This book provides a detailed overview on methods used for the dating of past torrential activity on fans and cones and fosters the discussion on the impact of past and potential future climate change on torrential processes. The book has a clear focus on the practical applications of these methods, complemented by case studies. The limits of each dating method in case of excessive natural and human interventions on fans and cones are shown.

The Eleventh International Conference on Basement Tectonics was held at the GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam in Germany 25-29 July 1994. It was the first time that a meeting of this series took place in the centre of Europe and the first such meeting in this area after the recent political changes in eastern Europe. Consequently, the main theme of the meeting focussed on the structure and history of the entire European continent. Further themes were grouped around topics of current interest. Keynote lectures on these topics were given by A. Berthelsen, St. Mueller, A. Green, and D. Fountain. The technical sessions were arranged with support of the Scientific Committee on the following topics: 1. Continental scale features of basement rocks of phanerozoic cratons - with emphasis on Europe 2. Extrapolation and correlation of geological and geophysical data from basement rocks: an assessment 3. Mechanisms of basement exhumation in the evolution of orogenic belts 4. Structure and intraplate deformation of the North-American craton Papers submitted to this volume have however all been collected in one part since all of them deal with different aspects of deformation of the continental basement. A second part contains a complete list of all papers and posters presented at the meeting. Field trips to study some of the above mentioned aspects in the Harz mountains, the Granulite Massif, and the Erzgebirge were organized by P. Bankwitz, P. Frischbutter, 1. Rotzler, K. Rotzler, and B. Mingram. Their assistance is gratefully acknowledged.

This book is a comprehensive overview of the ever-captivating field of glaciation from the perspective of glacial landsystems. This approach models the many processes, forms and interactions that can be found in glaciated landscapes throughout the world. Landsystems models allow the glacial geologist and geomorphologist to evaluate these landscapes in relation to the dynamics of glaciation and to climate and geology. Glacial Landsystems brings together the expertise of an international range of specialists to provide an up-to-date summary of landsystems relevant to both modern and ancient glacier systems and also in the reconstruction and interpretation of former glacial environments. The models are applicable at all scales from ice sheets to small valley glaciers. This book is an essential reference for students of glaciation.

Landslides have geological causes but can be triggered by natural processes (rainfall, snowmelt, erosion and earthquakes) or by human actions such as agriculture and construction. Research aimed at better understanding slope stability and failure has accelerated in recent years, accompanied by basic field research and numerical modeling of slope failure processes, mechanisms of debris movement, and landslide causes and triggers. Written by seventy-five world-leading researchers and practitioners, this book provides a state-of-the-art summary of landslide science. It features both field geology and engineering approaches, as well as modeling of slope failure and run-out using a variety of numerical codes. It is illustrated with international case studies integrating geological, geotechnical and remote sensing studies, and includes recent slope investigations in North America, Europe and Asia. This is an essential reference for researchers and graduate students in geomorphology, engineering geology, geotechnical engineering and geophysics, as well as professionals in natural hazard analysis.

Many research problems in cryospheric science, such as global warming-induced permafrost degradation, require information about the subsurface, which can be imaged using geophysical methods. This book is a practical guide to the application of geophysical techniques in mountainous and polar terrain, where the harsh environment and nature of the subsurface pose particular challenges. It starts with an introduction to the main geophysical methods and then demonstrates their application in periglacial environments through various case studies - written by a team of international experts. The final part of the book presents a series of reference tables with typical values of geophysical parameters for periglacial environments. This handbook is a valuable resource for glaciologists, geomorphologists and geologists requiring an introduction to geophysical techniques, as well as for geophysicists lacking experience of planning and conducting field surveys in cold regions.

The weathering of historical buildings and, indeed, of monuments and sculptures of natural stone is a problem that has been encountered for hundreds of years. However a dramatic increase in deterioration in the structure of our built heritage has been observed during the past century. To understand the complex interaction that the stone in a building suffers with its near environment (the building) and the macro environment (the local climate and atmospheric conditions) requires an interdisciplinary approach and the application of many disciplines. Climate change over the next 100 years is likely to have a range of direct and indirect impacts on many natural and physical environments, including the built environment. The protection of our architectural heritage has both cultural and historical importance, as well as substantial economic and ecological value. Large sums of money are being spent world-wide on measures for the preservation of monuments and historical buildings. The past few decades has seen an unprecedented level of research activity in this area, the result of which is often difficult to access and are summarized in the new edition of STONE IN ARCHITECTURE. The 4th edition of Stone in Architecture: Properties, Durability, is a sophisticated and thorough exploration of stone – its properties, performance and conservation – in monumental contexts. The current editors, Siegfried Siegesmund and Rolf Snethlage, note the pioneering work of Erhard Winkler who wrote the first edition in 1973 when so little information could be found in the literature on the subject. This new edition, also published by Springer, nearly doubles the size of Winkler’s 1994 effort. If you are familiar with the field and need to know little more than this statement, you can put aside this review and go buy the book. George Wheeler, Department of Scientific Research, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Empirical research needs a profound theory to be successful. This is the simple but, in its consequences, radical approach for this study in geomorphology. It critically analyses the current system understanding and offers a new view for a geomorphology that understands systems as being open but at the same time operationally closed, as self-organized, structure-building and potentially self-referential. Kirsten von Elverfeldt succeeds in designing a theoretical framework that sets new standards within Physical Geography. By using state-of-the-art concepts in system theory, it offers also new bridges to Human Geography as well as to other neighbouring disciplines.

