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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > Meteorology > General
Ancient iron formations - iron and silica-rich chemical sedimentary
rocks that formed throughout the Precambrian eons - provide a
significant part of the evidence for the modern scientific
understanding of palaeoenvironmental conditions in Archaean
(4.0-2.5 billion years ago) and Proterozoic (2.5-0.539 billion
years ago) times. Despite controversies regarding their formation
mechanisms, iron formations are a testament to the influence of the
Precambrian biosphere on early ocean chemistry. As many iron
formations are pure chemical sediments that reflect the composition
of the waters from which they precipitated, they can also serve as
nuanced geochemical archives for the study of ancient marine
temperatures, redox states, and elemental cycling, if proper care
is taken to understand their sedimentological context.
The second edition of this book presents an up-to-date account of the transfer of energy, matter, and momentum between the atmosphere and the ocean. The expository style of the book will be welcomed by students and professionals alike, within the fields of meteorology, oceanography, and physics. Topics covered include surface wind waves, the planetary boundary layer, and radiation.
Examining a series of El Nino-induced droughts and the famines that
they spawned around the globe in the last third of the 19th
century, Mike Davis discloses the intimate, baleful relationship
between imperial arrogance and natural incident that combined to
produce some of the worst tragedies in human history. Late
Victorian Holocausts focuses on three zones of drought and
subsequent famine: India, Northern China; and Northeastern Brazil.
All were affected by the same global climatic factors that caused
massive crop failures, and all experienced brutal famines that
decimated local populations. But the effects of drought were
magnified in each case because of singularly destructive policies
promulgated by different ruling elites. Davis argues that the seeds
of underdevelopment in what later became known as the Third World
were sown in this era of High Imperialism, as the price for
capitalist modernization was paid in the currency of millions of
peasants' lives.
Lithium isotopes are a relatively novel tracer of present and past
silicate weathering processes. Given that silicate weathering is
the primary long-term method by which CO2 is removed from the
atmosphere, Li isotope research is going through an exciting phase.
We show the weathering processes that fractionate dissolved and
sedimentary Li isotope ratios, focusing on weathering intensity and
clay formation. We then discuss the carbonate and silicate archive
potential of past seawater 7Li. These archives have been used to
examine Li isotope changes across both short and long timescales.
The former can demonstrate the rates at which the climate is
stabilised from perturbations via weathering, a fundamental piece
of the puzzle of the long-term carbon cycle.
This book is, ina sense, a sequel to David Seargent's first
Springer book "Weird Astronomy" (2010). Whereas "Weird Astronomy"
extended over a broad range of purely astronomical topics, the
present work concentrates on phenomena closer to home; the
atmospheric and "shallow space" events as opposed to deep space
events. The line between astronomy and meteorology is blurred - a
fact that is discussed in "Weird Weather." It is not primarily a
book of "wonders" or of the unexplained, although some of the
topics covered remain mysteries. It is primarily directed toward
those who are fascinated by climate and weather, and who are
open-minded when considering Earth's climate, what drives it, and
what are the causes of climate change. The author, David A. J.
Seargent, presents the facts with a balanced and scientific
approach.
"Weird Weather: Tales of Astronomical and Atmospheric Anomalies"
is about strange, unusual, and apparently inexplicable observations
of the air and sky. Primarily these are in the Earth's atmosphere,
but there are corresponding phenomena in the atmospheres of other
planets of the Solar System - lightning on Venus, Jupiter, and
Saturn, whirlwinds and dust storms of Mars, and auroras on Jupiter.
Topics include anomalous lights, anomalous sounds, spectacular
effects of cloud illumination by the Sun or Moon, lightning
phenomena, electrophonic sounds of lightning, aurora and meteors,
tornado and whirlwind phenomena on Earth and Mars, usual
atmospheric effects, mirages, and the possible astronomical
influences on cloud and climate."
In the modern marine environment, barium isotope ( 138Ba)
variations are primarily driven by barite cycling-barite
incorporates 'light' Ba isotopes from solution, rendering the
residual Ba reservoir enriched in 'heavy' Ba isotopes by a
complementary amount. Since the processes of barite precipitation
and dissolution are vertically segregated and spatially
heterogeneous, barite cycling drives systematic variations in the
barium isotope composition of seawater and sediments. This Element
examines these variations; evaluates their global, regional, local,
and geological controls; and, explores how 138Ba can be exploited
to constrain the origin of enigmatic sedimentary sulfates and to
study marine biogeochemistry over Earth's history.
In one form or another, iron speciation has had a long history as a
paleoredox proxy. The technique has been refined considerably over
the years, and the most recent scheme is unique in its potential to
distinguish three major oceanic redox states - oxygenated,
ferruginous and euxinic. This Element covers the theory behind the
proxy, methods involved in applying the technique, and potential
complications in interpreting Fe speciation data. A series of case
studies are also provided, which highlight how more advanced
consideration of the data, often in concert with other techniques,
can provide unprecedented insight into the redox state of ancient
oceans.
