tune with particular characteristics of the forest and terrain layers. The book's spotlight is on radar spatial random fields, these being populated by either backscatter observations or elevation data from interferometric SAR. The basic tenet here is that the spatial statistic of the fields measured by the wavelet variance (in stationary or non-stationary situations) carries fingerprints of the forest structure. Features: Uniquely focused on specific techniques that provide multi-resolution spatial and temporal analysis of forest structure characteristics and changes. Examines several large and important international remote sensing projects aimed at documenting entire tropical ecosystems. Provides novel wavelet methods for tropical forest structural measures. As the first book on this topic, this composite approach appeals to both students learning through important case studies and to researchers finding new ideas for future studies.