This book focuses on essential theories, methods and techniques in the field of environmental and engineering geophysics that can contribute to resource detection and environmental protection. Geophysics has been playing an important role in exploring the earth, locating vital resources and promoting the development of society. This book covers a range of topics including the exploration of modern resources, such as ore deposits, coal mines, shale gas and geothermal power, and the monitoring of geological disasters, including the rock-soil body, ground deformation, mines, specific rock-soil engineering disasters, desertification of land and environmental abnormalities. This book not only offers a valuable resource for geophysical researchers; it also demonstrates how geophysics theories and methods can be practically implemented to protect our environment and promote the development of human society.

Morocco is one of the most fascinating lands in the world from the point of view of its geological structure and evolution. Our knowledge on the geology of the country has been greatly improved during the last decades, based on numerous seismic profiles and boreholes, seismological analysis of focal mechanisms, seismic tomography, gravimetric/geodetic modelling and, on the other hand, based on a big National Program of Geological Mapping including modern geochemical analyses (trace elements) and reliable isotopic datings (39Ar-40Ar, U-Pb zircon, Sm-Nd, etc). Moreover, a number of academic studies have been performed in relation with the increasing number of Moroccan universities.

Accordingly, there was an utmost urgency to undertake a new treatise of Moroccan geology which could substitute for the classical Elements de geologie marocaine, published in 1976 by A. Michard in the Notes et Memoires du Service geologique du Maroc (re-edited twice since 1976, with more than 6000 copies sold, and translated in Japanese for engineers ). A new treatise has been prepared between April 2006 and July 2007 under the coordination of A. Michard, assisted by O. Saddiqi, and A. Chalouan, by a wide panel of authors from Morocco, France or Belgium among the best connoisseurs of the country. In order to emphasize the general interest of the book, we finally retain the following title: Continental Evolution: The Geology of Morocco. Structure, Stratigraphy, and Tectonics of the Africa-Atlantic-Mediterranean Triple junction.

The editing and production of this book was supported by the following organisations:

The Geological Society of France (SGF)

The National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines of Morocco (ONHYM)

The International Lithosphere Program (ILP)

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This book reviews advances in understanding of the past ca. two million years of Earth history - the Quaternary Period - in the United States. It begins with sections on ice and water - as glaciers, permafrost, oceans, rivers, lakes, and aquifers. Six chapters are devoted to the high-latitude Pleistocene ice sheets, to mountain glaciations of the western United States, and to permafrost studies. Other chapters discuss ice-age lakes, caves, sea-level fluctuations, and riverine landscapes. With a chapter on landscape evolution models, the book turns to essays on geologic processes. Two chapters discuss soils and their responses to climate, and wind-blown sediments. Two more describe volcanoes and earthquakes, and the use of Quaternary geology to understand the hazards they pose. The next part of the book is on plants and animals. Five chapters consider the Quaternary history of vegetation in the United States. Other chapters treat forcing functions and vegetation response at different spatial and temporal scales, the role of fire as a catalyst of vegetation change during rapid climate shifts, and the use of tree rings in inferring age and past hydroclimatic conditions. Three chapters address vertebrate paleontology and the extinctions of large mammals at the end of the last glaciation, beetle assemblages and the inferences they permit about past conditions, and the peopling of North America. A final chapter addresses the numerical modeling of Quaternary climates, and the role paleoclimatic studies and climatic modeling has in predicting future response of the Earth's climate system to the changes we have wrought.

Jesuits established a large number of astronomical, geophysical and meteorological observatories during the 17th and 18th centuries and again during the 19th and 20th centuries throughout the world. The history of these observatories has never been published in a complete form. Many early European astronomical observatories were established in Jesuit colleges.
During the 17th and 18th centuries Jesuits were the first western scientists to enter into contact with China and India. It was through them that western astronomy was first introduced in these countries. They made early astronomical observations in India and China and they directed for 150 years the Imperial Observatory of Beijing.
In the 19th and 20th centuries a new set of observatories were established. Besides astronomy these now included meteorology and geophysics. Jesuits established some of the earliest observatories in Africa, South America and the Far East.
Jesuit observatories constitute an often forgotten chapter of the history of these sciences.