Paleosols formed in direct contact with the Earth's atmosphere, so
they can record the composition of the atmosphere through
weathering processes and products. Herein we critically review a
variety of different approaches for reconstructing atmospheric O2
and CO2 over the past three billion years. Paleosols indicate
relatively low CO2 over that time, requiring additional greenhouse
forcing to overcome the 'faint young Sun' paradox in the Archean
and Mesoproterozoic, as well as low O2 levels until the
Neoproterozoic. Emerging techniques will revise the history of
Earth's atmosphere further and may provide a window into
atmospheric evolution on other planets.
The stable chromium (Cr) isotope system has emerged over the past
decade as a new tool to track changes in the amount of oxygen in
earth's ocean-atmosphere system. Much of the initial foundation for
using Cr isotopes ( 53Cr) as a paleoredox proxy has required recent
revision. However, the basic idea behind using Cr isotopes as redox
tracers is straightforward-the largest isotope fractionations are
redox-dependent and occur during partial reduction of Cr(VI). As
such, Cr isotopic signatures can provide novel insights into Cr
redox cycling in both marine and terrestrial settings. Critically,
the Cr isotope system-unlike many other trace metal proxies-can
respond to short-term redox perturbations (e.g., on timescales
characteristic of Pleistocene glacial-interglacial cycles). The Cr
isotope system can also be used to probe the earth's long-term
atmospheric oxygenation, pointing towards low but likely dynamic
oxygen levels for the majority of Earth's history.
"Microclimate for Cultural Heritage: Conservation and
Restoration of Indoor and Outdoor Monuments, Second Edition, " is a
cutting-edge, theoretical, and practical handbook concerning
microclimate, environmental factors, and conservation of cultural
heritage. Although the focus is on cultural heritage objects, most
of the theory and instrumental methodologies are common to other
fields of application, such as atmospheric and environmental
sciences.
"Microclimate for Cultural Heritage, Second Edition, " is a
useful treatise on microphysics and a practical handbook for
conservators and specialists in physics, chemistry, architecture,
engineering, geology, and biology who work in the multidisciplinary
field of the environment, and, in particular, in the conservation
of works of art. Part I, devoted to applied theory, is a concise
treatise on microphysics, which includes a survey on the basic
ideas of environmental diagnosis and conservation. The second part
of the book focuses on practical utilization, and shows in detail
how field surveys should be performed, with many suggestions and
examples, as well as some common errors to avoid.
Presents updated scientific and technological findings based on the
novel European standards on microclimate and cultural
heritageIncludes the latest information on experimental research on
environmental factors and their impact on materials, such as the
behavior of water and its interactions with cultural heritage
materialsContains case studies of outdoor and indoor microclimate
conditions and their effects, providing ideas for readers facing
similar problems caused by heat, water, radiation, pollution, or
air motionsCovers instruments and methods for practical
applications to help readers understand, to observe and interpret
observations, and avoid errors
This book describes mathematical techniques for interpreting measurements of greenhouse gases in order to learn about their sources and sinks. The majority of the book gives general descriptions of techniques, but the last third covers the applications to carbon dioxide, methane, chlorofluorocarbons and other gases implicated in global change.
Vanadium isotope ratios (51V/50V) have potential to provide
information about changes in past ocean oxygen contents. In
particular, V isotopes may find utility in tracing variations at
non-zero oxygen concentrations because the redox couple that
controls V elemental and isotopic abundances in seawater
(vanadate-vanadyl) appears to operate around 10M O2. This
characteristic sets V isotopes apart from many other metal isotope
redox proxies that require more reducing conditions to register
significant changes in their isotope budgets. The oxygen abundance
sensitivity range of V isotopes suggests that this paleoproxy could
be particularly useful in tracing marine oxygenation changes
throughout the Phanerozoic and potentially beyond.
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The Book of Clouds
(Hardcover)
Juris Kronbergs; Illustrated by Anete Melece; Translated by Mara Rozite, Richard O'Brien
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R349
R318
Discovery Miles 3 180
Save R31 (9%)
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Ships in 9 - 17 working days
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This open access book serves as a reference for the key elements
and their significance of Klaus Hasselmann's work on climate
science and on ocean wave research, all based on a rigorous and
deeply physical thinking. It summarizes the original articles
(mostly from the 1970 and 1980s; some of which are hard to find
nowadays) and brings them in a present-day context. From 1975 until
2000, he was (founding) Director of the Max Planck Institute of
Meteorology, which he made to one of the world-leading academic
institutions. He first made the issue of anthropogenic climate
change accessible to analysis and prediction and later transformed
climate science into a significant factor in forming public policy.
The book is written by co-workers and colleagues of Klaus
Hasselmann, who-many under his immediate supervision-joined him in
this effort. With this background, they present the key
achievements and assess the significance of these for the present
state of knowledge and scientific practice.
