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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > Geology & the lithosphere > Geological surface processes (geomorphology) > General
In 1830-33, Charles Lyell laid the foundations of evolutionary biology with Principles of Geology, a pioneering three-volume book that Charles Darwin took with him on the Beagle. Lyell championed the ideas of geologist James Hutton, who formulated one of the fundamental principles of modern geology - uniformitarianism. This proposed that natural processes always operate according to the same laws, allowing us to understand how features of the Earth's surface were produced by physical, chemical, and biological processes over long periods of time. Volume 1 consists of 26 chapters, a comprehensive index and woodcut illustrations of various mechanisms of geological change. Lyell begins with a definition of geology and then reviews ancient theories of the successive destruction and renovation of the world. He mentions James Hutton's ideas in chapter four, and goes on to discuss the effects of climate change, running water, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes on the Earth's crust.
In 1830 33, Charles Lyell laid the foundations of evolutionary biology with Principles of Geology, a pioneering book that Charles Darwin took with him on the Beagle. Volume 2 (1832) focuses on plants and animals, and consists of 17 chapters, a comprehensive index and woodcut illustrations of various natural habitats Lyell had observed. The author takes issue with the French biologist Lamarck's theory of the transmutation of species, though Darwin in fact later praised other aspects of Lamarck's work. Lyell examines the connections between the Earth's changing crust and the natural history of many species of birds, insects, mammals and fish. He discusses how wild species physically adapt over time to domestication, the diffusion of plants throughout their specific habitats, geographical distributions of certain types of animals, migratory pattern adaptation due to climate change, hybrid plants, species extinction and how organic deposits, such as moss, on emerging land affect species adaptation.
Beneath Cambridgeshire's towns, villages, farmland, hills, fens and waterways lie the rocks that display a variety of geological landscapes. Basement rocks are buried under sandy deposits from ancient tropical seas. The rising and tilting of the land due to large-scale movements permitted water flows that produced gradual alterations. Glaciation, erosion and dramatic variations in climate all wrought more rapid changes. The consequences of these processes are revealed in this scholarly 1897 account of the geology of Cambridgeshire, which integrated the latest research then available. Proceeding from the most ancient to the most recent beds, systematic consideration is given to the features, distribution and modes of formation, as well as the economic implications of the various strata. Discussions of palaeontology, including detailed lists of site-specific fossils, and of water supply are also provided. An appendix, lists, maps, memoirs and other publications of H.M. Geological Survey from 1814 to 1897 are included.
Cambridgeshire is rich in Jurassic fossils, with ichthyosaurs having been found at Mepal and Barrington since 2000, and ammonites and belemnites occurring near Grafham Water. In the later nineteenth century, Thomas Roberts, an assistant to the Professor of Geology at Cambridge, was involved in close study of the Jurassic rocks of the district. Despite the complexity arising from troublesome local geologic discontinuities, Roberts correlated the paleontological record in the Jurassic rocks of East Anglia with that of other British and European areas. It was this kind of careful and systematic work that provided the foundation for the modern understanding of the Jurassic period and the mass extinctions at the end of the Mesozoic era. Roberts's essay was originally published posthumously in 1892, and is now reissued for a new generation of geologists and fossil-hunters.
Climate modelling is a field in rapid development, and the fltudy of cryospheric processes has become an important part of it. On smaller time scales, the effect of snow cover and sea ice on the atmospheric circulation is of concern for long-range weather forecasting. Thinking in decades or centuries, the effect of a C02 climatic warming on the present-day ice sheets, and the resulting changes in global sea level, has drawn a lot of attention. In particular, the dynamics of marine ice sheets (ice sheets on a bed that would be below sea level after removal of ice and full isostatic rebound) is a subject of continuous research. This interest stems from the fact that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a marine ice sheet which, according to some workers, may be close to a complete collapse. The Pleistocene ice ages, or glacial cycles, are best characterized by total ice volume on earth, indicating that on 4 5 large time scales (10 to 10 yr) ice sheets are a dominant component of the climate system. The enormous amount of paleoclimatic information obtained from deep-sea sediments in the last few decades has led to a complete revival of iriterest in the physical aspects of the Pleistocene climatic evolution.
This book offers extensive information on the course of sedimentation in the Proterozoic Vindhyan Basin and the potential record of ancient life stored within the rocks. It covers topics ranging from facies analysis to sequence-building, from carbonates to siliciclastics, and mixed lithology and life records from microbial to potentially eukaryotes, along with the basin evolutionary history. Further, the book includes 75 color photographs and accompanying hand-sketches to help readers grasp key aspects of Vindhyan Geology. Vindhyan rocks are well known for their excellent preservation of microbial record of earth. Offering a student-friendly field guide containing detailed route maps, geological maps and a wealth of visual examples, it is also extremely useful in terms of understanding the microbe-dominated environments on Mars.