This thesis addresses karst development in a terrain characterized by a highly complex geological and geomorphological evolution. It tackles the extent and complexity of both epigenic and hypogenic karst development, based on morphological analyses of caves, combined with analyses and datations of cave sediments and their correlation to regional geological and geomorphological evolution. Hypogenic karst registered is mainly the result of hydrothermal speleogenesis due to increased geothermal gradient in connection with nearby Pliocene-Pleistocene volcanic centers, with occurrence of sulfuric acid speleogenesis and ghost-rock weathering due to local geological or lithological control. Epigenic speleogenesis is strongly controlled by base level oscillations, with also examples of deep phreatic (now fossil) caves connected to regional base level rise, and per-ascensum speleogenesis. Another important finding is the constraining of the timing of Mariovo Lake draining in the Pleistocene, an important event in order to understand the geomorphological evolution in Macedonia, as it led to the onset of fluvial development and incision of valleys, shaping most of the present morphology.

Mass movement of rocks in high mountains can severely injure the population and damage man-made structures in these areas. This book focuses on the understanding of the mechanisms of rockslides and rockfalls using a quantitative approach. The range and velocity of these hazards are calculated to serve as a basis for evacuations and other preventive measures. Examples from four continents illustrate the necessity of this kind of information. The book contains a wealth of information for practitioners and scientists working in the field of catastrophe prevention.

This edited work contains the most recent advances related to the study of layered intrusions and cumulate rocks formation. The first part of this book presents reviews and new views of processes producing the textural, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of layered igneous rocks. The second part summarizes progress in the study of selected layered intrusions and their ore deposits from different parts of the world including Canada, Southwest China, Greenland and South Africa. Thirty experts have contributed to this update on recent research on Layered Intrusions. This highly informative book will provide insight for researchers with an interest in geology, igneous petrology, geochemistry and mineral resources.

The widespread mafic-ultramafic complexes in the Earth are well-known as their hosting Ni-Cu-PGE ore deposits, and their petrogenesis and mineralization have become hot issues in the geological studies. This thesis comprehensively investigated the petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry and geochronology of several mafic-ultramafic complexes in the Beishan Terrane, southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt aimed at systematically determining the mineralization and petrogenetic processes responsible for the formation of the complexes and placing constraints on the tectonic evolution of the Eastern Tianshan and Beishan, and the Early Permian mantle plume. The thesis identified mineralizing indicators of Ni-Cu sulfide deposits and defined the roles of partial melting, fractional crystallization, crustal assimilation and magma injection. The systematical isotopic compositions revealed the mantle source of the mafic-ultramafic complexes had undergone the subduction-related modifications both from the South Tianshan Ocean and subsequently the Junggar Ocean, and that the complexes were emplaced in the period of 269-285 Ma coeval with the 280 Ma mantle plume event in the Tarim Craton. The results of this thesis provide new insights about the tectonic setting, magma evolution, ore genesis, and exploration implications of the mafic-ultramafic complexes in Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Dr. Benxun Su works at the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.

Land use decisions in karst terrains can have immediate and serious impacts on the local landscape and groundwater resources. The existing literature on karst and land use can be very difficult to locate in the journals of any of a half-dozen different disciplines. This book brings the interdisciplinary knowledge together in one place, in a format that academics and professionals alike will find accessible, informative and useful.

Based on an examination of existing regulations, the experiences and opinions of planners and land use professionals, and quantitative analysis of publicly-available data, the book explores how human settlement patterns and urban systems in karst terrains are affected by land use regulations intended to protect karst resources. The book pays particular attention to the questions of whether these regulations will have a noticeable impact on density and on opportunities for economic growth and development in communities that choose to implement them. This analysis serves as the basis for a regulatory framework that may be used to understand the workings of land use regulations in karst terrains, and to aid in the development of such regulations in the future.

A collection of international contributions presenting current knowledge of impact tectonics, geological and geophysical investigations of terrestrial impact structures, and suggested new impact structures, resulting from the IMPACT program.

The Isle of Arran dominates the Firth of Clyde. A favourite haunt of holidaymakers, it is also a place of fascination for the geologist, offering a huge variety of rocks that represent a massive slice through geological time. From the ancient bent and buckled strata of Dalradian - a small fragment of the roots of the once mighty Scottish Highlands - the dramatic Northern mountains through which ice gouged its way during the Ice Age, to the relatively recent (some 60 million years ago!) rocks associated with the Arran volcano, the geological record tells an amazing tale. This book is a fascinating introduction to the landscape of Arran - one of the significant geological areas of the country.

