This volume is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of dynamic biological changes through the Phanerozoic which are associated with mass extinction events and similar biotic crises, and their causal mechanisms. In particular, it documents in detail the complex nature of terrestrial and extraterrestrial feedback loops that are associated with many mass extinction intervals. Authors have been asked to represent most of the known mass extinction events through time, and to comment on the complex earthbound or extraterrestrial causes (or both) for global biotic crises. The reader is offered new perspectives of extinction boundaries, a more innovative and diverse approach to causal mechanisms and mass extinction theory, blended views of paleobiologists, oceanographers, geochemists, volcanologists, and sedimentologists by an international cast of authors. No other book on extinction presents such a broad spectrum of data and theories on the subject of mass extinction.

It is widely accepted that there is a relationship between ice volume and the solar insolation in summer in the northern hemisphere. The Earth's glacial cycles are driven by cyclic changes in the Earth's orbital elements. This conclusion is based on the strong coherence between the approx. 20000 and 40000 year spectral components of ice volume and insolation (Milankovitch-curve) records. These frequencies are determined by the variation of the obliquity of the Earth's axis and by its position relative to the Earth's orbit around the sun. The degree of sum mer insolation on the Earth's northern Hemisphere is believed to be relevant to climate because the North Atlantic is where cold saline water is being formed. Present day deep water circulation is driven by salt build-up in due to net evapora tion. In contrast, in the North Pacific precipitation exceeds evaporation. Thus, deep water transfers a surplus of salt from the N. Atlantic to the North Pacific. This surface water delivers also oxygen to the deep ocean. In contrast, upwelling deep water transfers nutrients from the deep ocean to the surface water. Today the time of renewal of deep water is in the order of 1000 years."

This is a book about the why and how of doing experiments on rocks, minerals, magmas, and fluids. It could have as logically been subtitled "Experimental petrology" as "Experimental geochemistry," but we chose geochemistry to emphasize the broad and overlapping nature of current experimental work. We have tried to aim the book at a general readership which we hope will include advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and anyone else interested in learning something about experimental petrology. Although we hope there will be something of interest for the practicing experimentalist, our aim is at the non-experimentalist interested in learning why experiments are useful, what kind of experiments can be done, and what some of the major problems and limitations are and how they can best be avoided. The result of a journey through this book should be an ability to evaluate published experimental work critically and a knowledge of the kinds of problems an experimentalist might be able to help solve. Some details of experimental technique are included in the Appendix for those readers who want to "get their hands dirty. " Indeed, one of our main incentives for writing this book was to try to encourage more petrologists and geochemists to become experimentalists. In our pedagogical approach we have chosen to discuss a small number of case histories as illustrations of principles and techniques. We have tried to select studies we regard as well executed.

Technological advance affects almost all areas of human life. Rapid digitization, increased mobility, new biotechnologies, and nanotechnology deeply influence, amongst others, industrial production, entertainment, work, military affairs, and individual life. Besides overwhelmingly positive effects on wealth, comfort, innovation, and development, this also raises questions of unintended effects, of tensions with democracy, of the role of citizens, and of its sustainability facing environmental issues. Tools and procedures are needed to cope with this challenging situation. Technology assessment (TA) has been developed more than fifty years ago to enable science, the economy, and society to harvest the potential of new technology to the maximum extent possible and to deal responsibly with possible adverse effects. It was developed more than 50 years ago in the U.S. Congress and has diversified considerably in the meantime. Parliamentary TA in many European states and at the international level, participatory TA at the local and regional levels worldwide, and TA as part of engineering processes are the most relevant fields today. Technology assessment is a growing field of interdisciplinary research and scientific policy advice. This volume (a) gives an overview of motivations of TA, its history and its current practices, (b) develops a fresh theoretical perspective on TA rooted in social theory and philosophy, and (c) draws conclusions from the theoretical perspective for the further development of TA's practices. It provides the first comprehensive view on the growing field of TA at the international level.