Study of structures associated with shear zones is a crucial aspect to understand the deformation mechanism associated with such zones. Shear zones have been emphasized since it will lead to many latest applied studies such as radioactive waste disposal, groundwater flow etc. For the sake of brevity, research papers cannot show all possible variation in structures found in shear zones. The proposed book aims to present some of these structures in great details with attractive colour photographs. Each photograph will have a comprehensive caption.
This book first focuses on the explanation of the theory about focal mechanisms and moment tensor solutions and their role in the modern seismology. The second part of the book compiles several state-of-the-art case studies in different seismotectonic settings of the planet.The assessment of seismic hazard and the reduction of losses due to future earthquakes is probably the most important contribution of seismology to society. In this regard, the understanding of reliable determination seismic source and of its uncertainty can play a key role in contributing to geodynamic investigation, seismic hazard assessment and earthquake studies. In the last two decades, the use of waveforms recorded at local-to-regional distances has increased considerably. Waveform modeling has been used also to estimate faulting parameters of small-to-moderate sized earthquakes.
This books documents the salient characters of the tectonic evolution of the Indian subcontinent. It showcases the well investigated subcontinent of Gondwana. The book is linked to an updated geological and tectonic map of this region on 1:12,000,000 in scale. The Indian subcontinent displays almost uninterrupted and unique the geological history since about Eo-Archean (~3800 Ma) to recent, with the development of many Proterozoic deformed and metamorphosed fold belts around Archean nuclei, and enormously thick undeformed platform deposits. After their stabilization during late Proterozoic, the subcontinent underwent Paleozoic rifting and deposition of coal-bearing thick sequences, followed by enormously-thick outpouring of Deccan volcanics as a consequence of huge mantle plume. The youngest event in its evolution is the Cenozoic Himalayan Orogenic Mountains, spanning the area between Nanga Parbat and Namcha Barwah; a part of which extends both in Pakistan and Myanmar.
Geotechnical investigation, which is usually implemented to obtain baseline information of ground and groundwater, is the focus of this book. Authored by practitioner and academic who is extensively involved in geotechnical ground investigations over four continents, this book covers both large scale preliminary ground investigation and intrusive detailed investigation, as well as specialized in-situ testing to obtain advanced geotechnical parameters of soils. Both surface and borehole geophysical methods used in geotechnical investigation, including methods of sampling and tools to obtain good quality soil samples are also discussed and presented in the book.Written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, researchers and practitioners in the fields of geotechnical engineering, geoenvironmental engineering, and ground investigation, the book also provides guidelines on presenting factual geotechnical data and preparing factual reports.Related Link(s)
* This book deals with modern scientific methods and techniques to analyse fluvial process. * It highlights the concept of river channel stability and instability using channel morphology and demonstrates field techniques to assess channel morphology. * It will be useful for students, teachers and researchers of geography, earth sciences and environmental geology across UK and US. It will also be useful for geographers, civil engineers, hydrologists, geomorphologists, planners and other concerned authorities who are working on fluvial processes and riverbank erosion problems worldwide.
Only in Australasia can the effect of technological societies on
river systems be truly analysed and this unique, accessible book
covers key issues in river management from a geomorphological
perspective.
A thorough look at physical properties of soil erosion Soil erosion has been responsible for billions of dollars of damage during the past thirty years, in the United States alone. Soil Erosion provides complete coverage of the physical causes, processes, and effects of this environmental problem from its origins to planning for future conservation and remediation. This book focuses on the process of soil erosion and erosion-control principles independent of land use. Coverage includes the primary factors that influence soil erosion, various types of erosion, erosion-prediction technology, erosion measurements, erosion and sediment control, and conservation of the land. Practical material on erosion models is featured along with ways to use these models as erosion-control tools. Details of conservation planning and government policy are presented in a historical context, supported by examples of working public programs and technical tools for conservation planning. End-of-chapter summaries and comprehensive appendices on soils, hydrology, and soil-erosion Web sites make this a complete and easy-to-use introduction to soil-erosion processes, prediction, measurement, and control. Supplemented with more than 100 photographs, drawings, and tables, Soil Erosion: Processes, Prediction, Measurement, and Control is an essential book for students of soil management, erosion, conservation, earth science, civil engineering, and agriculture; employees of soil conservation districts; government employees in the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Forest Service, USDA, EPA, and Bureau of Land Management; and soil scientists.