This book was awarded the Dissertation prize 2010 of the German Working Group in Geomorphology of the DGfG and the Hans Bobek-prize of the OGG (Austrian Geographical Society)."

This book was first published in 2004. Wind erosion and deposition are important factors in cold climates because of the open space and scarce vegetation. Aeolian processes connected with sand drift in polar environments are similar to those in deserts but in cold environments, frost and snow also play an important role. The Arctic is characterised by strangely eroded rocks, wind-formed lakes, sand dunes and loess deposits that owe their formation to aeolian processes controlled by frost and snow cover. Wind as a Geomorphic Agent in Cold Climates presents a detailed description and explanation of these wind-generated polar landforms. It includes numerous illustrations that will assist the reader in identifying and interpreting these features; both modern-day and those preserved in the geological record. This book provides an important introduction to this area of geocryology and will form a useful reference for graduate students and researchers in a variety of fields, including geomorphology, geology and environmental science.

Recent landslide events demonstrate the need to improve landslide forecasting and early warning capabilities in order to reduce related risks and protect human lives. In this thesis, local and regional investigations were carried out to analyse landslide characteristics in the Swabian Alb region, and to develop prototypic landslide early warning systems.
In the local study area, an extensive hydrological and slope movement monitoring system was installed on a seasonally reactivated landslide body located in Lichtenstein-
Unterhausen. Monitoring data was analysed to assess the influence of rainfall and snow-melt on groundwater conditions, and the initiation of slope movements.
The coupled hydrology-slope stability model CHASM was applied to detect areas most prone to slope failures, and to simulate slope stability using a variety of input data. Subsequently, CHASM was refined and two web-based applications were developed: a technical early warning system to constantly simulate slope stability integrating rainfall measurements, hydrological monitoring data and weather forecasts; and a decision-support system allowing for quick calculation of stability for freely selectable slope profiles. On the regional scale, available landslide inventory data were analysed for their use in evaluation of rainfall thresholds proposed in other studies. Adequate landslide events were selected and their triggering rainfall and snow-melting conditions were compared to intensity-duration and cumulative thresholds. Based on the results, a regional landslide early warning system was developed and implemented as a webbased application.
Both, the local and the regional landslide early warning systems are part of a holistic and integrative early warning chain developed by the ILEWS project, and could easily be transferred to other landslide prone areas.

Swiss-born zoologist, geologist and paleontologist Louis Agassiz (1807 73) was among the foremost scientists of his day. When he took up the study of glaciology and glacial geomorphology in Switzerland in 1836, he recorded evidence left by former glaciers, such as glacial erratics, drumlins and rock scouring and scratching. In this work, published in 1840, he proposed a revolutionary ice-age theory, according to which, glaciers are the remaining portions of sheets of ice which once covered the earth. His radical suggestion undermined the hypothesis that landscape features were the result of a great biblical flood. Although Agassiz's invaluable work led some to acclaim him as the 'father' of glacial theory, critics have cited the contributions of others, including Jean de Charpentier and Karl Schimper. The book also describes the features of active glaciers, including ice tables, ice pinnacles and moraines.

This lively introduction to geologic fracture mechanics provides a consistent treatment of all common geologic structural discontinuities. It explores the formation, growth and interpretation of fractures and deformation bands, from theoretical, field and lab-based perspectives, bridging the gap between a general textbook treatment and the more advanced research literature. It allows the reader to acquire basic tools to interpret discontinuity origins, geometries, patterns and implications using many of the leading and contemporary concepts known to specialists in the field. Problem sets are provided at the end of each chapter, and worked examples are included within each chapter to illustrate topics and enable self-study. With all common geologic structures including joints, hydrofractures, faults, stylolites and deformation bands being discussed from a fresh perspective, it will be a useful reference for advanced students, researchers and industry practitioners interested in structural geology, neotectonics, rock mechanics, planetary geology, and reservoir geomechanics.

