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Books > Earth & environment > Geography
Climb a mountain and experience the landscape. Try to grasp its
holistic nature. Do not climb alone, but with others and share your
experience. Be sure the ways of seeing the landscape will be very
different. We experience the landscape with all senses as a
complex, dynamic and hierarchically structured whole. The landscape
is tangible out there and simultaneously a mental reality. Several
perspectives are obvious because of language, culture and
background. Many disciplines developed to study the landscape
focussing on specific interest groups and applications. Gradually
the holistic way of seeing became lost. This book explores the
different perspectives on the landscape in relation to its holistic
nature. We start from its multiple linguistic meanings and a
comprehensive overview of the development of landscape research
from its geographical origins to the wide variety of today's
specialised disciplines and interest groups. Understanding the
different perspectives on the landscapes and bringing them together
is essential in transdisciplinary approaches where the landscape is
the integrating concept.
The availability of geographically referenced data, the
proliferation of geospatial technologies, and advances in spatial
analytics have been a boom to applied geographers. Geospatial
Technologies and Advancing Geographic Decision Making: Issues and
Trends is a resource for private and public sector applied
geographers engaged as geospatial technicians, analysts,
scientists, and managers. It includes chapters that highlight the
use of geospatial technologies to explore applied geographic issues
and problems; studies from economic geography, urban geography,
population geography, medical geography, political geography,
geography of education, geography of crime, and transportation
geography are considered.
Spatio-temporal Approaches presents a well-built set of concepts,
methods and approaches, in order to represent and understand the
evolution of social and environmental phenomena within the space.
It is basedon examples in human geography and archeology (which
will enable us to explore questions regarding various
temporalities) and tackles social and environmental phenomena.
Chapter 1 discusses how to apprehend change: objects, attributes,
relations, processes. Chapter 2 introduces multiple points of view
about modeling and the authors try to shed a new light on the
different, but complementary approaches of geomaticians and
thematicians. Chapter 3 is devoted to the construction of
spatio-temporal indicators, to various measurements of the change,
while highlighting the advantage of an approach crossing several
points of view, in order to understand the phenomenon at hand.
Chapter 4 presents different categories of simulation model in line
with complexity sciences. These models rely notably on the concepts
of emergence and self-organization and allow us to highlight the
roles of interaction within change. Chapter 5 provides ideas on
research concerning the various construction approaches of hybrid
objects and model couplings.
This "Reader" recounts the story of the emergence and impact of
postmodern thought in human geography. The editors have brought
together in a single volume the pivotal writings of the period
since 1965. Through these, and their connecting narratives, the
editors engage what has been the most invigorating intellectual
roller-coaster ride in geography's recent history.
Recounts the story of the emergence and impact of postmodern
thought in human geography.
Brings together in a single volume the pivotal writings of the
period since 1965.
Engages with what has been the most invigorating intellectual
roller-coaster ride in geography's recent history.
Eraces the shift in human geography from a plethora of
pre-postmodern paradigms to the emergence of a postmodern
consciousness.
Outlines an agenda for a postmodern human geographical theory and
practice that sympathetically intersects with feminism,
postcolonialism, cultural studies, and environmentalism.
The natural disasters are the killer agents which can/can't be
predicted even though we have modern technology. Every year, in one
place or another, disasters striking which is devastating the area
and surroundings, leading to ecological disruption besides huge
loss of life and property. India is vulnerable to cyclones,
landslides/avalanches, earthquakes, floods, droughts, forest fires,
epidemics, etc. The 5700-km long coast of India, with its dense
population is vulnerable to cyclones/low depressions, tsunamis,
etc. The 2400-km long rugged Himalayan terrain is vulnerable to
landslides, avalanches and earthquakes. India is not only
vulnerable to natural disasters, it is also experiencing industrial
accidents. The Bhopal Gas tragedy is one of the major man-made
disasters in the world. The state of Andhra Pradesh has 970-km long
coastline with two major rivers, etc. The conference is conducted
in Visakhapatnam, is famous for industries and tourism. Recently,
several industrial accidents took place, besides major natural
disasters like Hud-Hud, etc. Disaster management shall be
implemented from the grass root level in vulnerable areas to
improve the capacity building, so as to minimize the losses. The
capacity building coupled with technology results in reduction of
loss of life and property.
