The extraordinary growth of the computer and semiconductor industries and the increasing consumption of indium in these technologies in recent years have placed major constraints on current and future reserves of this metal. In the past, geoscientists have noticed the occurrence of indium in a large variety of ore de posits and detailed geochemical and mineralogical work is available for a few ex amples. However, despite the current technological interest, there is no compre hensive textbook that deals with all aspects of indium mineralization and economics. The present study attempts to develop a general metallogenic concept for indium in identifying the essential enrichment processes and their economic significance. The study 'Indium Geology, Mineralogy, and Economics' was commissioned and funded by the German Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Re sources (BGR Hannover) and is a contribution to the research program 'BGR 2000 - Raw Materials with Short Lifetime Reserves'. This program focuses on raw materials with known reserves confined to the next 20-25 years at static de mand. The future availability of reserves is usually estimated by dividing the known reserves by the current annual consumption. In fact, lifetimes of reserves are inappropriate measures because they depend on many parameters and there fore represent a "snapshot" of a dynamic system. In order to provide a sustainable use of raw materials with short lifetime reserves, a significantly higher amount of innovation is needed compared to raw materials with long lifetime reserves."

Astromineralogy deals with the science of gathering mineralogical information from the astronomical spectroscopy of asteroids, comets and dust in the circumstellar environments in general. It is only recently, however, that this field has received a tremendous boost with the reliable identification of minerals by the Infrared Space Observatory. This book is the first comprehensive and coherent account of this exciting field. Beyond addressing the specialist in the field, the book is intended as a high-level but readable introduction to astromineralogy for both the nonspecialist researcher and the advanced student.

This book involves application of the Calphad method for derivation of a self consistent thermodynamic database for the geologically important system Mg0- Fe0-Fe203-Alz03-Si02 at pressures and temperatures of Earth's upper mantle and the transition zone of that mantle for Earth. The created thermodynamic database reproduces phase relations at 1 bar and at pressures up to 30 GPa. The minerals are modelled by compound energy formalism, which gives realistic descriptions of their Gibbs energy and takes into account crystal structure data. It incorporates a detailed review of diverse types of experimental data which are used to derive the thermodynamic database: phase equilibria, calorimetric stud ies, and thermoelastic property measurements. The book also contains tables of thermodynamic properties at 1 bar (enthalpy and Gibbs energy of formation from the elements, entropy, and heat capacity, and equation of state data at pressures from 1 bar to 30 GPa. Mixing parameters of solid solutions are also provided by the book. Table of Contents Introduction to the Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . V Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . VII Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX Table of Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XI Co-Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XIII Vitae of Co-Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XV CODATA Task Group on Geothermodynamic Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . XXIII Chapter 1. Thermodynamics and Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. 2 Thermodynamic Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 1. 3 Experimental Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 1. 4 Programs and Assessment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 System and Phases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1. 5 Chapter 2. Experimental Phase Equilibrium Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 The Si02 System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2. 1 2. 2 The Fe-0 System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2. 3 The Fe-Si-0 System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2. 4 The Mg0-Si0 System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The significance of manganese ores is very weil known in cast iron and steel production, as weil as in various types of chemical raw material and agricultural fertilizers. The world industry development in recent years requires their increased production in the vicinity of the metallurgical centers in different regions of the world; high grade manganese and associated metalores are needed. Analysis of the world production and consumption of manganese ores by industrial countries indicates convincingly that the highest commercial value belongs to the ores associated with the supergene zone (National Minerals Advi- sory Board, 1981; Coffman and Palencia, 1984; Doncoisne, 1985; Iones, 1990, 1991; Manganese, 1990; McMichael, 1989). The remarkable property of manganese, in contrast to many other types of mineral resources, is that the ore accumulations of this metal are distributed in the wide geochrono- logical interval from the Archean to the present time; these ores are deposited in basins and supergene environments of different types from lakes, internal seas to pelagic and abyssal regions of the World ocean, as weIl as different types of weathering crusts and karst. At the same time the manganese accumulations and features of their mineral and chemical compositions are relatively sensitive indicators, reflecting facies and geodynamic condi- tions of their formation. These properties aid the investigation of the Earth's evolution processes.

