Interest in the study of early European cultures is growing. These cultures have left us objects made of gold, other metals and ceramics. The advent of metal detectors, coupled with improved analytical techniques, has increased the number of findings of such objects enormously. Gold was used for economic and ceremonial purposes and thus the gold objects are an important key to our understanding of the social and political structures, as well as the technological achievements, of Bronze and Iron Age European societies. A correct interpretation of the information provided by gold and other metal objects requires the cooperation of experts in the fields of social, materials and natural science. Detailed investigation of gold deposits in Europe have revealed the composition and genesis of the deposits as sources of the metal. In Prehistoric Gold in Europe, a group of leading European geoscientists, metallurgists and archaeologists discuss the techniques of gold mining and metallurgy, the socioeconomic importance of gold as coinage and a symbol of wealth and status, and as an indicator of religious habits, as well as a mirror of trade and cultural relations mirrored by the distribution and types of gold objects in prehistoric times.

nd This book collects the scientific contributions from the lecturers at the 2 edition of the "International School on Marine Chemistry" held in Ustica (Palermo, Italy) from 5 to 12 September 1998. The School was planned with the aim of giving an overview about the chemical processes occurring in the marine environment and the more recent ana- lytical methodologies for their study. The School was organised under the auspices of the Italian Chemical Society and with the financial support of the Marine Reserve of Ustica Island, the Committee for Environment of Italian CNR, the University of Palermo, the Provincia Regionale of Palermo and the Shimadzu-Italia Corporation. The book has been printed with the fi- nancial support of the "Assessorato Ambiente" of the Provincia Regionale of Palermo. All the participants, about a hundred including the lecturers and the Organising Committee, are grateful for the generous support of the agencies. A particular ac- knowledgement from the Editors is to all the lecturers for their availability and cour- tesy and for the high quality of their scientific contributions.

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.

Few processes are as important for environmental geochemistry as the interplay between the oxidation and reduction of dissolved and solid species. The knowledge of the redox conditions is most important to predict the geochemical behaviour of a great number of components, the mobilities of which are directly or indirectly controlled by redox processes. The understanding of the chemical mechanisms responsible for the establishment of measurable potentials is the major key for the evaluation and sensitive interpretation of data. This book is suitable for advanced undergraduates as well as for all scientists dealing with the measurement and interpretation of redox conditions in the natural environment.

30% discount for members of The Mineralogical Society of Britain and Ireland

This volume addresses the fundamental factors that underlie our understanding of mineral behaviour and crystal chemistry - a timely topic given current advances in research into the complex behaviour of solids and supercomputing.

viii debate of those earlier days has been beautifully summarized by H. H. Read in his famous "Granite Controversy" (1957). Read's formulation of the controversy occurred at the time when geochemistry was as a new and powerful tool. The new techniques opened era during which emerging an granites were considered mainly from this new viewpoint. Geochemical signatures have shown that mantle and crustal origins for granites were both possible, but the debate on how and why granites are emplaced did not progress much. Meanwhile, structural geology was essentially geometrical and mechanistic. In the early 70's, the structural approach began to widen to include solid state physics and fluid dynamics. Detailed structural maps of granitic bodies were again published, mainly in France, and analysed in terms of magmatic and plastic flow. The senior editor of this volume and his students deserve much of the credit for this new development. Via microstructural and petrofabric studies, they were able to discriminate between strain in the presence of residual melt or in the solid-state, and, by systematically measuring magnetic fabrics (AMS), they have been able to map magmatic foliations and lineations in ever finer detail, using the internal markers within granites coming from different tectonic environments. The traditional debate has been shifted anew. The burning question now seems to be how the necessary, large-scale or local, crustal extension required for granite emplacement can be obtained.

