Artificial Intelligence in Earth Science: Best Practices and Fundamental Challenges provides a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to AI workflows for solving problems in Earth Science. The book focuses on the most challenging problems in applying AI in Earth system sciences, such as training data preparation, model selection, hyperparameter tuning, model structure optimization, spatiotemporal generalization, transforming model results into products, and explaining trained models. In addition, it provides full-stack workflow tutorials to help walk readers through the whole process, regardless of previous AI experience. The book tackles the complexity of Earth system problems in AI engineering, fully guiding geoscientists who are planning to implement AI in their daily work.

Scholars from Egypt, Germany and the US review and analyze the results of work carried out on the geology of Egypt: geomorphology and evolution of landscape, tectonics, geophysical regime, volcanicity, Precambrian geology, geologic history and paleogeography, paleontology of selected taxa, ore depos

Geostatistics for Engineers and Earth Scientists

In the middle of the 20th century, Genrich Altshuller, a Russian engineer, analysed hundreds of thousands of patents and scientific publications. From this analysis, he developed TRIZ (G. Altshuller, "40 Principles: TRIZ Keys to Technical Innovation. TRIZ Tools," Volume 1, First Edition, Technical Innovation Center, Inc. , Worcester, MA, January 1998; Y. Salamatov, "TRIZ: The Right Solution at the Right Time. A Guide to Innovative Problem Solving. " Insytec B. V. , 1999), the theory of inventive problem solving, together with a series of practical tools for helping engineers solving technical problems. Among these tools and theories, the substance-field theory gives a structured way of representing problems, the patterns of evolution show the lifecycle of technical systems, the contradiction matrix tells you how to resolve technical contradictions, using the forty principles that describe common ways of improving technical systems. For example, if you want to increase the strength of a device, without adding too much extra weight to it, the contradiction matrix tells you that you can use "Principle 1: Segmentation," or "Principle 8: Counterweight," or "Principle 15: Dynamicity," or "Principle 40: Composite Materials. " I really like two particular ones: "Principle 1: Segmentation," and Principle 15: Dynamicity. " "Segmentation" shows how systems evolve from an initial monolithic form into a set of independent parts, then eventually increasing the number of parts until each part becomes small enough that it cannot be identified anymore.

The study of hillslopes is a central element of geomorphology, and has been the cause of many of the major methodological disputes in the subject. The book describes the present state of knowledge of hillslope form and points to unresolved problems in the understanding of it. It also deals with observed variations in hillslope form across the surface of the earth and concludes by examining the influence of man on hillslopes and assessing the contribution that the understanding of natural hillslopes may make to the management of man-made inclines.

This pioneering work deals with the parameterization of rockfalls in the context of 3D run-out modelling at a study site in the Bavarian Alps. The main objective was to cover not only low-magnitude, high-frequency rockfalls (<10 m3) but also Mid-Magnitude events, which involve rock volumes of between 10 and 100 m3 (boulder falls) and between 100 and 10,000 m3 (block falls). As Mid-Magnitude events have been insufficiently covered in terms of rockfall modelling up to now, a geomechanical approach has been developed to characterize those events by means of a case study. For a 200 m3 limestone block a potential failure scenario was analysed by combining a deterministic failure analysis with a numerical process-based run-out model. To model potential run-out scenarios of the 200 m3 block, the beta version of the code RAMMS::Rockfall, developed by the Swiss Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research (SLF), was applied. RAMMS::Rockfall makes it possible to include the block shape and thus consider the effects of varying block shapes on the run-out distance. The run-out modelling for the entire project site was performed using the scientific code Rockyfor3D (Dorren/ecorisQ). To provide quantitative information in terms of input parameters, a field recording of block sizes at the talus slope, as well as a detailed discontinuity analysis at the source area, were conducted. The book successfully demonstrates how detailed and quantitative field investigation can contribute to 3D rockfall modelling.

One of the most crucial but still very poorly understood topics of oceanographic science is the role of ocean processes in contributing to the dynamics of climate and global change. This book presents a series of high level lectures on the major categories of ocean/atmosphere processes. Three of these major issues are the focus of the lectures: (1) air--sea interaction processes; (2) water mass formation, dispersion and mixing; (3) general circulation, with specific emphasis on the thermohaline component. Global examples in the world ocean are provided and discussed in the lectures. In parallel, the Mediterranean Sea is a laboratory basin in providing analogues of the above global processes relevant to climate dynamics. They include the Mediterranean thermohaline circulation with its own conveyor belt'; intermediate and deep water mass formation and transformations, dispersion and mixing. No other book in the field provides a review of fundamental lectures on these processes, coupled with global examples and their Mediterranean analogues.

