The beach and adjacent shoreface are the most dynamic part of the Earth’s surface. They represent a narrow zone where waves, tides and winds continuously interact, producing, wherever sediment is available, hundreds of thousands of kilometres of beach systems. Beaches are also the focus of intense pressure from users and developers, and for these reasons alone a knowledge of beach systems and their morphodynamics is critical to their sustainable management. This book is the first to provide an in-depth and holistic view of beach systems, looking both in detail at the dynamics of the shoreface, surf, swash and back beach zones, as well as globally at the range of parameters which influence regional variation in beach systems from the tropics to the poles. Furthermore it examines the relationship between beaches and ancillary dune systems, and has chapters on beach ecology, safety, stratification and barrier evolution. The book is designed for use in the classroom and the office, being aimed at university level students and coastal professionals.

The plate tectonics revolution in the earth sciences has provided a valuable new framework for understanding long-term landform development. This innovative text provides a comprehensive introduction to the subject of global geomorphology, with the emphasis placed on large-scale processes and phenomena. Integrating global tectonics into the study of landforms and incorporating planetary geomorphology as a major component the author discusses the impact of climatic change and the role of catastrophic events on landform genesis and includes a comprehensive study of surface geomorphic processes.

Rehabilitation of Rivers Principles and Implementation Edited by Louise C. de Waal Division of Environmental and Analytical Sciences, University of Wolverhampton, UK Andrew R. G. Large Department of Geography, University of Newcastle, UK and P. Max Wade Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, UK River rehabilitation has become an issue at the top of the agenda for water authorities and river managers in many countries throughout the world. This challenging topic involves a wide range of themes, many of which are brought together in this volume. They concern planning strategy, implementation and project appraisal for a number of different types of river systems including upland, lowland and urban rivers. Topic areas addressed include hydrology, geomorphology, ecology and economics as, to be successful, rehabilitation of freshwaters must incorporate all of these subjects within a holistic framework. This volume covers a wide range of countries, provides comprehensive and integrated coverage of factors concerning river rehabilitation and encompasses policy, planning and implementation. As such, the text will have a lasting reference value and practical application. Rehabilitation of Rivers combines prescriptive, analytical and reviewing contributions, covering a wide range of case studies from Britain, continental Europe, the USA, Australia and Japan. It also examines strategic issues such as catchment planning and integrated application of ecology and engineering in river rehabilitation. This book will be an important text for all water authorities and river managers as well as hydrologists, geomorphologists, ecologists and nature conservationists.

This revised edition describes the transformation of the environment and landscape of Western Sorkapp Land based on research data collected by Jagiellonian University scientific expeditions in the period 1980-1986 and in 2008. It also outlines potential directions of the transformation of Western Sorkapp Land.Western Sorkapp Land has been experiencing dramatic natural changes such as glacial recession, coastline retreat, emergence of new landforms and Quaternary deposits, as well as changes in the water drainage and network due to global warming. Western Sorkapp Land is a very remote and diverse region, which is representative of the European Arctic. The establishment of South Spitsbergen National Park has led to a regeneration of the local reindeer herd, which has caused overgrazing of the local tundra resulting in altered plant communities and soil erosion. They have also destroyed numerous bird nests. The transformation of Western Sorkapp Land is set to continue.

This book is focused on the basics of applying thermochronology to geological and tectonic problems, with the emphasis on fission-track thermochronology. It is conceived for relatively new practitioners to thermochronology, as well as scientists experienced in the various methods. The book is structured in two parts. Part I is devoted to the fundamentals of the fission-track method, to its integration with other geochronologic methods, and to the basic principles of statistics for fission-track dating and sedimentology applied to detrital thermochronology. Part I also includes the historical development of the technique and thoughts on future directions. Part II is devoted to the geological interpretation of the thermochronologic record. The thermal frame of reference and the different approaches for the interpretation of fission-track data within a geological framework of both basement and detrital studies are discussed in detail. Separate chapters demonstrate the application of fission-track thermochronology from various perspectives (e.g., tectonics, petrology, stratigraphy, hydrocarbon exploration, geomorphology), with other chapters on the application to basement rocks in orogens, passive continental margins and cratonic interiors, as well as various applications of detrital thermochronology.

This book presents findings from research into the Precambrian history of the Indian shield obtained using state-of-the-art technology. It demonstrates a paradigm shift towards studying the Precambrian shield regions using petrological, geochemical, structural, metallogenic, sedimentological and paleobiological data from the rocks in the Precambrian shield area, and presents a collection of contributions on these diverse topics that help to reconstruct the Precambrian evolution of the Indian Shield.

