Since 1980, progress in research on the fission-track dating method and its applications to earth and related sciences has been evaluated during an International Workshop that takes place every four years. This volume contains a selection of papers presented at the International Workshop held in Gent (Belgium) from 26 to 30 August, 1996. Primarily the articles will be of interest to the active fission-track scientists but the combination of research papers and critical reviews that is presented may also provide the interested non-specialist reader with a valuable insight into the fission-track dating method and its role in the earth sciences. This reader will undoubtedly note the evolution that the method has undergone during the last fifteen years, from a technique that was debated in most of its facets to an established chronometric tool with unique qualities in geothermochronology.

Sediments from the world's ocean floors and other water body basins hold a wealth of information about organic life as we know it. "Organic Matter: Productivity, Accumulation, and Preservation in Recent and Ancient Sediments" addresses focusing on the production, accumulation, and preservation of organic matter in marine and lacustrine sediments. Contributors to this important monograph cover a range of geologic ages from recent times back to the Permian Era, as well as temperature and organic matter types.

This resource book will be of interest and benefit to petroleum explorationists and researchers, as well as oceanographers, marine and environmental scientists, sedimentologists, geochemists and paleontologists.

Flood Geomorphology describes and analyzes global causes, effects and dynamics of floods and includes methods for related environmental management. It reviews recent advances in the interdisciplinary study of floods and their effects on landforms, sediments, human works, and populations. The use of morphometric parameters of drainage basins is covered and standard procedures for measuring geomorphically significant variables following a major flood are established. Specific chapters present data on the neglected topic of sedimentation in bedrock fluvial systems, and discuss, from the viewpoint of Holocene stratigraphy, common alluvial systems leading to flood plains. The book includes numerous photographs, illustrations and diagrams of flood effects around the world.

Recent studies indicate that - due to climate change - the Earth is undergoing rapid changes in all cryospheric components, including polar sea ice shrinkage, mountain glacier recession, thawing permafrost, and diminishing snow cover. This book provides a comprehensive summary of all components of the Earth's cryosphere, reviewing their history, physical and chemical characteristics, geographical distributions, and projected future states. This new edition has been completely updated throughout, and provides state-of-the-art data from GlobSnow-2 CRYOSAT, ICESAT, and GRACE. It includes a comprehensive summary of cryospheric changes in land ice, permafrost, freshwater ice, sea ice, and ice sheets. It discusses the models developed to understand cryosphere processes and predict future changes, including those based on remote sensing, field campaigns, and long-term ground observations. Boasting an extensive bibliography, over 120 figures, and end-of-chapter review questions, it is an ideal resource for students and researchers of the cryosphere.

Geomorphology is the study of the earth's landforms and the processes that made the landscape look the way it does today. What we see when we look at a scenic view is the result of the interplay of the forces that shape the earth's surface. These operate on many different timescales and involve geological as well as climatic forces. Adrian Harvey introduces the varying geomorphological forces and differing timescales which thus combine: from the global, which shape continents and mountain ranges; through the regional, producing hills and river basins; to the local, forming beaches, glaciers and slopes; to those micro scale forces which weather rock faces and produce sediment. Finally, he considers the effect that humans have had on the world's topography.

Tuzo is the never-before-told story of one of Canada's most influential scientists and the discovery of plate tectonics, a pivotal development that forever altered how we think of our planet. In 1961, a Canadian geologist named John "Jock" Tuzo Wilson (1908-1993) jettisoned decades of strongly held opposition to theories of moving continents and embraced the idea that they drift across the surface of the Earth. Tuzo tells the fascinating life story of Tuzo Wilson, from his early forays as a teenaged geological assistant working on the remote Canadian Shield in the 1920s to his experiences as a civilian-soldier in the Second World War to his ultimate role as the venerated father of plate tectonics. Illuminating how science is done, this book blends Tuzo's life story with the development of the theory of plate tectonics, showing along the way how scientific theories are debated, rejected, and accepted. Gorgeously illustrated, Tuzo will appeal to anyone interested in the natural world around them.