This volume follows a Specialized Symposium on "Mantle denudation in slow spreading ridges and in ophiolites," held at the XII EUG Meeting in Strasbourg, spring 1993. During the meeting it was felt that the contribu tions to the Symposium justified a volume presenting its main scientific achievements. The present title of the volume shows that the center of inter est has slightly shifted with respect to the initial objective: in order to under stand the processes involved in accretion taking place at oceanic ridges, it is crucial to study the interaction between uppermost mantle and lower crust. The approach favored here is that of petrological and structural analysis of oceanic rocks in present-day oceanic ridges combined with similar studies in ophiolites. Rock specimen collected by submersibles or dredge hauls in oceanic ridge environments provide a "ground truth." However, except for areas such as the MARK (Mid-Atlantic Ridge ne ar Kane fracture zone) where, thanks to multiple submersible dives, the local geology is known with aprecision even better than in many onshore ophiolites, mutual rela tionships between uppermost mantle and lower crust are poorly known. In contrast, onshore ophiolites provide a necessary large-scale picture built up over many years of structural and petrological mapping."

Each gem deposit-whether of primary origin in the parent rocks; or secondary as alluvial placers in valley floors, river gravels, or the sand of oceanic shelves presents an eloquent chronicle of the Earth's life story. It reveals to the expert the prodigious processes which formed the present crust of our planet, of which this volume discloses a small but exciting detail. The materials of the Earth's crust are the rocks. In this book, the author expounds on how they were formed, why they altered, why they became the cradles of precious gemstones, how they are categorized, and how they are now exploited by man. What initiates the growth of gemstones? How do they crystallize? Why do gemstones of the same species, originating from different sources, vary? What causes the occurrence of varieties? Why do diamonds, unlike other precious stones, occur not near the Earth's surface in its crust, but deep down beneath it in the upper mantle? These are only a few of the entrancing subjects discussed in this enlightening volume. The reader learns that the Earth is surprisingly alive and altering constantly-sometimes through slow and equable changes and at times by violent and tremendous cataclysms, events from which gemstones issue.

This monograph was begun with two objectives in mind. The first was to provide a review of research involving the application of neodymium isotopic measurements to pro blems in earth science. In the process of organizing to do this, I realized that the research in this field had produced a need for an updated review of the underlying paradigms. This need had arisen because of the special properties of the samarium-neodymium isotopic system, and because the research had transgressed the traditional boundaries be tween the subfields of earth science. Without such a review, the significance of the results seemed likely to remain un necessarily obscure to interested scientists from related disciplines. Consequently, the second objective became the provision of a theoretical framework for the application of neodymium isotopic studies. Much of what this contains is not new, but it is drawn together here for the first time. At the time the writing was initiated, the literature of the field was still relatively limited. Over the past 5 years it has grown enormously. Considering the rate at which the writing progressed, it became clear that this could not be a fully up-to-date review and still reach completion. The selection of material for the review sections is biased toward earlier studies. Part I presents most of the background information."

We have used in Vol.2 the same structural scheme similar they are organized alphabetically, just for as used in Vol. 1. convenience in consulting.The alphabetical order We used as the list of minerals the reference is provisional, it is not an important aspect of the book Mineral Reference Manual by Nickel and classification, and willtend to disappear. Nichols, edited by Van Nostrand Reinhold, New In Vol. 1 some condensed model sheets were York, 1991, and we first organized the minerals by presented to illustrate the simplicityof the patterns chemical formulas, from the simpler to the more of the packing layers of the A, AmB and ApBqC n r complex (Tables 73 to 172), as presented on page close-packed minerals (Tables lL to 17Lof Vol.1). 1of Vol.1.The results of the structural studywere The aim was to stimulate the complete systematic ordered by structural formulas (Tables 27S to derivation of the simple mineral close-packed 59S). Then we summarized the classified structure structures, as was tried by the author (Lima-de- types (not including the tentatively classified) in Faria (1965) Zeit. Krist., 122, 359-374). In Vol. 2 Tables 60S to 61S. Finally we presented some the layers are more complex and the correspond- global results (Tables 62S and 63S). ing condensed models sheets were not included. In certain cases the general chemical and the The reader should refer to the book Structural structural formulas may be difficult to compare.

The literature on the geology, chemistry, and biochemistry of phosphorus generally takes its mineralogy for granted. The in cidental information on phosphate minerals given in these texts is often obsolescent and inaccurate. The few mineralogical texts that have dealt comprehensively with the phosphate minerals have now become outdated, and typically present the essential information in a manner unsuitable for nongeological readers. This volume is intended as a ready reference for workers who require good basic information on phosphate minerals or their synthetic equivalents. The topics covered should appeal to geologists and geochemists, lithologists, environmental scientists and engineers, chemists and biochemists who have any interest in the intricate world of phosphorus. The hard tissues of many vertebrates and the many pathological calcifications consist mostly of phosphate minerals. The precipita tion of these compounds also plays a major role in the ecological cycling of phosphorus, and occasionally even dominates the behavior of many trace metals in many geochemical and biolog ical systems. Indeed, many pegmatitic phosphate minerals have acquired some notoriety because of the rarer trace metals which they tend to accumulate. With the commercialization of phosphate fertilizers since the early part of the 19th century, phosphate minerals have assumed an important role in industrial chemistry and agriculture. Clearly, the study of phosphate minerals is important from the economic, agricultural, environmental and (human and animal) health viewpoint."