This book focuses on Romania's more than 12,000 caves, which developed in limestone (including thermal water caves), salt, gypsum, and occasionally in sandstone. It examines these caves and related topics in a format suitable for cavers, while also addressing a broad range of aspects useful for students and researchers. Since the Institute of Speleology was first established by Emil Racovita in 1920, a great deal of research has been conducted on all cave and karst types. As such, the book examines a variety of scientific fields, including karst geology, hydrogeology, biospeleology, paleoclimatology, mineralogy and archaeology.

Despite significant development in earthquake analysis and design in the last 50 years or more, different structures related to industry, infra structure and human habitats get destroyed with monotonic regularity under strong motion earthquake. Even the recent earthquake in Mexico in September 2017 killed a number of people and destroyed national assets amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. Careful evaluation of the technology reveals that, despite significant development in earthquake engineering, most of the books that are available on the market for reference are primarily focused towards buildings and framed type structures. It is accepted that during an earthquake it is buildings that get destroyed most and has been the biggest killers of human life. Yet, there are a number of structures like retaining walls, water tanks, Bunkers, silos, tall chimneys, bridge piers etc that are equally susceptible to earthquake, and if damaged can cause serious trouble and great economic distress. Unfortunately, many of these systems are analyzed by techniques that are too simplified, unrealistic/obsolete or nothing is done about them, ignoring completely the seismic effects, as no guidelines exist for their analysis/design (like seismic analysis of counterfort retaining walls or dynamic pressures on bunker walls etc.). This highly informative book addresses many of these items for which there exists a significant gap in technology and yet remain an important life line of considerable commercial significance.The book is an outcome of authors' academic research and practice across the four continents (USA, Europe, Africa and Asia) in the last thirty two years, where many of these technologies have been put in practice, that got tested against real time earthquakes. All methods presented herein have been published previously in peer reviewed research journals and international conferences of repute before being put to practice. Professionals working in international EPC and consulting engineering firms, graduates taking advanced courses in earthquake engineering, doctoral scholars pursuing research in earthquake engineering in the area of dynamic soil structure interaction (DSSI) and advanced under graduates wanting to self-learn and update themselves on earthquake analysis and design are greatly benefited from this book.

This book offers a high-level summary of shallow magmatic systems (dykes, sills and laccoliths) to support geoscience master and PhD students, scientists and practicing professionals. The product of the LASI (Laccoliths and Sills conference) workshop, it comprises thematic sections written by one or more experts on the respective field. It features reviews concerning the physical properties of magma, geotectonic settings, and the structure of subvolcanic systems, as well as case studies on the best-known systems. The book provides readers a broad and comprehensive understanding of the subvolcanic perspective on pluton growth, which is relevant for mineralogical processes as well as the genesis of mineral deposits.

The Nile Basin contains a record of human activities spanning the last million years. However, the interactions between prehistoric humans and environmental changes in this area are complex and often poorly understood. This comprehensive book explains in clear, non-technical terms how prehistoric environments can be reconstructed, with examples drawn from every part of the Nile Basin. Adopting a source-to-sink approach, the book integrates events in the Nile headwaters with the record from marine sediment cores in the Nile Delta and offshore. It provides a detailed record of past environmental changes throughout the Nile Basin and concludes with a review of the causes and consequences of plant and animal domestication in this region and of the various prehistoric migrations out of Africa into Eurasia and beyond. A comprehensive overview, this book is ideal for researchers in geomorphology, climatology and archaeology.

This book presents investigations on the Earth's seismic structure using both active-source and natural earthquake records. It discusses the ground-truth data obtained from the TAiwan Integrated GEodynamics Research (TAIGER) active-source experiments that provides excellent and unique insights into the shallow crustal structures beneath Taiwan. It also explores the full-wave sensitivity kernels, which account for the effects of all possible wave interferences involved in shear-wave splitting and therefore loosen the restrictions on source-receiver geometry amenable to shear-wave splitting analysis. Moreover, it describes the 3D Frechet kernels, which enable us to resolve the vertical and lateral variations in seismic anisotropy and obtain 3D images of the Earth's anisotropic structure, as well as the practice in Southern California that enables us to infer the state of the stress and strain in the lithosphere and the dynamics of the asthenospheric mantle flow for a better understanding of the strength and deformation in the upper mantle beneath the San Andreas Fault system.