The most modern, scientific approach to teaching our changing planet, at the most valuable price in the market. Geology is everywhere in our daily lives. We are surrounded by materials and resources extracted from the Earth, our climate is changing at alarming rates, and hazards due to Earth's processes are leading to major catastrophes. We will be reliant upon a population of informed citizens to make and vote for policies that protect our Earth, and change that will keep our planet habitable. Therefore, understanding our Earth has never been more important. Understanding Earth leads the way by fully integrating the study of climate science into the core intro geology curriculum. Through strategic placement of the climate science chapters at the beginning of the geomorphology content, we offer a text that places our changing climate as a key force shaping the rest of our discussion on Earth's surficial processes. Understanding Earth is now supported by Achieve Read & Practice, the most affordable digital solution in the market. It's easy to use and streamlined, with just the ebook and adaptive quizzing engine LearningCurve, which prepares students with core foundational concepts so they arrive prepared for class. Instructors receive performance analytics to identify class strengths, areas for improvement, and competencies.

Stochastic Methods for Flow in Porous Media: Coping with Uncertainties explores fluid flow in complex geologic environments. The parameterization of uncertainty into flow models is important for managing water resources, preserving subsurface water quality, storing energy and wastes, and improving the safety and economics of extracting subsurface mineral and energy resources.
This volume systematically introduces a number of stochastic methods used by researchers in the community in a tutorial way and presents methodologies for spatially and temporally stationary as well as nonstationary flows. The author compiles a number of well-known results and useful formulae and includes exercises at the end of each chapter.

* As never seen before:
* Balanced viewpoint of several stochastic methods, including Greens' function, perturbative expansion, spectral, Feynman diagram, adjoint state, Monte Carlo simulation, and renormalization group methods
* Tutorial style of presentation will facilitate use by readers without a prior in-depth knowledge of Stochastic processes
* Practical examples throughout the text
* Exercises at the end of each chapter reinforce specific concepts and techniques
* For the reader who is interested in hands-on experience, a number of computer codes are included and discussed

Everything we see in our landscapes today was created by geological actions, all of them accompanied by earthquakes and volcanism. This thorough examination of the geology of the United States and its impact on people's lives explores the processes that shape the land surfaces of the United States. These processes act over long periods of time and are affected by such factors as wind, rain, and temperature. Readers will discover how they frequently catch us by surprise when unexpected events occur, as well as how we often ignore signals that indicate repeat disasters. The hazards associated with geological processes are a continuing concern, but readers will also discover the benefits of many of these so-called natural disasters.

Geologic regions define the framework for the book. Gunn provides readers with an accessible overview of geology, defining such concepts as erosion and deposition and discussing such factors as the different kinds of rocks found in the earth's crust. He also explores the concept of plate tectonics in detail. Representative states have been selected to illustrate hazards and geologic features found over large areas, and students can discover those areas that are the most dangerous in which to live. Students are encouraged to draw on the resources provided for further in-depth study of the fascinating topics introduced and discussed.

For all introductory physical geology courses. Bringing Earth to life Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 13th Edition, is a leading text in the field, characterized by no-nonsense, student-friendly writing, excellent illustrations, and a modular learning path driven by learning objectives. The new editionis the first to integrate 3D technology that brings geology to life. This edition features significant content updates, a new Geology in the News feature to promote student engagement, and a new Data Analysis feature to help develop students' critical thinking skills. Also available as a Pearson eText or packaged with Mastering Geology Pearson eText is a simple-to-use, mobile-optimized, personalized reading experience available within Mastering Geology. It lets students highlight, take notes, and review key vocabulary all in one place - even when offline. Seamlessly integrated videos and other rich media engage students and give them access to the help they need, when they need it. Educators can easily share their own notes with students so they see the connection between their eText and what they learn in class. Mastering (TM) is the teaching and learning platform that empowers you to reach every student. By combining trusted author content with digital tools developed to engage students and emulate the office-hour experience, Mastering personalizes learning and improves results for each student. Built for, and directly tied to the text, Mastering Geology enables students to get hands on with tools and activities to practice, learn, and apply geology outside of the classroom. Note: You are purchasing a standalone product; Mastering Geology does not come packaged with this content. Students, ask your instructor for the correct package ISBN and Course ID. Instructors, contact your Pearson representative for more information. If your instructor has assigned Pearson eText as your main course material, search for: * 0135586097 / 9780135586099 Pearson eText Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology -- Access Card, 13/e OR * 0135729629 / 9780135729625 Pearson eText Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology, 13/e -- Instant Access If you would like to purchase both the physical text and Mastering Geology search for: 0135191122 / 9780135191125 Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology Plus Mastering Geology with Pearson eText -- Access Card Package Package consists of: 0135188318 / 9780135188316 Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology 0135188660 / 9780135188668 Mastering Geology with Pearson eText -- ValuePack Access Card -- for Earth: An Introduction to Physical Geology

