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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > Meteorology > General
This book presents an exploration of linkages among soil-water, agriculture, and climate change with a special focus on thematic areas for assessment, mitigation, and management of natural resources under climate change conditions. This book covers advances in modelling approaches, including machine learning (ML)/ artificial intelligence (AI) applications; GIS and remote sensing; sensors; impacts of climate change on agriculture; subsurface water; contaminants; and socio-economic impacts, which are lacking in a more comprehensive manner in the previous titles. This book encompasses updated information as well as future directions for researchers working in the field of management of natural resources. The goal of this book is to provide scientific evidence to researchers and policymakers and end-to-end value chain practitioners which may help in reducing the overall adverse impacts of climate change on water resources and the related mitigation strategies. This book focuses on the knowledge, modern tools, and techniques, i.e., machine learning, artificial intelligence, etc. for soil-water, agriculture, and climate change. Further, nature-based solutions for management of natural resources with special targets on contaminants, extreme events, disturbances, etc. will be targeted. The book provides readers with the enhanced knowledge for application of engineering principles and economic and regulatory constraints to determine a soil-water, agriculture production action strategy, and select appropriate technologies to implement the strategy for a given data set at a site. It would also cover the application of laboratory, modeling, numerical methods for determination and forecasting of climate change impacts, agriculture production, pollution, soil health, etc. Overall, it provides hydrologists, environmental engineers, administrators, policy makers, consultants, and industrial experts with essential support in effective management of soils health, agricultural productions, and mitigation of extreme climatic events.
A top priority in climate research is obtaining broad-extent and long-term data to support analyses of historical patterns and trends, and for model development and evaluation. Along with directly measured climate data from the present and recent past, it is important to obtain estimates of long past climate variations spanning multiple centuries and millennia. These longer time perspectives are needed for assessing the unusualness of recent climate changes, as well as for providing insight on the range, variation and overall dynamics of the climate system over time spans exceeding available records from instruments, such as rain gauges and thermometers. Tree rings have become increasingly valuable in providing this long-term information because extensive data networks have been developed in temperate and boreal zones of the Earth, and quantitative methods for analyzing these data have advanced. Tree rings are among the most useful paleoclimate information sources available because they provide a high degree of chronological accuracy, high replication, and extensive spatial coverage spanning recent centuries. With the expansion and extension of tree-ring data and analytical capacity new climatic insights from tree rings are being used in a variety of applications, including for interpretation of past changes in ecosystems and human societies. This volume presents an overview of the current state of dendroclimatology, its contributions over the last 30 years, and its future potential. The material included is useful not only to those who generate tree-ring records of past climate-dendroclimatologists, but also to users of their results-climatologists, hydrologists, ecologists and archeologists. 'With the pressing climatic questions of the 21st century demanding a deeper understanding of the climate system and our impact upon it, this thoughtful volume comes at critical moment. It will be of fundamental importance in not only guiding researchers, but in educating scientists and the interested lay person on the both incredible power and potential pitfalls of reconstructing climate using tree-ring analysis.', Glen M. MacDonald, UCLA Institute of the Environment, CA, USA 'This is an up-to-date treatment of all branches of tree-ring science, by the world's experts in the field, reminding us that tree rings are the most important source of proxy data on climate change. Should be read by all budding dendrochronology scientists.', Alan Robock, Rutgers University, NJ, USA
This book, as a part of a series of CERES publications, provides a multi-regional and cross-sectoral analysis of food and water security, especially in the era of climate risks, biodiversity loss, pressure on scarce resources, especially land and water, increasing global population, and changing dietary preferences. It includes both conceptual research and empirically-based studies, which provides context-specific analyses and recommendations based on a variety of case studies from Africa, Middle East, and Asia regarding the fostering of long-term resilience of food and water security. The core approach of the volume consists of: assessing the structural drivers affecting the vulnerability of food and water security, under the persistence of current trends; identifying the best solutions and practices to enhance the climate resilience for food and water security; and fostering climate adaptation and biodiversity protection for food and water security.