This is the first book in English reviewing and updating the geology of the whole Apennines, one of the recent most uplifted mountains in the world. The Apennines are the place from which Steno (1669) first stated the principles of geology. The Apennines also represent amongst others, the finding/testing sites of processes and products like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, olistostromes and melanges (argille scagliose), salinity crisis, geothermal fluids, thrust-top basins, and turbidites (first represented in a famous Leonardo's painting). As such, the Apennines are a testing and learning ground readily accessible and rich of any type of field data. A growing literature is available most of which is not published in widely available journals. The objective of the book is to provide a synthesis of current data and ideas on the Apennines, for the most part simply written and suitable for an international audience. However, sufficient details and in-depth analyses of the various complex settings have been presented to make this material useful to professional scholars and to students of senior university courses.

This multifaceted study explores new directions for plate tectonic research, especially as a guide for future geodynamic modelling of the earth. In particular, it equips readers with a plate-tectonic toolbox (with derivations and ANSI-C code) for applications and reconstruction analysis, including new continuous calculation methods. Pilger's Geokinematics shows how to apply these tools to Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic kinematics, with a focus on hotspot reference frames, and for empirical analysis of continental stress histories, including fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs. Supported by solid arguments and data, the book integrates theoretical developments of expanded plate kinematic theory and an ensemble of critical observations into a grand model, with the new concept of mesoplates playing a key role.

This book reviews the main energy sources, production problems and energy perspectives in Germany and Mexico. It surveys the status of traditional and alternative energy sources, including fossil fuels, nuclear, hydraulic, eolic, solar, and hydrogen cells. The book emphasizes the search for answers to such questions as What are the main problems of industries based on fossil fuels, and What is the present status of hydraulic and nuclear energy?

Microbial systems in extreme environments and in the deep biosphere may be analogous to potential life on other planetary bodies and hence may be used to investigate the possibilities of extraterrestrial life. This book examines the mode and nature of links between geological processes and microbial activities and their significance for the origin and evolution of life on the Earth and possibly on other planets. This is a truly interdisciplinary science with societal relevance.

The book emphasizes various aspects of processing secondary sources for recovery of uranium. The field of secondary resource processing is gaining ground over the last few years as it is eco-friendly, economical and in tune with the philosophy of sustainable development. The book is the first one of its type in the area and includes a succint and comprehensive description of related areas of ore mineralogy, resource classification, processing principles involved in uranium solubilisation followed by separation and safety aspects. The clear organisation and the carefully selected figures and tables makes the treatment invaluable for practising engineers, research workers and academic institutions.

Origin and Mineralogy of Clays, the first of two volumes, lays the groundwork for a thorough study of clays in the environment. The second volume will deal with environmental interaction. Going from soils to sediments to diagenesis and hydrothermal alteration, the book covers the whole spectrum of clays. The chapters on surface environments are of great relevance in regard to environmental problems in soils, rivers and lake-ocean situations, showing the greatest interaction between living species and the chemicals in their habitat. The book is of interest to scientists and students working on environmental issues.

This book is the proceedings of the 11th Kongsberg seminar, held at the Norwegian Mining Museum in the city of Kongsberg, about 70 km Southwest of Oslo. The Kongs berg district is known for numerous Permian vein deposits, rich in native silver. Mining activity in the area lasted for more than 300 years, finally ceasing in 1957. The first eight Kongsberg seminars, organized by professor Arne Bj0rlykke, now director of the Norwegian Geological Survey, were focused on ore-forming processes. These seminars have always been a meeting point for people with a variety of geological backgrounds. Since 1995, the Kongsberg seminars have focussed on geological processes, rather than on specific geological systems, and the selection of invited speakers has been strongly influenced by their interest in the dynamics of geological systems. In 1995 and 1996, various aspects of fluid flow and transport in rocks, were emphasized. The first "Kongsberg proceedings" (of the 1995 seminar) published by Chapman and Hall (Jamtveit and Yardley, 1997) contained 17 chapters dealing with a wide range of topics from field based studies of the effects of fluid flow in sedimentary and metamorphic rocks to computer simulations of flow in complex porous and fractured media. In 1997, the focus was changed to growth, and dissolution processes in geological systems."