How will future climates be different from today's world-and what
consequences will changes in climate have for societies and their
development strategies? This book is a primer on the essential
science for grasping the workings of climate change and climate
prediction. It is accessible for readers with little to no
background in science, with an emphasis on the needs of those
studying sustainable development. John C. Mutter gives a
just-the-facts overview of how the climate system functions and
what we know about why changes occur. He recounts the evolution of
climatology from the earliest discoveries about Earth's climate to
present-day predictive capabilities, and clearly presents the
scientific basis of fundamental topics such as climate zones,
ocean-atmosphere dynamics, and the long-term cycles from glacial to
interglacial periods. Mutter also details the mechanisms of climate
change and the ways in which human activity affects global climate.
He explains the science behind some known consequences of rising
temperatures, such as sea level rise, hurricane behavior, and
climate variability. The primer discusses how climate predictions
are made and examines the sources of uncertainty in forecasting.
Climate Change Science is a straightforward and easy-to-read
treatment of the fundamental science needed to comprehend one of
today's most important issues.
This book is designed to provide concepts, methodologies, and
approaches for river basin studies with respect to water resources
and environment. The book is not limited to the Yamuna River basin,
but will help in the study of various other river basins for
integrated water resources management. The book covers the
essential components of integrated water resources management,
including analysis of climatic variables, climate change detection,
analysis of natural resources, geology, geomorphology,
socio-economics, water budgeting, flood estimation, river
pollution, etc. Furthermore, the book addresses recent issues
pertaining to water quality, water quality indices, environmental
flows, water resources management through cropping pattern change,
etc. along with methodologies and application to the Yamuna River
system. However, the main objective of this book is to address
important issues of water resources management of river basins.
Audience The manuscript has been designed so that it can be used as
a reference for river basin studies. The book will be useful to
engineers, agricultural scientists, environmentalists, planners,
managers, and administrators who are concerned with water
resources.
Numerous laws - including the Green New Deal - have been proposed
or passed in cities, states, and countries to transition from
fossil fuels to 100% clean, renewable energy in order to address
climate change, air pollution, and energy insecurity. This textbook
lays out the science, technology, economics, policy, and social
aspects of such transitions. It discusses the renewable electricity
and heat generating technologies needed; the electricity, heat,
cold, and hydrogen storage technologies required; how to keep the
electric power grid stable; and how to address non-energy sources
of emissions. It discusses the history of the 100% Movement, which
evolved from a collaboration among scientists, cultural leaders,
business people, and community leaders. Finally, it discusses
current progress in transitioning to 100% renewables, and the new
policies needed to complete the transition. Online course
supplements include lecture slides, answers to the end-of-chapter
student exercises, and a list of extra resources.
As the planet warms, winter is shrinking. In the last fifty years,
the Northern Hemisphere lost a million square miles of spring
snowpack, and high-elevation snowpacks in the western United States
have decreased by nearly half since 1982. On average, winter has
shrunk by a month in most northern latitudes. In this deeply
researched, beautifully written, and adventure-filled book,
journalist Porter Fox travels along the edge of the Northern
Hemisphere's snow line to track the scope of this drastic change
and how it will literally change everything-from rapid sea level
rise, to fresh water scarcity for two billion people, to massive
greenhouse gas emissions from thawing permafrost, and several
climate tipping points that could very well spell the end of our
world. This original research is animated by four harrowing and
illuminating journeys-each grounded by interviews with
idiosyncratic, charismatic experts in their respective fields and
Fox's own narrative of growing up on a remote island in northern
Maine. Timely, atmospheric, and expertly investigated, The Last
Winter showcases a shocking and unexpected casualty of climate
change-which may well set off its own unstoppable warming cycle.
During the past decade, the science of dynamic meteorology has
continued its rapid advance. The scope of dynamic meteorology has
broadened considerably. Much of the material is based on a two-term
course for seniors majoring in atmospheric sciences.
This book presents a cogent explanation of the fundamentals of
meteorology and explains storm dynamics for weather-oriented
meteorologists. It discusses climate dynamics and the implications
posed for global change. The new edition has added a companion
website with MATLAB exercises and updated treatments of several key
topics.
Provides clear physical explanations of key dynamical
principlesContains a wealth of illustrations to elucidate text and
equations, plus end-of-chapter problemsHolton is one of the leading
authorities in contemporary meteorology, and well known for his
clear writing styleInstructor's Manual available to adopters
NEW IN THIS EDITION A companion website with MATLAB(r) exercises
and demonstrationsUpdated treatments on climate dynamics, tropical
meteorology, middle atmosphere dynamics, and numerical
prediction
Cloud research is a rapidly developing branch of climate science
that's vital to climate modelling. With new observational and
simulation technologies our knowledge of clouds and their role in
the warming climate is accelerating. This book provides a
comprehensive overview of research on clouds and their role in our
present and future climate, covering theoretical, observational,
and modelling perspectives. Part I discusses clouds from three
different perspectives: as particles, light and fluid. Part II
describes our capability to model clouds, ranging from theoretical
conceptual models to applied parameterised representations. Part
III describes the interaction of clouds with the large-scale
circulation in the tropics, mid-latitudes, and polar regions. Part
IV describes how clouds are perturbed by aerosols, the
land-surface, and global warming. Each chapter contains
end-of-chapter exercises and further reading sections, making this
an ideal resource for advanced students and researchers in
climatology, atmospheric science, meteorology, and climate change.
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