"Polymineral-Metasomatic Crystallogenesis" is dedicated to the foundations of polymineral crystallogenesis in solutions typically occurring in nature. Effects, laws, and mechanisms of a metasomatic crystal replacement, joint crystal growth of different phases, mixed crystal formation, and aggregate re-crystallization as well as oriented overgrowth (epitaxy and quasi-epitaxy) and crystal habit origin are considered experimentally. The behaviour of these processes in nature are discussed in addition to pseudomorphs, poikilitic crystals (and other replacement forms), features of rapakivi structure, fluorite morphology, and many more. The concept is a generalization of the classic theory on crystallogenesis which is complicated by phase interaction in polymineral systems.

"Polymineral-Metasomatic Crystallogenesis" is designed for chemists, geologists, physicists, and postgraduates and advanced undergraduate students of these fields.

Professionals and students in any geology-related field will find this an essential reference. It clearly and systematically explains underground engineering geology principles, methods, theories and case studies. The authors lay out engineering problems in underground rock engineering and how to study and solve them. The book specially emphasizes mechanical and hydraulic couplings in rock engineering for wellbore stability, mining near aquifers and other underground structures where inflow is a problem.

Stable Isotope Geochemistry is an introduction to the use of stable isotopes in the geosciences. It is subdivided into three parts: theoretical and experimental principles; fractionation processes of light and heavy elements; the natural variations of geologically important reservoirs. Since the application of stable isotopes to earth sciences has grown in the last few years, a new edition appears necessary. Recent progress in analysing the rare isotopes of certain elements for instance allow the distinction between mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionations. Special emphasis has been given to the growing field of "heavy" elements. Many new references have been added, which will enable quick access to recent literature. For students and scientists alike the book will be a primary source of information with regard to how and where stable isotopes can be used to solve geological problems.

The application of microbiological methods to the extraction of metals from minerals has definitely gained a prominent role and is supported by the several bioleaching and biooxidation processes operating in different sites over the world. In recent years new techniques and new results about proteomic and bioinformatics are bringing a new perspective on the microbial processes.

This book focuses on the basic aspects of the process with special emphasis on recent contributions regarding the chemical and microbial aspects of the bioleaching process and the use of microorganisms in the treatment of complex ores and concentrates.

It has been written by recognized researchers in order to introduce the main subjects of microbial processing to undergraduate and postgraduate students, scientists working in this field as well as interested industrialists.

Cathodoluminescence microscopy/spectroscopy is a powerful technique providing detailed information on the shock metamorphism of target rocks, biosignatures of meteorites and mineralogy of the pre-solar grains. Moreover, it can be used as an in-situ method to classify the solid-atmospheric-liquid interactions on the surface of Mars.

"Archaeomineralogy" provides a wealth of information for mineralogists, geologists and archaeologists involved in archaeometric studies. The first edition was very well-received and praised for its systematic description of the rocks and minerals used throughout the world by our ancestors and for its excellent list of over 900 references, providing easy access to the fields of archaeomineralogy and geoarchaeology.

This second edition of "Archaeomineralogy" takes an updated and expanded look at the human use of rocks and minerals from the Paleolithic through to the 18th century CE. It retains the structure and main themes of the original but has been revised and expanded with more than 200 new references within the text, a bibliography of additional references not included in the text, a dozen new figures (drawings and photos), coverage of many additional important mineral, rock, and gem materials, a broader geographic scope, particularly but not limited to Eastern Europe, and a more thorough review of early contributions to archaeomineralogy, especially those of Agricola.