Anisotropy, i.e., the dependence of structure and properties on direction in space, is the most striking characteristic of crystals. Anisotropy is a result of the discrete nature of the crystal lattice, and it is the characteristic which distinguishes the crystalline state from another solid state of matter, the amorphous. The anisotropy of the structure and properties of crystals (this can be called their 'internal anisotropy') is also reflected in their external structure, i.e., morphology. The reflection is, however, non-linear: properties such as mechanical hardness ... do not change strongly (typically several tens of percents, depending on direction) while the morphology ... : the linear sizes in different directions of individual crystals often differ by several multiples or even several orders of magnitude, depending on the symmetry of the crystalline lattice and/or of the crystal prehistory. The enhanced anisotropy of morphology is, as a rule, a result of growth kinetics of different crystalline faces; it reflects a non-linear character of the kinetic laws of growth. This book is devoted to high morphological anisotropy. No strict classification of highly-anisotropic crystals exists. However some typical forms, or habits, can be singled out: first, whiskers (or needles, or fibers) as quasi-one-dimensional crystals, and second, platelets as quasi-two-dimensional crystals.

Scientific research involving neutrons or synchrotron radiation is performed in large experimental installations at a few sites around the world. Taking full advantage of such techniques requires a wide range of specialized expertise not found in any university course. Therefore, there is a need for reference books and training courses to introduce young scientists to the underlying principles and methods.

Neutron and X-Ray Spectroscopy delivers an up-to-date account of the principles and practice of inelastic and spectroscopic methods available at neutron and synchrotron sources, including recent developments. The chapters are based on a course of lectures and practicals (the HERCULES course at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) delivered to young scientists who require these methods in their professional careers. Each chapter, written by a leading specialist in the field, introduces the basic concepts of the technique and provides an overview of recent work. This volume, which focuses on spectroscopic techniques in synchrotron radiation and inelastic neutron scattering, will be a primary source of information for physicists, chemists and materials scientists who wish to acquire a basic understanding of these techniques and to discover the possibilities offered by them. Emphasizing the complementarity of the neutron and X-ray methods, this tutorial will also be invaluable to scientists already working in neighboring fields who seek to extend their knowledge.

Granulites are, by definition, rocks that crystallized at high temperatures. It is generally agreed that they were formed in regions where the geothermal gradient exceeded normal continental values. These rocks commonly display coronitic mineral fabrics which may be used to trace the thermal and geodynamic history of the continental crust. In the same way that eclogites provide information on the earliest stages of some orogenic episodes, granulites usually tell us about later events, including thermal anomalies, thermal reequilibration, CO streaming, crustal melting, and 2 differentiation of the continental crust. Their study is particularly important if we are to under stand the nature of the middle and lower continental crust. Consistent with the contributions I received, the contents of this volume fall into four general areas: Crustal Evolution, Regional Syntheses, F1uids and Petrological Equilibria, Geochemistry and Geophysics. These represent an up-to-date reflection of the centres of interest in the field of granulites. The first manuscripts arrived in September 1988 while the conference was held, the last contribution arrived in November 1989, more than a year later. I apologize to those who were prompt and took deadlines seriously, but I believe that it was worth waiting to secure a product covering most of the important aspects concerning granulite genesis. All papers were vetted by at least two reviewers. I would like to thank RJ. Arculus, N.T. Arndt, P. Barbey, SR. Bohlen, AM. Boullier, M. Brown, T. Chacko, 1.D. Clemens, K.C. Condie, J.C. Duchesne, C. Dupuy, w.G."

Cratons and Fold Belts of India, is a unique attempt at presenting geological characteristics and evolution of the fold belts and the cratonic areas of the Indian shield. The author has evaluated the different evolutionary models for each fold belt in light of all the currently available geological and geochronological informations that are clearly listed. Shortcomings, if any, of each model are stated and a viable geodynamic model is presented for each fold belt. The book is self-contained it includes an introduction to the processes of mountain building, especially plate tectonics theory with its application to the evolution of the Himalaya as an illustrative example so that the reader can better appreciate the novel approach to the evolution of Proterozoic fold belts. The author eschews a detailed account of the fold belts for a clear description of all the concepts that go into building models. It is primarily written for graduate students, teachers and for those geoscientists who aspire to know all about the Indian shield."