Soil is an important but often neglected element of the climate system. It is the second largest carbon store, or 'sink', after the oceans. Despite being a fundamental resource that supports all kinds of life on Earth, concerns related to soil are often not included as an important environmental issue. Climate changes put soil under pressure. The increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere may cause the microbes in the soil to work faster to break down organic matter, potentially releasing even more carbon dioxide. The soil moisture content is being constantly affected by rising temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns and future projections show that this may continue. This book presents current environmental issues and their remedies for soil which are mainly based on soil degradation, soil pollution and the effect of climate change on the soil. Adding xenobiotic chemicals or other alterations in the natural soil environment for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes result in a decline in the soil quality due to improper use or poor management, which is a serious environmental problem. The book is divided into five parts - soil science, soil physics, soil chemistry, soil biology and soil environment. The first part "Soil Science" serves as the introduction to the book and discusses some common topics such as soil formation, mineralogy, taxonomy, quality and analytical techniques. The second part "Soil Physics" is mainly concerned with the physical properties and processes of soil and their association with effects on air, water and temperature. Soil Chemistry, the third part, discusses the chemical reactions and processes between inorganic and organic components. The fourth part "Soil Biology" explains the biological properties and processes of the soil, with special concern to microbial diversity and its effect on the ecology. Lastly, the fifth part "Soil Environment" discusses the current environmental problems such as climate change and soil pollution, including processes to mitigate these issues through carbon sequestration, nutrient management and land management.
This research monograph deals with the study of wave phenomena caused by winds in the world's oceans. Particular attention is paid to modern developments that take into account the propagation of ocean waves at global distances and their interaction with the sea bottom, ocean currents and the ice cover. With this book the author provides the first methodical presentation of the generation, evolution and propagation of wind-induced ocean waves.
This book is an ordered collection of tutorial lectures on the physical processes in the polar upper atmosphere given at the NATO Advanced Study Institute (ASI) on "The Exploration of the Polar Upper Atmosphere" held at Lillehammer, Norway, May 5-16, 1980. The polar cap is an important part of the high latitude atmosphere not only because of circulation and horizontal trans port in the neutral atmosphere and convection in the ionosphere, but also because of its unique energy sources and sinks. In addition, solar wind plasma is led into-the upper atmosphere by the geomagnetic field at the poles, and the polar cap is, as stated by Tutorial Leader Roederer in this volume, "the place where outer space meets earth." The atmosphere at lower latitudes is well-known to the ground-based observer, and the advent of satellite observations was simply the beginning of a new perspective. The exploration of the atmosphere at polar latitudes, however, proceeded in quite the opposite manner, and satellite maps of the polar caps may be compared with a relatively meagre set of ground-based data. Recent efforts to extend the polar observations from the ground have resulted in the need for a review of the physical principles and processes occurring in the polar upper atmosphere. The interdisciplinary nature of these efforts led to the emphasis here on a tutorial program."
This innovative book investigates the concept of collapse in terms of our built environment, exploring the future transition of modern cities towards scenarios very different from the current promises of progress and development. This is not a book about the end of the world and hopeless apocalyptic scenarios. It is about understanding change in how and where we live. Collapse is inevitable, but in the built environment collapse could imply a manageable situation, an opportunity for change or a devastating reality. Collapsing gracefully means that there might be better ways to coexist with collapse if we learn more about it and commit to rebuild our civilisations in ways that avoid its worst effects. This book uses a wide range of practical examples to study critical changes in the built environment, to contextualise and visualise what collapse looks like, to see if it is possible to buffer its effects in places already collapsing and to propose ways to develop greater resilience. The book challenges all agents and institutions in modern cities, their designers and planners as well as their residents and users to think differently about built environment so as to ease our coexistence with collapse and not contribute to its causes. .
"Understanding the Earth System" aims to contribute to the timely discussion on Global Change of the Earth system. The discussion centers around the synthesis of procedures effecting both the natural and social sciences. The concept of Earth System Analysis, although controversially discussed, will be the focus of future scientific programs related to Global Change. The main problems are overpopulation, water shortages and climate change.
Data assimilation aims at determining as accurately as possible the state of a dynamical system by combining heterogeneous sources of information in an optimal way. Generally speaking, the mathematical methods of data assimilation describe algorithms for forming optimal combinations of observations of a system, a numerical model that describes its evolution, and appropriate prior information. Data assimilation has a long history of application to high-dimensional geophysical systems dating back to the 1960s, with application to the estimation of initial conditions for weather forecasts. It has become a major component of numerical forecasting systems in geophysics, and an intensive field of research, with numerous additional applications in oceanography, atmospheric chemistry, and extensions to other geophysical sciences. The physical complexity and the high dimensionality of geophysical systems have led the community of geophysics to make significant contributions to the fundamental theory of data assimilation. This book gathers notes from lectures and seminars given by internationally recognized scientists during a three-week school held in the Les Houches School of physics in 2012, on theoretical and applied data assimilation. It is composed of (i) a series of main lectures, presenting the fundamentals of the most commonly used methods, and the information theory background required to understand and evaluate the role of observations; (ii) a series of specialized lectures, addressing various aspects of data assimilation in detail, from the most recent developments of the theory to the specificities of various thematic applications.