This contributed volume applies spatial and space-time econometric
methods to spatial interaction modeling. The first part of the book
addresses general cutting-edge methodological questions in spatial
econometric interaction modeling, which concern aspects such as
coefficient interpretation, constrained estimation, and scale
effects. The second part deals with technical solutions to
particular estimation issues, such as intraregional flows, Bayesian
PPML and VAR estimation. The final part presents a number of
empirical applications, ranging from interregional tourism
competition and domestic trade to space-time migration modeling and
residential relocation.
This book offers a systematic investigation of the ecological and
environmental issues related to the land cover changes in Nepal by
researchers from both China and Nepal. It discusses the
eco-environmental issues faced by Nepal, particularly in the hills
and mountain regions. It also sheds light on the global concerns
regarding the eco-environment issues of mountains, and analyzes the
various causes and potential consequences of eco-environmental
degradation in Nepal. The book is of particular interest to
students, researchers, experts, and decision-makers wanting to gain
a general overview of land cover in Nepal and its dynamics,
environment and natural resources, as well as mountain hazards.
This book presents landslide studies using the geographic
information system (GIS), which includes not only the science of
GIS and remote sensing, but also technical innovations, such as
detailed light detection and ranging profiles, among others. To
date most of the research on landslides has been found in journals
on topography, geology, geo-technology, landslides, and GIS, and is
limited to specific scientific aspects. Although journal articles
on GIS using landslide studies are abundant, there are very few
books on this topic. This book is designed to fill that gap and
show how the latest GIS technology can contribute in terms of
landslide studies. In a related development, the GIS Landslide
Workshop was established in Japan 7 years ago in order to
communicate and solve the scientific as well as technical problems
of GIS analyses, such as how to use GIS software and its functions.
The workshop has significantly contributed to progress in the
field. Included among the chapters of this book are GIS using
susceptibility mapping, analyses of deep-seated and shallow
landslides, measuring and visualization of landslide distribution
in relation to topography, geological facies and structures,
rivers, land use, and infrastructures such as roads and streets.
Filled with photographs, figures, and tables, this book is of great
value to researchers in the fields of geography, geology,
seismology, environment, remote sensing, and atmospheric research,
as well as to students in these fields.
This book provides a comparative analysis of 30 American
interventions into Third World countries. An historical approach is
used to place the featured cases into a more general history of
American Diplomacy. The author uses his assessments to prove that
U.S. foreign policy has been driven by the goal of being the
ultimate power in the global capitalist economic system. The author
makes his work unique by giving a critical view of America's place
in the world during an anticipated time of war and raised
patriotism. He provides a scholarly look at U.S. diplomacy leading
up to the era of "the War on Terror." Sullivan explains how over
the past 50 years the U.S. has come to succeed Europe as ruler of
the global economic system. The "political systems" which have been
promoted by the U.S. to preserve worldwide capitalism range from
one-party rule to monarchies and recurring civil war. The
interventions discussed have proved to be short-term successes for
U.S. policy, but more often tragic for the local societies
affected. Sullivan draws on his 1996 release Comparing State
Polities to create a number of tables that place U.S. involvement
into geographic and hierarchic perspective. The reader is
ultimately provided with a provocative thesis that challenges
traditional interpretations of America's role in the world. This
book will be an asset to any undergraduate college student taking
classes in political science or history. It will also appeal to a
general audience.
The Atlas of Geographical Curiosities - a glorious celebration of
an unusual world. Welcome to this compendium of interesting,
unexpected and downright bizarre geographical anomalies that are
guaranteed to delight and inspire. The world is full of
little-known facts that have sometimes been a source of diplomatic
or military struggle. Many still exist under the radar now to be
revealed by this entertaining treasure trove. Where else can you
discover: Countries that do not really exist A UK hotel room which
became Yugoslavian for one day only An island which is Spanish for
six months of the year and French for the other six A city which is
officially constituted by one single high-rise (14 floor) building
The world's first and only railway that belonged to one country and
ran across another A hotel room whose bedroom is in France and
whose bathroom is in Switzerland Bir Tawil which is one of the very
few territories on earth not claimed by any country The only place
in the world where you can find so-called counter-enclaves where in
a 20-minute walk around the town you can cross an international
border at least 50 times at 50 different points The world is full
of wonderful and strange geographical irregularities. Turn to the
Atlas of Geographical Curiosities to uncover more little known but
important facts.