This is a timely volume in view of the considerable interest currently shown in the preservation of our cultural heritage, and the extensive and growing literature on the subject. Unfortunately, the latter is to be found in a wide variety of published sources, some aimed at a very specific readership and therefore not all that accessible to those who need this resource. The present volume draws together a spectrum of biodeterioration work from across the world to provide an overview of the materials examined and the methodologies employed to elucidate the nature of the problems, as well as an extensive and current bibliographical resource on lichen biodeterioration. Biodeterioration of historical and culturally important stone substrata is a complex problem to be addressed. Easy, risk-free solutions are simply not available to be dealt with by other than a wide range of expertise. Successful resolution of this issue will inevitably require a multidisciplinary effort, where biologists work in close cooperation with ecologists, geologists, geochemists, crystallographers, cultural property conservators, archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians in order to recommend the most effective management scheme. The advantage of this approach is obvious: multidisciplinary management teams with good leadership can ask more appropriate questions while developing much more thoughtful and informed decisions.
Every year a landslide disaster occurs somewhere in Europe. Destructive events are fortunately infrequent but when they do occur they are often tragic in their effects. Europe is heavily populated and development is expanding into areas where natural events are more likely to happen. Landslide Recognition is written by specialists from several European institutions and is designed to portray the diagnostic features of landslides as they would appear in the field, on maps or in photographs. Brief descriptions are provided and some guidance is given in the area in which different landslide types might be expected. This book will assist planners, developers, engineers and earth scientists to recognise where a problem may exist and to diagnose what type of failure may occur. The correct investigations and remedial measures may then be applied.
The Bhagirathi-Hooghly Basin in India is one of the most densely populated regions in the world and is undergoing rapid transformation of its natural landscape induced by human interventions, such as mushrooming of dams and barrages, deforestation, and urbanization. Human activities and interventions on basin landforms and the processes that shape those landforms have accelerated at an alarming rate. This book uses spatio-temporal analysis to understand the major anthropogenic signatures on land use and land cover changes and the impact these activities have on the landforms and processes of the Bhagirathi-Hooghly River and its sub-basins. It answers the what, where, why, and how of the anthropogenic signatures involved. Recent case studies on the impact of anthropogenic signatures on fluvial forms and processes make this book a useful resource for students and researchers in the earth sciences, local governments, urban planners, and all concerned with rural developments. Features: Explores for the first time the new concept of anthropogeomorphology for the river basin-an emerging field Analyses the impact of anthropogenic activities, especially the construction of dams and reservoirs, and urbanization on major fluvial landscapes using advanced geospatial modelling techniques Investigates human interference in river systems, their effects on the dynamics of the river, and the livelihoods of the people residing along the river Addresses issues related to geology, geomorphology, geography, planning, land use, and land management areas Fills the need for data-driven governance and policy decisions for the future of urban-industrial growth in India.
This book explains the basic technologies, concepts, approaches, and terms used in relation to reservoir rocks. Accessible to engineers in varying roles, it provides the tools necessary for building reservoir characterization and simulation models that improve resource definition and recovery, even in complex depositional environments. The book is enriched with numerous examples from a wide variety of applications, to help readers understand the topics. It also describes in detail the key relationships between the different rock properties and their variables. As such, it is of interest to researchers, engineers, lab technicians, and postgraduate students in the field of petroleum engineering.
Originally published in 1915, The Natural Theology of Evolution looks at the concept of natural theology, examining the argument for the existence of God based on reason and ordinary experiences of nature. The book looks at natural theology in light of Darwin's theory of evolution, and how this important discovery affected belief in intelligent design. The book argues that the discovery of evolution, far from diminishing the existence of God, provides stronger proof for an intelligently designed earth and therefore the existence of God. This book provides a unique and interesting take on the debates surrounding evolution in the late 19th and early 20th century. It will be of interest to philosophers, historians of religion and natural historians alike.
This book on the current state of knowledge of submarine geomorphology aims to achieve the goals of the Submarine Geomorphology working group, set up in 2013, by establishing submarine geomorphology as a field of research, disseminating its concepts and techniques among earth scientists and professionals, and encouraging students to develop their skills and knowledge in this field. Editors have invited 30 experts from around the world to contribute chapters to this book, which is divided into 4 sections - (i) Introduction & history, (ii) Data & methods, (ii) Submarine landforms & processes and (iv) Conclusions & future directions. Each chapter provides a review of a topic, establishes the state-of-the-art, identifies the key research questions that need to be addressed, and delineates a strategy on how to achieve this. Submarine geomorphology is a priority for many research institutions, government authorities and industries globally. The book is useful for undergraduate and graduate students, and professionals with limited training in this field.