Reeds Cloud Handbook is a quick-access, easy-to-use guide to identifying cloud types and how to predict what each cloud type can tell us about the weather and predict how it will change. This concise pocket reference will appeal to those who spend time outdoors and wants to better understand the weather, with its principal focus for sailors and also anyone going walking, fishing, cycling etc. This portable handbook will give you the essential information about common and unusual cloud types, how they form and what weather patterns are associated with them. Fully illustrated with colour photography and clear diagrams, this cloud identification guide includes sections on different weather patterns and how clouds form, different clouds according to where they appear in the sky, related features and different forms of fog. Each entry gives guidance on how and when to spot different cloud types and effects, and how the clouds relate to wind and rain patterns.
This book discusses the impacts that weather and climate have on human physical health, longevity, and mental wellness, and acts as a guide to the application of meteorological science in health care. It provides a background on biometeorology by covering basic concepts of human anatomy and meteorology, and how modern biometeorological science can be incorporated into medical practice through diagnosis, prevention and treatment of physical and mental diseases. The recommendations, advice and preventive measures addressed in this book aim to help people adapt to different weather phenomena and changes to minimize negative health consequences, which is increasingly relevant as climate change and its effects on human health become more pronounced and studied. The book is intended for environmental epidemiologists, medical students, physicians, health care providers, climate scientists, insurance industries and policy makers, but will also appeal to general enthusiasts of atmospheric, climate and medical sciences.
Ecosystem-Based Adaptation: Approaches to Sustainable Management of Aquatic Resources presents a close examination of the role of ecosystem-based adaptation in managing river basins, aquifers, flood plains and their vegetation to provide water storage and flood regulation. Furthermore, the book explores improved ecosystem-based services for managing floods, conservation of water and its resources (including watersheds), avoiding water scarcity, and ensuring long-term water security planning, all in the context of sustainable development goals. This book will help scientists pave the way for easy implementation of sustainable development goals, ensuring a secure and sustainable future.
Even lay readers of environmental issues will find the book extremely useful in understanding the problems facing mankind. The author tries to explain the issues, various international protocols and the jargons associated with this field of specialization in an easily to follow format.
This book collates the written contributions of the Second Conference on Air Pollution Modelling and Simulation (APMS 2001). A wide range of current topics is covered, focusing on three challenging issues: (1) the modelling issue of complex, multiphase, atmospheric chemistry; (2) the numerical issue associated with comprehensive three-dimensional chemistry-transport models; and (3) the key issues of data assimilation and inverse modelling. State-of-the art research is presented with many operational procedures applied at either forecast agencies or companies.
Since 2008, the Global Center of Excellence (COE) at Kyoto University, Japan, has been engaged in a program called "Energy Science in the Age of Global Warming-Toward a CO2 Zero-Emission Energy System." Its aim is to establish an international education and research platform to foster educators, researchers, and policy makers who can develop technologies and propose policies for establishing a CO2 zero-emission society no longer dependent on fossil fuels. It is well known that the energy problem cannot simply be labeled a technological one, as it is also deeply involved with social and economic issues. The establishment of a "low-carbon energy science" as an interdisciplinary field integrating social sciences with natural sciences is necessary. The Global COE is setting out a zero-emission technology roadmap and is promoting socioeconomic studies of energy, studies of new technologies for renewable energies, and research for advanced nuclear energy. It has also established the Global COE Unit for Energy Science Education to support young researchers as they apply their skills and knowledge and a broad international perspective to respond to issues of energy and the environment in our societies. Comprising the proceedings of the Second International Symposium of the Global COE Program, this book follows on the earlier volume "Zero-Carbon Energy Kyoto 2009," published in March 2010.
This book comprises the proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering 2021. The contents of this volume focus on specialty conferences in construction, environmental, hydrotechnical, materials, structures, transportation engineering, etc. This volume will prove a valuable resource for those in academia and industry.