From reviews of the first edition:

..". crammed full of useful information, is well-balanced using both new and Old World examples of the archaeomaterials described. It also provides a broad, but of necessity, all too brief overview of the geological raw materials used in antiquity." -- Geoscientist

..".provides much interesting discussion of how particular names came to be employed by archaeologists working in different regions of the world.... much to offer for any geologist or archaeologist interested in minerals and rocks and how they have been used in the past." -- Mineralium Deposita

..". a gem of a book, it's strength is that it is encyclopedic in content, if not in layout, draws on a wealth of field experience and almost every sentence contains a nugget of information" -- The Holocene

The origin of different kinds of igneous rocks can be understood in terms of their tectonic setting, and by way of the isotope compositions of strontium, neodymium, and lead. This book explains the petrogenesis of igneous rocks as a consequence of tectonic processes resulting from interactions between asthenopheric plumes and the overlying lithospheric mantle. The relevant principles of isotope geochemistry are explained in the first chapter, making it accessible for university students as well as professionals. The relevant isotopic data is presented in diagrammatic form. The book contains more than 400 original drawings.

Rock Joints deals exclusively with the mechanical genesis of joints in rocks. It is aimed at a coherent, critical and comprehensible presentation of the underlying mechanical processes of various types of joints and joint systems. Special care is taken to elucidate and quantify the role of high fluid pressures in the formation of joints. The background is an offshoot of the author's courses on "Genesis of Rock Joints" in the Department of Rock Mechanics and Tunneling at the Technical University of Graz, Austria.

From the reviews: " ...] an excellent reference book. I have no doubt it will become a much-thumbed resource for students and researchers in mineralogy and crystallography." Geological Magazine

This monograph deals with the part of the field of experimental rock deformation that is dominated by the phenomena of brittle fracture on one scale or another. Thus a distinction has been drawn between the fields of brittle and ductile behaviour in rock, corresponding more or less to a distinction between the phenomena of fracture and flow. The last chapter deals with the transition between the two fields. In this new edition an attempt has been made to take into account new developments of the last two and a half decades. To assist in this project, the original author greatly appre- ates being joined by the second author. The scope of the monograph is limited to the mechanical properties of rock viewed as a material on the laboratory scale. Thus, the topic and approach is of a "materials science" kind rather than of a "structures" kind. We are dealing with only one part of the wider field of rock mechanics, a field which also includes structural or boundary value problems, for example, those of the stability of slopes, the collapse of mine openings, earthquakes, the folding of stratified rock, and the convective motion of the Earth's mantle. One topic thus excluded is the role of jointing, which it is commonly necessary to take into account in applications in engineering and mining, and pr- ably often in geology too. Shock phenomena have also not been covered.

'Tensile Fracturing in Rocks' presents field observations on fracturing of sedim- tary rocks and granite outcrops from various provinces in three continents. It also combines results of recent experiments conducted at different laboratories around the world with current theories on fracturing. In treating faults, this book limits itself to faults that are associated with joint sets produced by definable causes and occasi- ally to cases where interaction between the two types of fracture - faults and joints - is not clear. The book's subject matter is divided over six chapters, which are briefly described below. Chapter 1 summarizes current key concepts in fracture physics. It starts with a pr- entation of the elastic theory of fracture, and concentrates on the results of linear el- tic fracture mechanics. The chapter touches also upon other fracture properties, e.g., crack nucleation, dynamic fracturing and slow fracturing processes. Nucleation is - dressed by statistical mechanics methods incorporating modern approaches of th- mal and fiber bundle processes. The analyses of dynamic fracturing and slow fract- ing focus on the differences, as compared to the linear elastic approach. The cont- versy in interpreting experimental dynamic results is highlighted, as are the surface morphology patterns that emerge in fracturing and the non-Griffith crack extension criterion in very slow fracturing processes.

Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials presents an overview of the general concepts in luminescence spectroscopy as well as experimental methods and their interpretation. Special emphasis is laid on the fluorescence lifetime and the determination of time-resolved spectra. This method enables the exposure of new luminescence in minerals previously hidden by more intensive centers. Specialists in the fields of solid state physics, chemistry and spectroscopy will find a wealth of new information in this unique book.