This book combines field, laboratory and modelling methods to identify, characterize and quantify sources and fluxes within and between the different compartments: water, rock and air. Inorganic carbon plays an important role in shaping karst features. In the unsaturated zone, the percolating water consumes soil-derived carbon dioxide while dissolving carbonate bedrock and then releases it again while degassing and precipitating calcite in caves. A portion of the released CO2 is returned to the atmosphere through the natural ventilation of caves. This book is an important reference source for all those interested in the global carbon budget, karst geochemistry, cave climate and paleoclimate studies using cave speleothem as proxies.

This richly illustrated book describes statistical extreme value theory for the quantification of natural hazards, such as strong winds, floods and rainfall, and discusses an interdisciplinary approach to allow the theoretical methods to be applied. The approach consists of a number of steps: data selection and correction, non-stationary theory (to account for trends due to climate change), and selecting appropriate estimation techniques based on both decision-theoretic features (e.g., Bayesian theory), empirical robustness and a valid treatment of uncertainties. It also examines and critically reviews alternative approaches based on stochastic and dynamic numerical models, as well as recently emerging data analysis issues and presents large-scale, multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art case studies. Intended for all those with a basic knowledge of statistical methods interested in the quantification of natural hazards, the book is also a valuable resource for engineers conducting risk analyses in collaboration with scientists from other fields (such as hydrologists, meteorologists, climatologists).

Transports in fluids can be approached from two complementary perspectives. In the Eulerian view of mixing, the focus is on the concentration field. In the Langrangian view, fluid parcels are followed around as they move with the flow, experiencing chaotic or stochastic motion. This book examines both pictures, presenting a number of theoretical and experimental lectures on various aspects of transport and mixing of active and passive particles in geophysical flows.

Fossil fuels will remain the backbone of the global energy economy for the foreseeable future. The contribution of nuclear energy to the global energy supply is also expected to increase. With the pressing need to mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the fossil energy industry is exploring the possibility of carbon dioxide disposal in geological media. Geological disposal has been studied for decades by the nuclear industry with a view to ensuring the safe containment of its wastes. Geological disposal of carbon dioxide and that of radioactive waste gives rise to many common concerns in domains ranging from geology to public acceptance. In this respect, comparative assessments reveal many similarities, ranging from the transformation of the geological environment and safety and monitoring concerns to regulatory, liability and public acceptance issues. However, there are profound differences on a broad range of issues as well, such as the quantities and hazardous features of the materials to be disposed of, the characteristics of the targeted geological media, the site engineering technologies involved and the timescales required for safe containment at the disposal location. There are ample opportunities to learn from comparisons and to derive insights that will assist policymakers responsible for national energy strategies and international climate policies.

Advances in Subsurface Data Analytics: Traditional and Physics-Based Approaches brings together the fundamentals of popular and emerging machine learning (ML) algorithms with their applications in subsurface analysis, including geology, geophysics, petrophysics, and reservoir engineering. The book is divided into four parts: traditional ML, deep learning, physics-based ML, and new directions, with an increasing level of diversity and complexity of topics. Each chapter focuses on one ML algorithm with a detailed workflow for a specific application in geosciences. Some chapters also compare the results from an algorithm with others to better equip the readers with different strategies to implement automated workflows for subsurface analysis. Advances in Subsurface Data Analytics: Traditional and Physics-Based Approaches will help researchers in academia and professional geoscientists working on the subsurface-related problems (oil and gas, geothermal, carbon sequestration, and seismology) at different scales to understand and appreciate current trends in ML approaches, their applications, advances and limitations, and future potential in geosciences by bringing together several contributions in a single volume.