When Darwin wrote his Origin of Species, one of his main concerns was with the perceived shortness of the fossil record of life. Until the work of J. William Schopf and his colleagues, much of this history was thought to be unknowable. This book, through a memoire of Schopf's personal recollections, documents astonishing discoveries revealing the first 85% of the history of life. These earliest periods of life on Earth emerge as a tale of individual and internationally collaborative exploration told by a scholar whose 60 years of research contributed to the recognition of the richness and diversity which forms the foundation of today's biodiversity. Key Features Documents, through personal narrative, a paradigm shift is the study of the earliest life Summarizes a fossil record largely unknown until relatively recently Addresses one of Darwin's most troubling concerns about his theory of natural selection Predicts future developments in the study of first life

The term "carbon cycle" is normally thought to mean those processes that govern the present-day transfer of carbon between life, the atmosphere, and the oceans. This book describes another carbon cycle, one which operates over millions of years and involves the transfer of carbon between rocks and the combination of life, the atmosphere, and the oceans. The weathering of silicate and carbonate rocks and ancient sedimentary organic matter (including recent, large-scale human-induced burning of fossil fuels), the burial of organic matter and carbonate minerals in sediments, and volcanic degassing of carbon dioxide contribute to this cycle. In The Phanerozoic Carbon Cycle, Robert Berner shows how carbon cycle models can be used to calculate levels of atmospheric CO 2 and O 2 over Phanerozoic time, the past 550 million years, and how results compare with independent methods. His analysis has implications for such disparate subjects as the evolution of land plants, the presence of giant ancient insects, the role of tectonics in paleoclimate, and the current debate over global warming and greenhouse gases

Archaean terrains contain a wealth of structural, stratigraphic, textural, mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic features allowing insights into the nature of the early Earth. This book is based on studies during 1964-2007 of Archaean terrains in Australia and to a lesser extent in South Africa and India, as well as on visits to Archaean terrains in Canada, the US and China, as well as petrological and geochemical studies of igneous and sedimentary rock suites from a range of terrains. The book will include a range of photographic and microscopic images, geological sketch maps and diagrams illustrating the lessons derived from field and the laboratory. Also other Archaean terrains are being reviewed. The book is intended for Earth scientists as well as broader intelligent readership.

Geomicrobiology is the study of microbes and microbial processes and their role in driving environmental and geological processes at scales ranging from the nano, micron, to meter scale. This growing field has seen major advances in recent years, largely due to the development of new analytical tools and improvements to existing techniques, which allow us to better understand the complex interactions between microbes and their surroundings. In this comprehensive handbook, expert authors outline the state-of-the-art and emerging analytical techniques used in geomicrobiology. Readers are guided through each technique including background theory, sample preparation, standard methodology, data collection and analysis, best practices and common pitfalls, and examples of how and where the technique has been applied. The book provides a practical go-to reference for advanced students, researchers and professional scientists looking to employ techniques commonly used in geomicrobiology.

This volume contains a selection of papers presented to the Fourth Internation l Symposium on Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB), and a conference on Biogeochemistry in Relation to Mining Industry and Environmental Pollution (Leaching Conference), held in Canberra, Aust ralia on August 26-31 and September 3-4, 1979, respectively. The ISEB were established to provide "a forum for uninhibited exchange of information and ideas among the biological, chemical, atmospheric and geolorical scientists working in the common area of biogeochemistry, encompassing soil and other earth sciences as well as the hydrosphere and atmosphere," By linking the fourth ISEB with the Leachin Conference the scope of discussions was extended to encompass the application of biogeochemical processes to the mining industry. This wide-ranging philosophy is reflected in the breadth and diversity of the subjects covered in this book. The published papers are expanded versions of those presented at the meetings. They have all been scrutinized by at least one referee in addition to the editors. About 20% of the contributions to the meetings are not included, either because authors did not wish to publish or because the papers were not accepted by the editors."

My book Metamorphic Rocks and Metamorphic Belts (in Japanese) was published by Iwanami Shoten, Publishers, in Tokyo in 1965. A few years later, Mr D. Lynch-Blosse of George Allen & Unwin Ltd contacted me to explore the possibility of translating it into English. Thus, translation accompanied by rewriting of substantial parts of the book was made in subsequent years, resulting in the present book Metamorphism and Metamorphic Belts. This title was chosen to emphasize the tectonic Significance of metamorphic belts. Metamorphic geology has a long history. The microscopic description and classification of metamorphic rocks began in the late nineteenth century. The theory of equilibrium mineral assemblages began in the first half of the twentieth century. Detailed mineralogical studies and the experimental determination of the pressure-temperature conditions of metamorphism began in the 1950s. The importance of metamorphic petrology in our understanding of the tectonic processes has been realized only in the past decade. This book is intended to synthesize the mineralogic, petrologic" and tectonic aspects of metamorphism. Advanced treatment of the thermodynamic and structural aspects is not intended.