Astromineralogy deals with the science of gathering mineralogical information from the astronomical spectroscopy of asteroids, comets and dust in the circumstellar environments in general. This field has received a tremendous boost with the reliable identification of minerals by the Infrared Space Observatory. The first edition of this book, published in 2003, was the first comprehensive and coherent account of this exciting field. Data obtained in the meantime with the Spitzer Infrared Space Telescope, the stardust mission to the comet 81P / Wild 2, and with the Cassini mission, together with progress in ground-based observations and laboratory astrophysics form the basis for this updated and widely extended second edition.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 comprises papers resulting from the 1st International workshop Minerals as Advanced Materials I . It is intended as an exchange of ideas between mineralogists and material scientists. The aim is to identify minerals and mineral objects that have or potentially have unique physical, chemical and structural properties that are of interest from the viewpoint of applied mineralogy and material science. The author studied Crystallography at the St.Petersburg State University.

Mechanochemistry as a branch of solid state chemistry enquires into processes which proceed in solids due to the application of mechanical energy. This provides a thorough, up to date overview of mechanochemistry of solids and minerals. Applications of mechanochemistry in nanoscience with special impact on nanogeoscience are described. Selected advanced identification methods, most frequently applied in nanoscience, are described as well as the advantage of mechanochemical approach in minerals engineering. Examples of industrial applications are given. Mechanochemical technology is being applied in many industrial fields: powder metallurgy (synthesis of nanometals, alloys and nanocompounds), building industry (activation of cements), chemical industry (solid waste treatment, catalyst synthesis, coal ashes utilization), minerals engineering (ore enrichment, enhancement of processes of extractive metallurgy), agriculture industry (solubility increase of fertilizers), and pharmaceutical industry (improvement of solubility and bioavailability of drugs).

This reference serves as an introduction to newcomers to mechanochemistry, and encourages more experienced researchers to broaden their knowledge and discover novel applications in the field.

Using the kind permission given to me by my co-author, this short preface will be written in my name. I want to devote this book to San Juan city in Argentina. It is not only due to the fact that the city was twice completely destroyed after the devastating ear- quakes in 1941 and 1977, but also because my stay there completely changed my life. Changes included changing my career from the field of space plasma physics to Earth sciences and geophysics, and changes in my personal life giving me h- piness and compliance in my present family. Going back to the subject of the book, it should be noted that the history of the question asked by the book is very complicated and intricate. Starting in the 1930s from the observation of seismogenic electric fields, the area of seismo-ionospheric coupling became an area of fighting and conflicts, hopes and frustrations. Spe- lation and misunderstanding on the interdisciplinary borders made this field for many years (even up to now) taboo for so-called "serious scientists." But due to the courageous efforts of several groups in Russia and the former USSR states such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Japan, later France and Taiwan, Greece and Italy the situation started to improve.

This textbook gives a concise introduction to modern crystal structure determination, emphasising both its theoretical background and the way it is actually carried out. The theoretical sections are supported by many illustrations, and lay emphasis on a good understanding rather than rigorous mathematics. The most important data collection techniques, and the methods of data reduction, structure solution and refinement are discussed from a practical point of view. Many tips and insights help readers to recognise and avoid possible errors and traps, and to judge the quality of results. The second edition has been considerably updated, especially the chapter on experimental methods, which is now mainly concerned with modern data collection using area-detectors.

This fully updated textbook is intended for the economic geologist who deals with the evaluation of deposits at an early stage of development. It offers rules for quick and easy calculations based on the application of approximate data. It provides both the student and the geologist in the field with a complete set of rules and methods enabling them to perform a quick initial evaluation of the deposit without the support of specialists or computers - even if he is left to his own resources. All rules for calculations are illustrated with examples, and mistakes and pitfalls the authors encountered during their careers are pointed out.

This book reviews current ideas explaining the formation of granite in terms of melting, segregation, ascent and emplacement. It introduces an alternative hypothesis that granites are endogenic in that they essentially form and remain at melting sites in the middle upper crust under conditions of abnormally high heat flow. The book highlights results of Chinese research over the last 30 years in English for the first time.