Your interest is bound to be held by the contents of this work and the amazing characters, their achievements and the other topics dealt with herein. A search team was formed to find any remains of the Ark of Noah. They recorded on tape, the amazing account by an elderly Armenian living in the USA who had climbed onto the petrified hulk of the Holy Ark, when his uncle took him up Mount Ararat as a boy. His recorded account was subjected to the P.S.E Test (Lie Test)and it passed. Read the amazing account of the incredible Count St Germain, philosopher, alchemist and linguist, who could manufacture diamonds and transmute gold and was friend of Louis XV. Voltaire said to him He is a man who knows everything and never dies. He discovered the elixir of youth. Various nobles and dignitaries met him over the decades and he always looked the same. Read about N.D.E's (near death experiences) ghosts, spirits and the paranormal, the Atlantis myth, the story of Noah and more. The title given to this work will now be obvious to all.

Dieser Buchtitel ist Teil des Digitalisierungsprojekts Springer Book Archives mit Publikationen, die seit den Anfangen des Verlags von 1842 erschienen sind. Der Verlag stellt mit diesem Archiv Quellen fur die historische wie auch die disziplingeschichtliche Forschung zur Verfugung, die jeweils im historischen Kontext betrachtet werden mussen. Dieser Titel erschien in der Zeit vor 1945 und wird daher in seiner zeittypischen politisch-ideologischen Ausrichtung vom Verlag nicht beworben.

Dieses Buch soll keine lehrbuch-oder handbuchartige systematische Darstellung und ebensowenig eine fur den Anfanger bestimmte Ein. fuhrung, sondern eine grundsatzliche Erorterung der auf die Ober flachenformen des Festlandes gerichteten Untersuchungen und ihrer Ergebnisse sein. Eine solche grundsatzliche Erorterung ist in einer Wissenschaft dann notig, wenn Arbeitsweise und Auffassung weit aus einandergehen und die Gefahr besteht, dass sie auf ein falsches Geleise kommen. Das ist jetzt in der Lehre von den Oberflachenformen des Landes der Fall. Die Arbeitsweise und Auffassung, die von Amerika zu uns heruber gekommen sind, der sich viele Forscher mit Begeiste rung angeschlossen, und die auch in weiteren Kreisen Verbreitung ge funden haben, scheinen mir, trotzmancher Verdienste im einzelnen, doch im Ganzen der Theorie und namentlich in der Methode verfehlt zu sein. Darum habe ich mich bereits in einer Reihe von Aufsatzen, die seit I9II in der "Geographischen Zeitschrift" erschienen sind, damit auseinandergesetzt und dabei auch andere Grundfragen der Wissen schaft erortert. Das vorliegende Buch fasst nicht nur die genannten Aufsatze, vielfach umgearbeitet, zusammen, sondern vereinigt damit eine ebenso grosse Zahl neuer Aufsatze und stellt so eine grundsatzliche Prufung des ganzen Lehrgebaudes von den Oberflachenformen des Landes dar. Es soll ein Buch der Selbstbesinnung der Wissenschaft sein; man wird begreifen, dass ich dabei gern von personlichen Er fahrungen ausgehe. Ich erhebe nicht den Anspruch, uberall das Rich tige zu treffen; aber ich hoffe, zum Nachdenken anzuregen und den Gesundungsprozess unserer Wissenschaft, der schon eingesetzt hat, zu fordern."

Unless they research the subject for themselves, many people do not realise that the origins and development of the human entity are largely an unresolved mystery. Before the Author's own research, he was among them. He found that he also had been subtly indoctrinated with such remarks 'cousins' and 'relatives' with regard to the apes and assumed like most others, that all the facts where in. When you read the work, you will find that this is simply not true. So begins 'The Human Enigma', a truly epic enquiry into the origins of our world and the creatures that walk upon. In particular, it examines the human brain as a uniquely wonderful creation which can be viewed as a gift from God (or was it the gods?) besides Darwinian evolution and Biblical creation. This book explores the fanatic proposition that mankind's rapid development with regard to the human brain may have been influenced by extra terrestrial sources. This work refers to, and draws together the previous work of respected scientists and looks at the future scenarios that the latest genetic and environmental sciences are pointing towards.