Did industry and commerce affect the concepts, values and epistemic foundations of different sciences? If so, how and to what extent? This book suggests that the most significant influence of industry on science in the two case studies treated here had to do with the issue of realism. Using wave propagation as the common thread, this is the first book to simultaneously analyse the emergence of realist attitudes towards the entities of the ionosphere and of the earth's crust. However, what led physicists and engineers to adopt realist attitudes? This book suggests that a new kind of realism -a realism of social and cultural origins- is the answer: a preliminary, entity realism responding to specific commercial and engineering interests, and a realism that was neither strictly instrumental nor exclusively operational. The book has two parts: while Part I focuses on the study of the ionosphere and how the British radio industry affected ionospheric physics, Part II focuses on the study of the Earth's crust and how the American oil industry affected crustal seismology.

The planned construction of traffic routes through the European Alps represents a challenge for science and technology. In the past decades, Austria has gained a leading position in the field of tunnelling. This has been verified by many successful projects all over the world, which have been realised with the well-known "New Austrian Tunnelling Method". However, further development and economic success of modern tunnelling methods, which are still partly based on empirical assumptions, can only be assured if their scientific basis is improved. The book discusses the application of numerical simulation methods to assist tunnel engineers. Numerical simulation tools for the estimation of the required tunnel support and the required construction measures are described in this book. By using them, it is possible to study the impact on construction and environment during the planning stage and during construction. This will result in an improvement of the safety and economy of tunnels.

This volume is entirely devoted to the life and work of the world's most famous geomorphologist, William Morris Davis (1850-1934). It contains a treatment in depth of Davis' many contributions to the study of landforms including:

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• the cycle of erosion
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• denudation chronology
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• arid and karst geomorphology
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• the coral reef problem.

Mapping and Forecasting Land Use: The Present and Future of Planning is a comprehensive reference on the use of technologies to map land use, focusing on GIS and remote sensing applications and methodologies for land use monitoring. This book addresses transversal topics such as urbanisation, biodiversity loss, climate change, ecosystem services and participatory planning, with the pros and cons of various aerial technologies in mapping and land use. It follows a multidisciplinary approach and provides opinions and evidence from leading researchers working in academic institutions across the globe. The book's second half moves from theory and research advancement into case studies, compiling global examples to provide real-world context and evidence of the techniques and applications. Mapping and Forecasting Land Use is a valuable guide for graduates, academics and researchers in the fields of geography, geographic information science and land use science who want to effectively apply GIS and remote sensing capabilities to mapping or wider land studies. Researchers in geosciences, environmental science and agriculture will also find this of value in utilising 21st-century technologies in their field.

A comprehensive study of climate; its fundamentals, its history, the recent effects of urban growth and the problems of forecasting.

Coastal Flood Risk Reduction: The Netherlands and the U.S. Upper Texas Coast represents the culmination of a 5-year international research and education partnership funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and more than 10 years of collaboration between Dutch and U.S. flood experts on the basic issue of how to protect society from growing flood risks. Multiple case studies integrating the fields of engineering, hydrology, landscape architecture, economics, and planning address the underlying characteristics of physical flood risks and their prediction; human communities and the associated built environment; physical, social, and built-environment variables; and mitigation techniques. In recognition of the lack of systematic research and the growing societal need to better understand flood impacts, this edited book provides an in-depth, comparative evaluation of flood problems and solutions in two key places: the Netherlands and the U.S. Upper Texas Coast. Both regions are extremely flood-prone and have experienced continual adverse impacts throughout their histories. For researchers in flood management, geographers, hydrologists, environmental studies, and social science as well as policymakers and decision-makers in flood management authorities and related industries, this book provides an essential resource.

This book explores the original discovery of lithium and its development from a mineral to various applications that culminate in its present use in the electromotive industry

This book presents the latest experimental and numerical analysis work in the field of ground deformation and base instability of deep excavations in soft clay subjected to hydraulic uplift. The authors' latest research findings, based on dimensional analyses, well-instrumented full-scale field tests, systematic coupled-consolidation finite element analyses and centrifuge tests are reported. This book shows how to systematically approach a complex geotechnical problem, from identifying existing problems, reviewing literature, to dimensional and numerical analyses, validation through full-scale testing and centrifuge model testing. The methodologies are also introduced as major tools adopted in geotechnical research.

The Foundation of Australia's Capital Cities is the story of how the places chosen for Australia's seven colonial capitals came to shape their unique urban character and built environments. Tony Webster traces the effects of each city's geologically diverse coastal or riverine landform and the local natural materials that were available for construction, highlighting how the geology and original landforms resulted in development patterns that have persisted today.