This monograph offers a unique conceptual bridge between economic
geography and Middle Eastern political economy. Arab economies are
confronted with enormous structural difficulties such as high rates
of youth unemployment in a challenging demographic context,
exacerbated by intense spatial disparities. These structural
problems demonstrate the breakdown of the "Arab social contract", a
social arrangement centered on a strong role of the state in
welfare and employment provision, for which regimes demanded
acquiescence to authoritarian rule. The book argues that the Arab
social contract can be understood in terms of regulation theories
known in economic geography and sociology. It uses the approaches
such as the regulation school, national systems of innovation,
social systems of production, and varieties of capitalism to
analyze the structural difficulties of Arab economies and current
reform efforts. The basic assumption is that Arab economies are
currently faced with a structural crisis. After the breakdown of
the Arab social contract, there is a mismatch between the economic
and institutional spheres of society. The challenge is for Arab
societies to develop new forms of socio-institutional regulation.
The book proposes ways towards such new modes of regulation by
developing a framework for regulation specifically targeted towards
Arab societies, and by applying it to the cases of Tunisia and
Jordan.
He journeyed farther than his near contemporary Marco Polo, though
Muslim scholar Ibn Battuta (1304-c. 1377) is barely remembered at
all compared to that legendary traveler. But Battuta's story is
just as fascinating, as this 1829 translation of his diaries, by
British Orientalist REV. SAMUEL LEE (1783 -1852), demonstrates.
Embarking upon what would eventually be a 27-year pilgrimage,
Battuta traveled through East Africa, the Middle East, India,
China, and beyond, bringing him to most of the 14th-century Islamic
world. Rife with beautiful descriptions of the exotic peoples he
met and landscapes he saw, this little--known classic of medieval
literature will enthrall scholars of Islamic history and armchair
travelers alike.
As the need for geographical data rapidly expands in the 21st
century, so too do applications of small-format aerial photography
for a wide range of scientific, commercial and governmental
purposes. Small-format Aerial Photography (SFAP) presents basic and
advanced principles and techniques with an emphasis on digital
cameras. Unmanned platforms are described in considerable detail,
including kites, helium and hot-air blimps, model airplanes, and
paragliders. Several case studies, primarily drawn from the
geosciences, are presented to demonstrate how SFAP is actually used
in various applications. Many of these integrate SFAP with
ground-based investigations as well as conventional large-format
aerial photography, satellite imagery, and other kinds of
geographic information.
Taking the Qinghai-Tibet Railway as an example, this book
introduces intelligent processing for Global Positioning Data (GPS)
data. Combining theory with practical applications, it provides
essential insights into the Chinese Qinghai-Tibet Railway and novel
methods of data processing for GPS satellite positioning, making it
a valuable resource for all those working with train control
systems, train positioning systems, satellite positioning, and
intelligent data processing. As satellite positioning guarantees
the safe and efficient operation of train control systems, it
focuses on how to best process the GPS data collected, including
methods for error detection, reduction and information fusion.
This series, originally published between 1990 and 1994 arose out
of the increasing need for the international debate and
dissemination of on-going empirical and theoretical research
associated with rural areas in advanced societies. Rural areas,
then, as now, their residents and agencies, are facing rapid
social, economic and political change. Local, national and
international political forces have direct influence upon rural
areas, not only for those concerned with agriculture but also
regarding rural development initiatives, overall economic and
social policy and regional and fiscal arrangements. The volumes are
designed to appeal to a wide audience associated with international
comparative research. They provide reviews of research available at
the original time of publication, taking as their focus one major
theme per volume.
The book presents a collection of accepted papers from the
3DGeoinfo 2015 international conference held in Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia from October 28 - 30, 2015. All papers underwent
double-blind review by experts from around the globe. The
conference brought together pioneering international researchers
and practitioners to facilitate the dialogue on emerging topics in
the field of 3D geo-information. The focus areas include: - Data
Collection and Modeling: advanced approaches for 3D data
collection, reconstruction and methods for representation- Data
Management: topological, geometrical and network models for
maintenance of 3D geoinformation- Data Analysis and Visualization:
frameworks for representing 3D spatial relationships, 3D spatial
analysis and algorithms for navigation, interpolation, advanced VR,
AR and MR visualisation, as well as 3D visualization on mobile
devices- 3D Applications: city models, Cadastre, LBS, etc.
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