This book represents a revision and expansion of an earlier set of diagrams for tempera 0 0 tures from 25 to 300 C along the equilibrium vapor-liquid curve for H 0 (Helgeson, Brown, 2 and Leeper, 1969). The activity diagrams summarized in the following pages were generated over a six year period from 1977 to 1983 in the Laboratory of Theoretical Geochemistry (oth erwise known as Prediction Centra ) at the University of California, Berkeley. They represent the culmination of research efforts to generate a comprehensive and internally consistent set of thermodynamic data and equations for minerals, gases, and aqueous solutions at high pres sures and temperatures. Among the many who contributed to the successful completion of this book, we are especially indebted to David Kirkham, John Walther, and George Flowers, who wrote program SUPCRT, Tom Brown, who created program DIAGRAM, and Eli Mess inger, who generated the Tektronix plot routine to construct the diagrams. Ken Jackson and Terri Bowers both devoted an enormous amount of time and effort over the past six years to produce the diagrams in the following pages; some of which went through many stages of revision. Consequently, they appear as senior authors of this volume. It should be mentioned in this regard that their equal dedication to the project made it necessary to determine their order of authorship by flipping a coin."

This book was prepared for publication by an International Working Group of experts under the auspices of COGEOENVIRONMENT - the Commission of the International Union of Geological Sciences (lUGS) on Geological Sciences for Environmental Planning and lUGS-GEM (Commission on Geosciences for Environmental Management). The main aim of the Working Group "Geology and Ecosystems" was to develop an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the mechanisms and special features within the "living tissue - inert nature" system under different regional, geological, and anthropogenic conditions. This activity requires international contributions from many scientific fields. It requires efforts from scientists specializing in fields such as: environmental impacts of extractive industries, anthropogenic development and medical problems related to geology and ecosystem interaction, the prediction of the geoenvironmental evolution of ecosystems, etc. The Working Group determined the goal and objectives of the book, developed the main content, discussed the parts and chapters, and formed the team of authors and the Editorial Board. The Meetings of the Working Group (Vilnius, Lithuania, 2002 and Warsaw-Kielniki, Poland, 2003) were dedicated to discussion and approval of the main content of all chapters in the Book.

1 2 J. H. SCHROEDER and B. H. PURSER 1 Introduction A symposium convened during the Vth International Coral Reef Congress in Papeete, Tahiti, 1985, encouraged the editors to assemble this volume of case studies by participating and, especially, by nonparticipating scientists. An attempt was made to include case studies from various regions and geological periods, carried out on various scales from regional to ultrastructural. We hope to present an overall view of reef diagenesis. Although the volume focuses on reef diagenesis, fields also to be considered are biology, paleontology, and sedimentary facies distribution, as they provide the context and, to some extent, encompass the determinants of diagenetic processes. The scope has been limited to reef diagenesis because we feel that reefs have relatively clearly defined geometries, which facilitate the evaluation of diagenetic trends and the definition of diagenetic models. On the other hand, their many different components make reefs somewhat more complex than other deposits, and this creates difficulties in deciphering diagenetic histories; the study of reefs, therefore, is not the simplest manner of solving the many problems relating to carbonate diagenesis. An additional reason for evaluating reef diagenesis is the reservoir potential of these carbonate bodies. To illustrate the point, in the recent collection of 35 case studies of carbonate reservoirs (Roehl and Choquette 1985), reefs were involved in 15. The emphasis on porosity development in many studies of the present volume is therefore not of mere academic interest.

Essentially, Orientations and Rotations treats the mathematical and computational foundations of texture analysis. It contains an extensive and thorough introduction to parameterizations and geometry of the rotation space. Since the notions of orientations and rotations are of primary importance for science and engineering, the book can be useful for a very broad audience using rotations in other fields.

Hydrogeology of Crystalline Rocks deals with deep groundwater in the granite and gneiss basement of the continents. It has become evident during the past years that highly mineralized water is present in an interconnected fracture network of the basement. Thus, the upper part of the crust of the continents can be viewed as an aquifer and investigated with tools common in hydrogeology. This book presents accounts on water-conducting features of crystalline rocks and summarizes the hydraulic properties of the basement. The volume includes reviews, new data and research on the often remarkable chemical composition of deep groundwater. Microbial processes in the deep basement aquifer are probably more important than previously thought. Two contributions focus on this recent extension of research of the biosphere to greater depth in the Earth. This book represents the first multidisciplinary and integrated account of deep groundwater hydrology in crystalline basement. It is of interest to hydrologists and hydrogeologists working with water in crystalline rocks, but also to solid earth geophysicists, geochemists and petrologists with an interest in fluids in the crust. Scientists involved in nuclear waste disposal programs and geothermal energy development will find a wealth of stimulating ideas in this volume.