This 2007 book reviews the history of geomorphological studies of the Great Barrier Reef and assesses the influences of sea-level change and oceanographic processes on the development of reefs over the last 10,000 years. It presents analyses of recently attained data from the Great Barrier Reef and reconstructions of the sequence of events which have led to its more recent geomorphology. The authors emphasise the importance of the geomorphological time span and its applications for present management applications. This is a valuable reference for academic researchers in geomorphology and oceanography, and will also appeal to graduate students in related fields.

In this monograph the authors present an overview of the state-of-the-art and use examples or case histories to illustrate the combined role of rock decay and rivers on continental denudation. The Earth s surface dynamics would not be conceivable without the fundamental component ofrock weathering and the subsequent transport of solid debris and dissolved components to the coastal ocean through riverine drainage pathways. In other words, continental wear away is highly dependent on the mechanisms that control mineral decay. Moreover, besides the significant role played by rivers in shaping the Earth s outer skin, there is the important function that rivers perform in all geochemical cycles, mediating between the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere and the hydrosphere. Drainage basins and the weathering of rocks that occur therein may be significant sources (or sinks) of carbon dioxide and, hence, play a significant role in affecting the Earth s climate."

There are many natural hazards such as floods, landslides, volcanoes and earthquakes in the Asia-Pacific Region. Nevertheless, there are few studies of such natural hazards in this region and knowledge about their mitigation is of the utmost importance. This book documents the use of geomorphological maps showing the state of flooding; these maps allow predictions to be made. The author has compiled geomorphological maps and documentation of their validation, and the maps allow not only estimation of flooding, but also prediction of soil liquefaction caused by earthquakes. Audience: The results of the discussions in this book apply not only to geographers, consultants, engineers and policy makers in Japan and Southeast Asian countries, but also to those from Europe, North America, and Africa.

This book is a systematic guide to the recognition and interpretation of deformation microstructures and mechanisms in minerals and rocks at the scale of a thin section. Diagnostic features of microstructures and mechanisms are emphasized, and the subject is extensively illustrated with high-quality color and black and white photomicrographs, and many clear diagrams. After introducing three main classes of deformation microstructures and mechanisms, low- to high-grade deformation is presented in a logical sequence in Chapters 2 to 5. Magmatic/submagmatic deformation, shear sense indicators, and shock microstructures and metamorphism are described in Chapters 6 to 8, which are innovative chapters in a structural geology textbook. The final chapter shows how deformation microstructures and mechanisms can be used quantitatively to understand the behavior of the earth. Recent experimental research on failure criteria, frictional sliding laws, and flow laws is summarized in tables, and palaeopiezometry is discussed. Audience: This book is essential to all practising structural and tectonic geologists who use thin sections, and is an invaluable research tool for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, lecturers and researchers in structural geology and tectonics.

The authors have synthesized 16 years of geological and geophysical studies which document an 85-km-wide impact crater buried 500 m beneath Chesapeake Bay in south eastern Virginia, USA. In doing so, they haveintegrated extensive seismic reflection profiling and deep core drilling to analyze the structure, morphology, gravimetrics, sedimentology, petrology, geochemistry, and paleontology of this submarine structure. Of special interest are a detailed comparison with other terrestrial and extraterrestrial craters, as well as a conceptual model and computer simulation of the impact. The extensive illustrations encompass more than 150 line drawings and core photographs."

James Bryce (1806-77) was a Scottish schoolteacher and geologist. His numerous articles on geology earned him a place in the Geological Society of London (1834) and in the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1875). He also campaigned to reform the Scottish universities and for Scottish education to be independent of the English system. In 1855 Bryce conducted a geological survey of Clydesdale and the Isle of Arran for the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BAAS). His findings were published the same year, in this book. Bryce's study records the natural history of the two regions, with descriptions of the geological features encountered on various expeditions in Arran. Bryce also describes the Arran flora, marine fauna, and rare insect life. This book remained the geological authority on Arran and Clydesdale for a long time; the third edition, reissued here, was published in 1865.

John Tyndall (1820 93) was a prominent physicist, particularly noted for his studies of thermal radiation and the atmosphere. He was a prolific writer and lecturer, who was able to bring experimental physics to a wide audience. While researching his 1860 work, The Glaciers of the Alps, he became a proficient climber, and this work, first published in 1871, combines climbing expeditions in Switzerland with comments on glaciation and geology. It was extremely popular, with a second edition in the same year, and German and American editions in 1872. He was one of a group of noted Alpinists of the period, making the first ascent of the Weisshorn in Switzerland and finally conquering the Matterhorn in 1868, three years after its first ascent. This account of Victorian climbing expeditions makes fascinating reading, and shows the length an experimental scientist was prepared to go in search of knowledge.