It has long been realized that the mineral assemblages of igneous and metamorphic rocks may reflect the approach of a rock to chemical eCluilibrium during its formation. However progress in the application of chemical thermodynamics to geological systems has been hindered since the time of Bowen and the other early physical-chemical petrologists by the recurring Cluandary of the experimental geologist. His systems are complex and are experimentally intractable, but if they were not so refractory they would not be there to study at all. It is only recently that accurate measurements of the thermodynamic properties of pure, or at least well-defined minerals, melts and volatile fluid phases, combined with experimental and theoretical studies of their mixing properties, have made it possible to calculate the eCluilibrium conditions for particular rock systems. Much work is now in progress to extend the ranges of com position and conditions for which sufficient data exist to enable such calculations to be made. Moreover the routine availability of the electron microprobe will ensure that the demand for such information will continue to increase. The thermodynamic techniClues reCluired to apply these data to geological problems are intrinsically simple and merely involve the combination of appropriate standard state data together with corrections for the effects of solution in natural minerals, melts or volatile fluids."

This book offers a comprehensive view of the valuable uranium ores and analytical electron microscopy methods, including electron microdiffraction principles, an essential technique for studying uranous minerals. This book also explains the laws governing the formation of uranium mineral accumulations, based on concepts published by the renowned Russian mineralogist L.N. Belova. It addresses all types of ore uranium concentrations in the hypergene region and schematizes all uranium mineral formation processes. Readers will also find selected examples of different genetic types of uranium deposits of black sooty ores; the data gathered from all findings on ningyoite worldwide, and new crystal chemistry data on tetravalent uranium phosphates.

TO GEOCHEMISTRY by CLAUDE-JEAN ALLEGRE Department of Earth Sciences, University of Paris 7 and GIL MICHARD Department of Chemistry, University of Paris 7 D, REIDEL PUBLISHING COMPANY DORDRECHT-HOLLAND / BOSTON-U. S. A. INTRODUCTION A LA GEOCHIMIE First published by Presses Universitaires de France, Paris, 1973 Translated/rom the French by Robert N. Varney Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 74-83871 e-ISBN -13: 978-94 -010-2261-3 ISBN -13: 978-90-277-0498-6 DOl: 10. 1007/978-94-010-2261-3 Published by D. Reidel Publishing Company, P. O. Box 17, Dordrecht, Holland Sold and distributed in the U. S. A. , Canada, and Mexico by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Inc. 306 Dartmouth Street, Boston, Mass. 02116, U. S. A. All Rights Reserved Copyright (c) 1974 by D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dordrecht, Holland No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, or any other means, without written permission from the publisher TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE IX PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR XI CHAPTER 1 / THE EARTH AS A CHEMICAL SYSTEM 1 1. 1. The Earth within the Solar System 1 1. 2. The Scale of Time 1 1. 3. The Overall Chemical Composition of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe 2 1. 4. Chemical Compounds in the Solar System: Cosmological Minerals 5 1. 4. 1. Simple Molecules 6 1. 4. 2. Simple Solids 6 1. 4. 3. Silicates 6 1. 4. 4. Carbon Polymers 6 1. 4. 5. Fe-Ni Alloys 6 1. 5.

Das Motiv fur die Veranstaltung dieses Symposiums uber die Beziehungen zwischen metallogenetischen und geochemischen Provinzen war ein egoistisches Informationsbedurfnis des Organisators. Als ich 1967 an dem Manuskript uber Erzprovinzen und Kontinentaldrift arbeitete, ergab sich die Frage, ob die Metalle der Lagerstatten in den wandernden Kontinentalschollen beheimatet sind oder ob sie aus dem wechselnden Substratum des oberen Mantels und der daraus ge- speisten ozeanischen Kruste stammen. Es galt also, das Material zu uberprufen, das die Beziehungen der Erzlagerstatten zur Geochemie ihrer kontinentalen Um- gebung oder zur Geochemie des Ozeanbodens zeigt. Dies kann zugleich auch Bei- trage ergeben zu dem Problem der modernen Iateralsekretionaren Lagerstatten- bildung. Die wirkungsvollste Art, sich bei der heutigen grossen Menge von Literatur uber ein komplexes Thema zu informieren, ist, kompetente Leute zusammenzu- bitten, damit sie daruber vortragen und diskutieren. Ich darf sagen, dass meinem Bedurfnis voll Genuge geleistet wurde und ich habe dafur all den lieben Kolle- gen, die zum Teil von sehr weit nach Leoben gekommen sind, herzlichen Dank zu sagen. Alle Vortrage behandeln, ja man kann fast sagen, klaren in ihrer Gesamt- heit das aufgeworfene Problem. Ich mochte aber doch glauben und hoffen, dass nicht nur der Veranstalter, son- dern auch die Teilnehmer von den Vortragen und Diskussionen Nutzen hatten. Ein intensiver Gedankenaustausch war moglich, da die Teilnehmerzahl mit Ab- sicht klein gehalten und auf spezielle Sad1kenner beschrankt war und da das Programm im Gegensatz zu vielen Kongressen weite Lucken fur Diskussionen liess.