Originally published in 1987 Rates of Evolution is an edited collection drawn from a symposium convened to bring together palaeontologists, geneticists, molecular biologists and developmental biologists to examine some aspects of the problem of evolutionary rates. The book asks questions surrounding the study of evolution, such as did large morphological changes really occur rapidly at various times in the geological past, or is the fossil record too imperfect to be of value in assessing rates of morphological change? What is the measure of 'rapid' change? Is stasis at any taxonomic level established? Is it possible to relate genomic and morphological change? What is the role of regulatory and executive genes in controlling evolutionary change? Does the transfer of genetic material between different taxa provide the possibility of increasing evolutionary rates? Featuring contributions from leading researchers, this book will interest anthropologists, palaeontology and scientists of evolution and genetics.
This book, first published in 1984, deals authoritatively with the nature and management of slope failures and sediment movement and their impact on the hazardous landscape of Los Angeles county. Bringing together for the first time a wide range of information derived from field observations, interviews, manuscript records, local agency reports and published sources, the book presents an analysis of the ways in which a rapidly developing metropolis has come to terms with complex geomorphological hazards. In particular, the events accompanying the major storms of 1914, 1934, 1969 and 1978 are reconstructed in detail.
This book introduces systematically the cryospheric science, covering the formation, development, evolution, and research methods of each component of the cryosphere, the interaction between the cryosphere and the other spheres of the climate system and the anthroposphere, and the hot topics of social and economic sustainable development and geopolitics. The authors are world-renowned experts and scientists working in the related fields. They have a deep understanding and accurate grasp of the basic theory, evolution mechanism, and international frontiers of the cryosphere, as well as rich teaching experience, which makes this book suitable also as textbook for graduate students. It is also the first book that introduces the knowledge of cryospheric science systematically. In addition to theoretical knowledge, the book also introduces field work and experimental analysis. It should be of interests for the scholars and graduate student working in the fields of geography, hydrology, geology, geomorphology, atmosphere, ecology, environment, oceanography, and regional economic and social sustainable development.
During the past years, Saudi Arabia has been affected by particularly severe torrential rains and floods. This book presents an in-depth and all-encompassing study on the floods that occurred in the Jeddah area in 2009 and 2011, including water-flow mechanisms, state-of-the-art techniques for flood assessment, flood control and appropriate management approaches. It highlights a number of methods and concepts that can be applied in similar areas in Saudi Arabia in order to reduce and mitigate the impact of torrential rains and floods.
Stochastic hydrogeology, which emerged as a research area in the late 1970s, involves the study of subsurface, geological variability on flow and transport processes and the interpretation of observations using existing theories. Lacking, however, has been a rational framework for modeling the impact of the processes that take place in heterogeneous media and for incorporating it in predictions and decision-making. This book provides this important framework. It covers the fundamental and practical aspects of stochastic hydrogeology, coupling theoretical aspects with examples, case studies, and guidelines for applications.
The conservation of marine benthic biodiversity is a recognised goal of a number of national and international programs such as the United Nations Convention on Biodiversity (CBD). In order to attain this goal, information is needed about the distribution of life in the ocean so that spatial conservation measures such as marine protected areas (MPAs) can be designed to maximise protection within boundaries of acceptable dimensions. Ideally, a map would be produced that showed the distribution of benthic biodiversity to enable the efficient design of MPAs. The dilemma is that such maps do not exist for most areas and it is not possible at present to predict the spatial distribution of all marine life using the sparse biological information currently available. Knowledge of the geomorphology and biogeography of the seafloor has improved markedly over the past 10 years. Using multibeam sonar, the benthic ecology of submarine features such as fjords, sand banks, coral reefs, seamounts, canyons, mud volcanoes and spreading ridges has been revealed in unprecedented detail. This book provides a synthesis of seabed geomorphology and
benthic habitats based on the most recent, up-to-date information.
Introductory chapters explain the drivers that underpin the need
for benthic habitat maps, including threats to ocean health, the
habitat mapping approach based on principles of biogeography and
benthic ecology and seabed (geomorphic) classification schemes.
Case studies from around the world are then presented. They
represent a range of seabed features where detailed bathymetric
maps have been combined with seabed video and sampling to yield an
integrated picture of the benthic communities that are associated
with different types of benthic habitat. The final chapter examines
critical knowledge gaps and future directions for benthic habitat
mapping research. |
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