Die deutsche und zum groBen Teil die europaische geologische Wissenschaft steht im Gegensatz zur amerikanischen und anglo-indischen den Gedankengangen, die sich mit der Theorie der Isostasie verknupfen, relativ fremd und ablehnend gegenuber. Das hat vor allem darin seinen Grund, weil sich mit dem Wort "Isostasie" der Name DUTTONS assoziiert als des angeblichen Grunders dieser Theorie, gleichzeitig aber auch als des Begrunders der Hypothese der isostatischen Gebirgsbildung. Aber es ist ebenso falsch, DUTTON als Begrunder der Theorie der Isostasie zu feiern - er ist lediglich Erfinder des W ortes "isostasy" - wie die Theorie der Isostasie als Gebirgsbildungstheorie aufzufassen. Die Untersuchung der Faktoren, die zur Gestaltung des Antlitzes der Erde gefiihrt haben, hat erkennen lassen, daB die Formierung der Erdoberflache die Folge eines hochst komplizierten Ineinanderspiels verschiedener Krafte ist. Endogene Energieverschiebungen und kos mische Krafte greifen ineinander, 16sen erdo berflachlich V organge a us, die ihrerseits Ursachen neuer Storungen werden. Sie heben sich in ihren Wirkungen auf oder summieren sich. Von allem Ineinanderspiel sehen wir nur das Ergebnis: die heutige Morphologie der Erdoberflache. Palaogeographische Forschung zeigt uns jedoch bis in ferne geologische Vergangenheit die Veranderungen im morphologischen Bild. Wir erkennen den Wechsel im Relief der Erde, die Verschiebungen von Hoch- und Tiefgebieten. Von den Ursachen dieses Wechselspiels stellt die Hypothese resp."

Popular culture is flourishing again, with a renewed interest in the ET and UFO phenomena. We are inundated with films, TV programmes and books, plus many conspiracy theories, dealing with the phenomena. Governments and security agencies are denying any interest in the issue, yet releasing masses of documents (mostly unreadable) after being compelled to, by the Freedom of Information Act. Such speculation and documentation in ancient writings suggests that an unearthly presence has been in Earth-space for many generations. The question of this situation must reach a culminating point sometime in the near future. This book is concerned with the cultural shock and social disorientation that would obviously occur with a sudden appearance en-mass of an alien race finally revealing themselves to humanity and how the people of Earth would react.

The ice mountains of the Karakoram are among the world's greatest natural treasures. At 8611 metres (28,251 ft), K2 is the second tallest mountain on Earth. There are three other mountains in the range that top 8000 metres (26,247 ft) - Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak and Gasherbrum II - and more than 60 peaks above 7000 metres (22,966 ft). Extending in a south-easterly direction from the north-eastern tip of Afghanistan and spanning the borders of Pakistan, India and China, the Karakoram is part of a complex of ranges in Central Asia that includes the Hindu Kush to the west and the Himalayas to the south-east. These mountains, however, are distinctive. This is the most glaciated region on the planet outside the Arctic and Antarctic. But while most of the world's great peaks are almost blanketed in snow and ice, the Karakoram is an exception: the mountains are so vertical that they rapidly shed snow, leaving their bold, jagged outlines of black granite glistening in the sun. The name of the range comes from the Turkic term for 'black rock' or 'black gravel'. The well-known landscape photographer Colin Prior was initially inspired to visit the Karakoram in his early twenties: in his local library he picked up the book In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods (1977) by the American climber and photographer Galen Rowell, and was instantly captivated by images of the sharp, fractured peaks and vast glaciers. His first trip to the Karakoram came in the mid-1990s, and he has been passionate about these mountains ever since. Prior's new book is the result of six expeditions he has made to the Gilgit-Baltistan region of north-east Pakistan over the last six years. Because the region is so remote, there are no established base camps, and each expedition requires careful planning and miles of trekking with a large team of guides, porters and ponies to carry the equipment and provisions. There are regular rock falls and perilous snow-covered crevasses to contend with. The reward for Prior is what he calls the ultimate mountain landscape: 'The scenery is graphic, with towers, minarets and cathedrals of rock.' This beautifully produced volume showcases the breathtaking beauty of the Karakoram in some 130 duotone and colour photographs. The images are largely arranged to follow Prior's progress up the glaciers, and are accompanied by well-chosen quotations from accounts of historical expeditions to the region. A selection of 'making of' images at the end of the book highlights the challenges of documenting the most exceptional mountain range in the world.