The book introduces essential concept of mineral exploration, mine evaluation and resource assessment of the discovered mineral deposit to students, beginners and professionals. The book is divided into nine chapters which will help the readers to incorporate the concepts of search for mineral deposits and understand the chances of success. The book discusses the fundamental details like composition of earth and mineral resources, formation of rock and mineral deposits, and the attempt to search for ore deposits to advance applications of remote sensing in mineral exploration. It also covers the details on how to conduct system of survey, evaluation, and how to arrive at a decision to open and carryout further exploration in the operating mine. The book shall be of great interest to geologists and mining community.

The past half century has seen an evolution in thinking from 'flood control' to 'flood risk management', recognizing that risk results from both hazard and vulnerability. Rather than rely only on engineering structures to reduce flood magnitude or extent, recent policies emphasize avoiding construction in flood-prone areas (or moving people from floodplains), reducing impacts on exposed populations through early warning systems, and insurance to aid in recovery. Implementing this new approach faces many challenges but also offers opportunities for synergies, as described in this book for a range of large floodplain rivers and smaller urban streams across North America and Europe. This book is unique in presenting the voices of those on the front lines of implementing a new paradigm in flood risk management, each river with a unique set of challenges and opportunities derived from its specific geography as well as differences in governance between the American and European contexts.

This book contains a selection of peer-reviewed papers presented at the VIII Hotine-Marussi Symposium on Mathematical Geodesy in Rome, 17-21 June, 2013. The scientific sessions focused on global reference systems, geodetic data analysis, geopotential modelling, gravity field mapping as well as digital terrain modelling. A special chapter is dedicated to understand the generation of Flash.

This proceedings contains a selection of peer-reviewed papers presented at the IAG Scientific Assembly, Postdam, Germany, 1-6 September, 2013. The scientific sessions were focussed on the definition, implementation and scientific applications of reference frames; gravity field determination and applications; the observation and assessment of earth hazards. It presents a collection of the contributions on the applications of earth rotations dynamics, on observation systems and services as well as on imaging and positioning techniques and its applications.

This book presents the study of limnogeomorphology, in which past proxy data such as lacustrine sediments with information on landform development can be linked to modern observed data acquired by instruments, including hydro-geomorphological and sedimentary data. Traditionally, in the field of earth sciences, it has been thought that geophysical studies dealing mainly with the present process were not smoothly linked to geological studies that originated from historical studies. Although such earth-surface process studies are closely related to those on historical landform development in the field of geomorphology, they have been studied separately. Those two geomorphology studies correspond to process geomorphology (dynamic geomorphology) and historical geomorphology. There have been some attempts to combine them; however, they lacked past quantitative records available for further analyses. In the study of limnogeomorphology, proxy data can be converted to quantitative information to be utilized in future environmental discussions. This book also covers information not only on large lake-catchment systems, but on small systems. Those include long-term and short-term and large-scale and small-scale environmental changes in east Eurasia such as Lake Baikal, Lake Khuvsgul, Lake Biwa, and small lakes in Japan, Mongolia, China, and Korea.

Natural disasters are occasional intense events that disturb Earth's surface, but their impact can be felt long after. Hazard events such as earthquakes, volcanos, drought, and storms can trigger a catastrophic reshaping of the landscape through the erosion, transport, and deposition of different kinds of materials. Geomorphology and Natural Hazards: Understanding Landscape Change for Disaster Mitigation is a graduate level textbook that explores the natural hazards resulting from landscape change and shows how an Earth science perspective can inform hazard mitigation and disaster impact reduction. Volume highlights include: Definitions of hazards, risks, and disasters Impact of different natural hazards on Earth surface processes Geomorphologic insights for hazard assessment and risk mitigation Models for predicting natural hazards How human activities have altered 'natural' hazards Complementarity of geomorphology and engineering to manage threats

Geodynamics is the study of the deformation and flow of the solid Earth and other planetary interiors. Focusing on the Earth's mantle, this book provides a comprehensive, mathematically advanced treatment of the continuum mechanics of mantle processes and the craft of formulating geodynamical models to approximate them. Topics covered include slow viscous flow, elasticity and viscoelasticity, boundary-layer theory, long-wave theories including lubrication theory and shell theory, two-phase flow, and hydrodynamic stability and thermal convection. A unifying theme is the utility of powerful general methods (dimensional analysis, scaling analysis, and asymptotic analysis) that can be applied in many specific contexts. Featuring abundant exercises with worked solutions for graduate students and researchers, this book will make a useful resource for Earth scientists and applied mathematicians with an interest in mantle dynamics and geodynamics more broadly.