The goals of wind wave research are relatively well defined: to be able to predict the wind wave field and its effect on the environment. That environment could be natural (beaches, the atmosphere etc.) or imposed by human endeavour (ports, harbours, coastal settlements etc.). Although the goals are similar, the specific requirements of these various fields differ considerably.

This book attempts to summarise the current state of this knowledge and to place this understanding into a common frame work. It attempts to take a balanced approach between the pragmatic engineering view of requiring a short term result and the scientific quest for detailed understanding. Thus, it attempts to provide a rigorous description of the physical processes involved as well as practical predictive tools.

This book brings together an overview of the recent geological history, active earth and biological processes and human settlement of New Zealand. Topics covered include the very active neotectonic and volcanic setting. Mountain geomorphic processes are examined and new ideas about landsliding are highlighted. The exceptional sedimentary archives of the Whanganui Basin are also presented. As one of two land masses that extend into the southern mid-latitudes, New Zealand is ideally located to investigate changes in Southern Ocean climate. Related to this, mountain glaciation in New Zealand is a focus in global climate change debates. New Zealand also has a unique biota due to its long isolation and is the last major land mass to be settled by people. Advances in DNA technologies have revolutionised our understanding of the histories and processes involved. The book provides a comprehensive review of existing work and highlights new ideas and major debates across all these fields.

These are exciting times for exobiology. The ubiquity of organic molecules in interstellar clouds, comets and asteroids strongly supports a cosmic perspective on the origin of life. Data from both ground-based telescopes and the recently launched Infrared Space Observatory are providing new insight into the complexity of carbon-based chemistry beyond the Earth. Meteorites give us solid evidence for extraterrestrial amino acids, and putative fossil evidence for life in a 3.6 billion-year-old Martian meteorite hints that life in our system might not be the sole prerogative of the Earth. Giant planets have now been discovered orbiting other stars, and although such planets seem unlikely to be habitable themselves, their existence strongly suggests what many astronomers have long believed - that planetary systems are commonplace. All these topics are reviewed in this volume by active researchers. The level is appropriate for graduate students in astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, physics, and related disciplines. It will also provide a valuable source of reference for active researchers in these fields.

The proceedings of the Eleventh International Basement Tectonics Conference is part of a major series of publications dealing with intraplate tectonics. The Eleventh Conference, held in Potsdam, Germany, presents aspects of the basement tectonics of Eastern and Western Europe; the first time they have been assembled in one meeting. Internationally recognised experts in a variety of fields review broad, key, integrative aspects of major fields which contribute to the understanding of the European basement and to geophysical methods of basement analysis. The book focuses mainly on the structure and history of the entire European continent. The recent political reorganisation of Europe has helped to promote several international programs aimed at understanding the deep basement of the European continental features. Accordingly, the majority of the papers included in this volume deal with different aspects on the structure and evolution of the European continent and its various orogenic belts and postorogenic features. Topics range from modelling of the thermal evolution of basement rocks, fabrics in deformed rocks, and geophysical features of basement units to intrusion and concomitant deformation of the basement. Similar aspects are addressed in further chapters focusing on other Phanerozoic cratons and are grouped around topics of current interest: the problem of extrapolation and correlation of geological and geophysical data from basement rocks, and the mechanisms of basement exhumation in the evolution of orogenic belts.