Magnesium is a major constituent in silicate and carbonate minerals, the hydrosphere and the biosphere. Magnesium is constantly cycled between these reservoirs. Since each of the major planetary reservoirs of magnesium have different magnesium isotope ratios, there is scope to use magnesium isotope ratios to trace 1) the processes that cycle Magnesium at a spatial scales from the entire planet to microscopic and 2) the relative fluxes between these reservoirs. This review summarises some of the key motivations, successes and challenges facing the use of magnesium isotopes to construct a budget of seawater magnesium, present and past.

This second edition of Atlas of Structural Geology features a broad and inclusive range of high-quality mesoscale and microscale full-color photographs, descriptions, and captions related to the deformation of rocks and geologic structures. It is a multicontributed, comprehensive reference that includes submissions from many of the world's leading structural geologists, making it one of the most thorough and comprehensive references available to the geoscience community. All types of structures are featured, including those related to ductile and brittle shear zones, sigma and delta structures, mineral fish, duplexes and trapezoids, shear-related folds, and flanking structures in the mesoscale and microscale. This second edition features new and expanded coverage, including seismic-image interpretation, landslide deformations, flowing glacial structures, and more than 150 new full-color images to illustrate the geologic features. A stunning collection of the world's most beautiful and arresting geologic structures, this book is the ideal resource to illustrate key concepts in geology.

Choice Recommended Title, August 2019 Read an exclusive interview with Professor Vera Kolb here. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life on Earth. This exciting and significant field of research also investigates the potential existence and search for extra-terrestrial life in the Solar System and beyond. This is the first handbook in this burgeoning and interdisciplinary field. Edited by Vera Kolb, a highly respected astrobiologist, this comprehensive resource captures the history and current state of the field. Rich in information and easy to use, it assumes basic knowledge and provides answers to questions from practitioners and specialists in the field, as well as providing key references for further study. Features: Fills an important gap in the market, providing a comprehensive overview of the field Edited by an authority in the subject, with chapters written by experts in the many diverse areas that comprise astrobiology Contains in-depth and broad coverage of an exciting field that will only grow in importance in the decades ahead

This book provides the first comprehensive compilation of cutting-edge research on Merapi volcano on the island of Java, Indonesia, one of the most iconic volcanoes in the world. It integrates results from both the natural (geology, petrology, geochemistry, geophysics, physical volcanology) and social sciences, and provides state-of-the-art information on volcano monitoring, the assessment of volcanic hazards, and risk mitigation measures. As one of Indonesia's most active and dangerous volcanoes, Merapi is perhaps best known for its pyroclastic density currents, which are produced by gravitational or explosive lava dome failures (commonly referred to as Merapi-type nuees ardentes). Merapi's eruptions have posed a persistent threat to life, property and infrastructure within the densely populated areas on the volcano's flanks, as demonstrated most recently by catastrophic eruptions, which attracted worldwide media interest.

Lithium isotopes are a relatively novel tracer of present and past silicate weathering processes. Given that silicate weathering is the primary long-term method by which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere, Li isotope research is going through an exciting phase. We show the weathering processes that fractionate dissolved and sedimentary Li isotope ratios, focusing on weathering intensity and clay formation. We then discuss the carbonate and silicate archive potential of past seawater 7Li. These archives have been used to examine Li isotope changes across both short and long timescales. The former can demonstrate the rates at which the climate is stabilised from perturbations via weathering, a fundamental piece of the puzzle of the long-term carbon cycle.