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the nature of manifestation and general aspects of thermal springs of Odisha. A detailed description of geological formations and the relationship between tectonic settings with thermal spring emanation is given for better understanding of the geothermal system. Physico-chemical characteristics of water and gas have been studied and interpreted to ascertain the nature and source of geothermal fluid and to generate a conceptual model on the origin. The book can serve as a valuable reference for earth scientists, planners and researchers in the field of geothermal energy. As the thermal springs are spectacular sites for tourists this illustrated book can also help tourists, tourist guides and tourism departments.

This book is the long-awaited successor to Owen M. Phillips's classic textbook, Flow and Reactions in Permeable Rocks, published in 1991. In the intervening eighteen years between the two, significant advances have been made to our understanding of subterranean flow, especially through the vast amount of research into underground storage of nuclear waste and aquifer pollution. This new book integrates and extends these modern ideas and techniques and applies them to the physics and chemistry of sub-surface flows in water-saturated, sandy and rocky media. It describes essential scientific concepts and tools for hydrologists and public health ecologists concerned with present day flow and transport, and also for geologists who interpret present day patterns of mineralization in terms of fluid flow in the distant past. The book is ideal for graduate students and professionals in hydrology, water resources, and aqueous geochemistry.

Ranging across the 4.6 billion year history of the planet, geology is the subject that encompasses almost all that we see around us, in one way or another, and also much that we cannot see, beneath our feet, and on other planets. The fruits of geology provide most of the materials that give us shelter, and most of the energy that drives our modern lives. Within the study of geology lie some of the clues to the extraordinary impact our species is going to play out on the planet, in centuries and millennia to come. In this Very Short Introduction Jan Zalasiewicz gives a brief introduction to the fascinating field of geology. Describing how the science developed from its early beginnings, he looks at some of the key discoveries that have transformed it, before delving into its various subfields, such as sedimentology, tectonics, and stratigraphy. Analysing the geological foundations of the Earth, Zalasiewicz explains the interlocking studies of tectonics, geophysics, and igneous and metamorphic petrology and geochemistry; and describes how rocks are dated by radiometric dating. Considering the role and importance of geology in the finding and exploitation of resources (including fracking), he also discusses its place in environmental issues, such as foundations for urban structures and sites for landfill, and in tackling issues associated with climate change. Zalasiewicz concludes by discussing the exciting future and frontiers of the field, such as the exploration of the geology of Mars. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The book thoroughly describes Iceland's geological development and its current geological processes, taking into account both geographic and geo-ecological aspects. Furthermore, it includes suggested excursions especially for individual tours. The most popular tourist "highlights" (e.g. the Golden Circle with thingvellir, Gullfoss and Geyser) should certainly not be excluded. But there is so much more to explore apart from the main tourist routes - and sometimes only a few kilometers away. Examining various regions of the country, each proposed stop is sufficiently described so that it is easily accessible (especially for individual tourists). A wealth of maps, graphics and images illustrate and supplement the coverage. This invaluable guide is aimed in particular at individual tourists to Iceland. It provides those tourists wishing to explore Iceland on their own with a wide range of suggestions for their trip. In addition, numerous excursion suggestions for the west, southwest and south, including the Westman Islands, are described in detail.

Sandstones form the backdrop to some of the world's most spectacular scenery, and are found all over the planet and in all climates. Following on from the authors' successful 1992 book, this is the only volume that considers sandstone landforms from a truly global perspective. It describes the wide variety of landforms that are found in sandstone, and discusses the role of lithological variation, chemical weathering and erosional processes in creating these features, with examples drawn from around the world. Climatic and tectonic constraints on the development of sandstone landscapes are also considered. This volume provides a comprehensive assessment of the literature from publications in a range of languages, and is illustrated with over 130 photographs of sandstone features from every continent. It presents a holistic account of sandstone terrain for researchers and graduate students in a variety of fields including geography, geomorphology, sedimentology and geomechanics.

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.

This book provides an advanced introduction to the science behind automated prediction systems, focusing on sea ice analysis and forecasting. Starting from basic principles, fundamental concepts in sea ice physics, remote sensing, numerical methods, and statistics are explained at an accessible level. Existing operational automated prediction systems are described and their impacts on information providers and end clients are discussed. The book also provides insight into the likely future development of sea ice services and how they will evolve from mainly manual processes to increasing automation, with a consequent increase in the diversity and information content of new ice products. With contributions from world-leading experts in the fields of sea ice remote sensing, data assimilation, numerical modelling, and verification and operational prediction, this comprehensive reference is ideal for students, sea ice analysts, and researchers, as well as decision-makers and professionals working in the ice service industry.