This thesis encompasses a study of past precipitation patterns based on six cave stalagmites from different parts of the Indian Himalaya. This is the first speleothem study in the Indian Himalaya that shows a direct relationship between past precipitation and the collapse of civilization. The stalagmites examined were KL-3 from Jammu and Kashmir; TCS and BR-1 from Himachal Pradesh; and DH-1, SA-1 and CH-1 from Uttarakhand. Based on the high-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstruction (35 U/th dates, 5 AMS dates, 1,500 samples for 18O and 13C values) obtained for the duration of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition (16.2-9.5 ka BP) and Mid-Holocene-Present (ca. 4.0 ka BP-Present), three major events were identified, namely the Older Dryas (OD), Bolling-Allerod (BA) period and Younger Dryas (YD) at ca. 14.3-13.9, 13.9-12.7 and 12.7-12.2 ka BP, respectively. The study showed a gradual reduction in the precipitation from 4 ka BP onwards for about a millennium with a peak arid period between 3.2 and 3.1 ka BP. According to the findings, the LIA (Little Ice Age) covers a time span from 1622-1820 AD, during which the climate was wetter than that in the post-LIA period (1820-1950 AD). In addition, this thesis supports the assumption that the WDs (Western Disturbances) contribute significantly to the total rainfall in the Himalaya region.

Geosequestration involves the deep geological storage of carbon dioxide from major industrial sources, providing a potential solution for reducing the rate of increase of atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and mitigating climate change. This volume provides an overview of the major geophysical techniques and analysis methods for monitoring the movement and predictability of carbon dioxide plumes underground. Comprising chapters from eminent researchers, the book is illustrated with practical examples and case studies of active projects and government initiatives, and discusses their successes and remaining challenges. A key case study from Norway demonstrates how governments and other stake-holders could estimate storage capacity and design storage projects that meet the requirements of regulatory authorities. Presenting reasons for embracing geosequestration, technical best practice for carbon management, and outlooks for the future, this volume provides a key reference for academic researchers, industry practitioners and graduate students looking to gain insight into subsurface carbon management.

Recent studies indicate that - due to climate change - the Earth is undergoing rapid changes in all cryospheric components, including polar sea ice shrinkage, mountain glacier recession, thawing permafrost, and diminishing snow cover. This book provides a comprehensive summary of all components of the Earth's cryosphere, reviewing their history, physical and chemical characteristics, geographical distributions, and projected future states. This new edition has been completely updated throughout, and provides state-of-the-art data from GlobSnow-2 CRYOSAT, ICESAT, and GRACE. It includes a comprehensive summary of cryospheric changes in land ice, permafrost, freshwater ice, sea ice, and ice sheets. It discusses the models developed to understand cryosphere processes and predict future changes, including those based on remote sensing, field campaigns, and long-term ground observations. Boasting an extensive bibliography, over 120 figures, and end-of-chapter review questions, it is an ideal resource for students and researchers of the cryosphere.

The book summarizes the results of the experimental studies of phase relations in the chemical systems relevant to Earth, carried out by the author in a time period of over 20 years between 1979 and 2001. It is based on 1000 piston-cylinder experiments at pressures up to 4 GPa, and close to 700 experiments carried out with a multi-anvil apparatus at pressures up to 24 GPA. This is the largest published collection of calculated phase diagrams for the chemical systems relevant to Earth. This is also the first time that the phase relations at the relatively low pressures of the lithospheric mantle, mainly applicable to the experimental thermobarometry of metamorphic rocks and mantle xenoliths, are seamlessly integrated with the phase relations of the sublithospheric upper mantle and the uppermost lower mantle, primarily applicable to inclusions in diamond and schocked meteorites. "Tibor Gasparik has devoted his career to determining the high-pressure, high-temperature phase relations of the geologically important Sodium-Calcium-Magnesium-Aluminium-Silicon (NCMAS) oxide system. This book is his opus magnum, summarizing more than 1700 experiments in over 120 figures. ... I have found Phase Diagrams for Geoscientists to be a useful first port-of-call for finding the P-T stability fields ... and I can recommend the book as a reference for geoscientists requiring an overview of the stable phase assemblages in the top 700 km of the Earth." (David Dobson, Geological Magazine, Vol. 142 (2), 2005)