This book comprises the proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering 2021. The contents of this volume focus on specialty conferences in construction, environmental, hydrotechnical, materials, structures, transportation engineering, etc. This volume will prove a valuable resource for those in academia and industry.
This book presents the selected peer-reviewed proceedings of the International Conference on Recent Trends and Innovations in Civil Engineering (ICRTICE 2019). The volume focuses on latest research and advances in the field of civil engineering and materials science such as design and development of new environmental materials, performance testing and verification of smart materials, performance analysis and simulation of steel structures, design and performance optimization of concrete structures, and building materials analysis. The book also covers studies in geotechnical engineering, hydraulic engineering, road and bridge engineering, building services design, engineering management, water resource engineering and renewable energy. The contents of this book will be useful for students, researchers and professionals working in civil engineering.
This book highlights recent advancements and innovations in trenchless technology via the adoption of combined micro-tunnelling and pipe-jacking techniques. This technique is more environmentally friendly, cost effective, less time-consuming and less disruptive compared to conventional open trench excavations for urban construction and urban infrastructure renewal projects. Pipe jacking is a non-destructive technique used in the installation of underground pipelines using a tunnel boring machine (TBM) and thrust forces derived from the hydraulic jack set-up in a deep jacking shaft. It is popular and commonly used worldwide for the installation of sewer and common services cable tunnels as well as for oil and gas pipelines.
Hurricanes are nature's most destructive agents. Widespread interest surrounds the possibility that they might get even more destructive in the future. Policy makers consider it a call for action. Answers about when and by how much hurricanes will change are sought by financial institutions especially industry. And scientists are challenged by the range and interactions of the processes involved. This book, arising from the 2nd International Summit on Hurricanes and Climate Change, contains new research on topics related to hurricanes and climate change since the 1st Summit. Chapters are grouped into research studies using global climate models and those taking empirical and statistical approaches. The latter include investigations of basin-wide and regional hurricane activity.
This book comprises select peer-reviewed proceedings of the International Conference Trending Moments and Steer Forces - Civil Engineering Today (TMSF 2019). It presents latest research in different domains of civil engineering like structural and concrete engineering, geotechnical engineering, transportation engineering, environmental engineering, and construction technology and management. The contents also include miscellaneous applications of civil engineering in a wide range of technical and societal problems making use of engineering principles and relational data structures involving measurement sciences. Given the range of topics covered, this book can be useful for students, researchers as well as practitioners working in the field of civil engineering.
Climate change is a very complex subject. Scientists from many countries around the world strive to understand how climate works and then try to prepare for the changes that may lie ahead. This publication includes a series of activities for students with background information and teaching tips on current climate issues. It brings together several sources of data on the earth's climate, including newspaper cuttings and examines Mario Molina's work on ozone and its impact on global politics. Climate Change includes student worksheets to encourage students to form their own opinions based on the data and to generate classroom discussion and debate. It is a flexible resource and can be used to study both ideas and evidence and the nature of science, and also when teaching key skills. This book is aimed at teachers of 11-19 year old students and contains teachers' notes, background information, photocopiable student worksheets and answers.
This book provides an overview on the latest advances in the synthesis, properties and applications of geopolymers reinforced with natural fibres such as pulp fibre, cotton, sisal, flax and hemp. The influence of adding various natural fibres and nanofillers on the mechanical properties of these composites is discussed. Potential challenges and future directions of these composites are highlighted and addressed. The content of this book caters to students, researchers and academics who are interested in the synthesis and applications of geopolymers composites.
This book focuses on motions of incompressible ?uids of a freely moving surface being in?uenced by both the Earth's rotation and density strati?cation. In contrast to traditional textbooks in the ?eld of geophysical ?uid dynamics, such as those by by Cushman-Roisin (1994) and Gill (1982), this book uses the method of proce- oriented hydrodynamic modelling to illustrate a rich variety of ?uid phenomena. To this end, the reader can adopt the model codes, found on the Springer server accompanying this book, to reproduce most graphs of this book and, even better, to create animation movies. The reader can also employ the codes as templates for own independent studies. This can be done by a lay person as a hobby activity, undergraduate or postgraduate students as part of their education, or professional scientists as part of research. Exercises of this book are run with open-source software that can be freely downloaded from the Internet. This includes the FORTRAN 95 compiler "G95" used for execution of model simulations, the data visualisation program "SciLab", and "ImageMagick" for the creation of graphs and GIF animations, which can be watched with most Internet browsers. |
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