This newly revised edition of "Global Environment" discusses the major elements of the geochemical cycles and global fluxes found in the atmosphere, land, lakes, rivers, biota, and oceans, as well as the human effects on these fluxes. Retaining the strengths of the original edition while incorporating the latest discoveries, this textbook takes an integrated, multidisciplinary, and global approach to geochemistry and environmental problems and introduces fundamental concepts of meteorology, surficial geology (weathering, erosion, and sedimentation), biogeochemistry, limnology, and oceanography.

New concepts and information in this updated edition include changes of atmospheric carbon dioxide over geologic time, major advances in the study of chemical weathering of rocks, ocean acidification, and important environmental problems, such as the amelioration of the acid rain problem due to reduction in sulfur deposition, problems with nitrification of soils and lakes, and eutrophication of rivers and estuaries. An expanded chapter explores atmospheric chemistry and changing climate, with the most up-to-date statistics on CO2, the carbon cycle, other greenhouse gases, and the ozone hole. Only requiring a fundamental understanding in elementary chemistry, yet taking into account extensive and current data, this text is ideal for students in environmental geochemistry, environmental geology, global change, biogeochemistry, water pollution, geochemical cycles, chemical oceanography, and geohydrology, and serves as a valuable reference for researchers working on global geochemical and environmental issues.Revised edition takes a close look at global fluxes involving the atmosphere, land, lakes, rivers, biota, and oceans, and the human effects on these fluxes Detailed discussion of basic concepts including meteorology, surficial geology (weathering, erosion, and sedimentation), biogeochemistry, limnology, and oceanography An expanded up-to-date chapter on atmospheric chemistry and changing climate, including CO2, other greenhouse gases, and ozone Presentation of major advances in the study of chemical weathering Discussion of current environmental topics Global coverage of environmental problems involving water

The quality of food is such a live issue at the moment that this title is an essential tool for researchers in a variety of disciplines. It provides a review of the key features of trace elements in soils, plants and the food web on which human beings survive. The authors' intention is to summarize up-to-date interdisciplinary data for the concise presentation of our understanding of trace-element transfer in the chain from soil to man.

This is the seventh edition of a book which has been for years the 'bible' of professional and amateur gemmologists, as well as retail jewellers. Originally written by Robert Webster, an expert who dedicated most of his life to the subject and who worked in the London Gem Testing Laboratory for twenty-five years, this edition has been completely revised and updated by E. Alan Jobbins, Keeper of Minerals and Gemstones at the Geological Museum in London for thirty-five years. The first part of the book is a comprehensive glossary on all aspects of gemstones and the terms associated with them. The second part includes sections on manufactured gems, the enhancement of gem materials and on the precautions necessary for avoiding damage to gemstones and jewellery during manufacturing, repairs and cleaning. There are comprehensive sets of tables of the physical constraints needed for gem testing, of the sources of gem materials and the cuts used to demonstrate their beauty. Fifteen pages of colour photographs will assist in the identification of inclusions and there are many useful conversion tables. Acknowledged as one of the most useful reference books available, this should be the vade mecum of all gemmologists.

As in the original edition of 1988, this book covers the principles and practice of argon isotopic dating, a technique that has been used to determine the numerical age of the Earth. The greater precision of the 40Ar/39Ar method allows scientists to test smaller geological samples than its precursor, the K-Ar method, which required a comparison of different elements. The new edition will incorporate new developments made in 40Ar/39Ar application over the last decade, made possible by advances in lasers and mass spectrometry.

Collecting and analyzing data on unemployment, inflation, and inequality help describe the complex world around us. When published by the government, such data are called official statistics. They are reported by the media, used by politicians to lend weight to their arguments, and by economic commentators to opine about the state of society. Despite such widescale use, explanations about how these measures are constructed are seldom provided for a non-technical reader. This Measuring Society book is a short, accessible guide to six topics: jobs, house prices, inequality, prices for goods and services, poverty, and deprivation. Each relates to concepts we use on a personal level to form an understanding of the society in which we live: We need a job, a place to live, and food to eat. Using data from the United States, we answer three basic questions: why, how, and for whom these statistics have been constructed. We add some context and flavor by discussing the historical background. This book provides the reader with a good grasp of these measures. Chaitra H. Nagaraja is an Associate Professor of Statistics at the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University in New York. Her research interests include house price indices and inequality measurement. Prior to Fordham, Dr. Nagaraja was a researcher at the U.S. Census Bureau. While there, she worked on projects relating to the American Community Survey.