John Tyndall (1820-93) was an influential Irish geologist who became fascinated by mountaineering after a scientific expedition to Switzerland in 1856. He joined the Alpine Club in 1858 and achieved the summit of the Matterhorn in 1868 - a feat which led to a peak on the Italian side of the massif being named after him. He also climbed Mont Blanc three times. A writer of scientific texts who was widely praised for the quality of his prose, Tyndall made clear that in this work, published in 1860, he had 'not attempted to mix Narrative and Science'. He divides his account into two parts: his Alpine adventures and observations, and the scientific explanations about the origins and structural aspects of glaciers. Both sections include explanatory illustrations. This book, a classic text of Alpine exploration, offers a unique account of Tyndall's mountaineering expeditions and the science that inspired them.

The Carpatho-Balkan Geomorphological Commission and the International Association of Geomorphologists (IAG) Carpatho-Balkan-Dinaric Regional Working Group, promote networking between researchers and the exchange of research experience. Following a brief introduction into the geology, climate, hydrology and land cover of the Carpatho-Balkan-Dinaric region, the book provides detailed information on research applying both traditional and innovative techniques and summarizes contemporary knowledge on recent geomorphic processes. It also presents studies of exogenic geomorphic processes from each country. The chapters on Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Macedonia examine the geomorphic processes in shaping the topography of each country. This volume also examines key geomorphic processes influencing land use and economic activities as well as contributions discussing processes under climate change.

This 1989 book covers the geology and geomorphology of the Carboniferous Limestone areas of Wales, and summarises the state of knowledge of the main cave systems including the longest and deepest in Britain. It sets out to assess the morphological evolution of the cave systems and the associated landscape features, particularly in light of the effects of successive glaciations. The book also covers related subjects including the biology of the cave faunas, important archaeological discoveries in Welsh caves and the hydrology of the limestone masses. On its publication, this was the first book to give a general survey of the subject. It will continue to provide a valuable reference for cavers and also for geologists, geographers, biologists and archaeologists with special interests in the area.

Few men were better placed to produce an authoritative study of Continental geology than Roderick Impey Murchison (1792 1871), President of the Geological Society and the Royal Geographical Society of London. Having conducted extensive fieldwork alongside Adam Sedgwick, in 1847 Murchison set out on a study tour that would change the manner in which geology was understood and debated. Delivered before the Geological Society and published in their Quarterly Journal in 1849, this paper challenged received wisdom as to the age and formation of the most impressive of geological phenomena. Covering crystalline and palaeozoic rocks, the Trias, iron mines, nummulitic rocks and fish slates, this landmark study and its numerous diagrams that illustrate it not only explain a geological subject, but also reveal the nature of nineteenth-century scientific scholarship. The book also contains a short supplementary paper on the distribution of surface detritus in the Alps.

William Smith (1769-1839) was best known as the author of the Map of the Strata of England and Wales - indeed, he was known as 'Strata' Smith. His Memoirs, edited by his nephew John Phillips and published in 1844, tell the story of his life from his beginnings as a blacksmith's son in Oxfordshire to his geological work. Smith began as an assistant to a land surveyor and moved into mine-related projects, including excavations for canal-building. During the course of one such project he realised the significance of strata within layers of rock, and in subsequent surveys he could locate deposits of coal, iron and other minerals. Smith suffered throughout his life from financial problems which frustrated publication of his works; his map was published in 1815, but further works were never completed. Towards the end of his life, however, he finally received the scientific recognition that was his due.

The geologist Joseph Beete Jukes (1811 1869) studied at Cambridge under Adam Sedgwick (1785 1873). In 1841, having already gained field experience in England and Newfoundland, he joined the H.M.S. Fly as a naturalist for an upcoming four-year expedition to chart the coasts of Australia and New Guinea. In 1847, he published a two-volume Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of H.M.S. Fly (also reissued in this series). That was followed in 1850 by this pioneering study of the geology of Australia, which drew on Jukes' own observations as well as on some earlier work. It describes features including the mountains along the East coast, raised beaches, alluvial plains and the Great Barrier Reef, and rock types from limestone and sandstone to granite and lava. The book made an important contribution to the scientific literature on Australia at a time when that continent was still largely unknown to European scholars.

The geologist Joseph Beete Jukes (1811 1869) studied at Cambridge under Adam Sedgwick (1785 1873). Between 1839 and 1846, he participated in expeditions to the coasts of Newfoundland, Australia and New Guinea. This posthumous book, edited by Jukes' sister and published in 1871, contains selected highlights from Jukes' professional and personal writings. After a short biographical sketch, the material is arranged chronologically, beginning with Newfoundland and Australia and then focusing on Britain and Ireland, where Jukes was involved with national geological surveys. Linking passages by the editor explain the contexts of the pieces, and the book includes a list of Jukes' publications. Jukes lived during an exciting period that saw far-reaching discoveries and advances in his field, and his energy and enthusiasm permeates even his technical communications. Modern readers, like the original audience, will form a vivid impression of Jukes' lively personality, his 'penetrating glance and his sturdy step'.