Study of microstructures is an indispensable component of understanding structural geology of any terrain. A number of ‘new’ microscopic structures such as ‘flanking microstructures’, trapezoid-shaped mineral grains, reversal of ductile shear sense, micro-duplexes, V-pull aparts, and new minerals nucleating inside host minerals have recently been described in individual manuscripts. However, for the sake of brevity, microstructural papers cannot show all possible variation in their morphology. The proposed book aims to present these structures with attractive colour photographs. Each photomicrograph will have a comprehensive caption. The book also presents grain boundary migration, boudins, symptoms of metamorphic retrogression, and how well known shear sense indicators (S-C fabrics, mineral fish etc.) vary in morphology in serial-sections. The target audience is for graduate and postgraduate geosciences students and researchers of structural geology.

Teide Volcano has many different meanings: For the Guanche aborigines, who endured several of its eruptions, it was Echeide (Hell). Early navigators had in Teide, a lifesaving widely visible landmark that was towering over the clouds. For the first explorers, Teide was a challenging and dangerous climb, since it was thought that Teide's peak was so high that from its summit the sun was too close and far too hot to survive. Teide was considered the highest mountain in the world at that time and measuring its height precisely was a great undertaking and at the time of global scientific significance. For von Buch, von Humboldt, Lyell and other great 18th and19th century naturalists, Teide helped to shape a new and now increasingly 'volcanic' picture, where the origin of volcanic rocks (from solidified magma) slowly casted aside Neptunism and removed some of the last barriers for the development of modern Geology and Volcanology as the sciences we know today. For the present day population of Tenerife, living on top of the world's third tallest volcanic structure on the planet, Teide has actually become "Padre Teide", a fatherly protector and an emblematic icon of Tenerife, not to say of the Canaries as a whole. The UNESCO acknowledged this iconic and complex volcano, as "of global importance in providing evidence of the geological processes that underpin the evolution of oceanic islands". Today, 'Teide National Park' boasts 4 Million annual visitors including many 'volcano spotters' and is a spectacular natural environment which most keep as an impression to treasure and to never forget. For us, the editors of this book, Teide is all of the above; a 'hell of a job', a navigation point on cloudy days, a challenge beyond imagination, a breakthrough in our understanding of oceanic volcanism that has shaped our way of thinking about volcanoes, and lastly, Teide provides us with a reference point from where to start exploring other oceanic volcanoes in the Canaries and beyond. Here we have compiled the different aspects and the current understanding of this natural wonder.

This revised and updated edition continues to provide a comprehensive introduction to the subject, exploring the world's landforms from a broad systems perspective. It covers the basics of Earth surface forms and processes, while reflecting on the latest developments in the field. Fundamentals of Geomorphology begins with a consideration of the nature of geomorphology, including its relation to society, process and form, history, and geomorphic systems, and moves on to discuss: * Structure: structural landforms associated with plate tectonics and those associated with volcanoes, and folds, faults, and joints. * Process and form: landforms resulting from, or influenced by, the exogenic agencies of weathering, running water, flowing ice and meltwater, ground ice and frost, the wind, and the sea; landforms developed on limestone; extraterrestrial landforms; and landscape evolution, a discussion of ancient landforms. Fundamentals of Geomorphology provides a stimulating and innovative perspective on the key topics and debates within the field of geomorphology. Written in an accessible and lively manner, it includes guides to further reading, chapter summaries, and an extensive glossary of key terms. The book is also illustrated throughout with over 200 informative diagrams and attractive photographs, all in colour. It is supported by online resources for students and instructors.

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.

Sedimentary basins host, among others, most of our energy and fresh-water resources: they can be regarded as large geo-reactors in which many physical and chemical processes interact. Their complexity can only be well understood in well-organized interdisciplinary co-operations. This book documents how researchers from different geo-scientific disciplines have jointly analysed the structural, thermal, and sedimentary evolution as well as fluid dynamics of a complex sedimentary basin system which has experienced a variety of activation and reactivation impulses as well as intense salt tectonics. In this book we have summarized our geological, geophysical and geochemical understanding of some of the most important processes affecting sedimentary basins in general and our view on the evolution of one of the largest, best explored and most complex continental sedimentary basins on Earth: The Central European Basin System.

This book on multiscale seismic tomography, written by one of the leaders in the field, is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students, researchers, and professionals in Earth and planetary sciences who need to broaden their horizons about seismotectonics, volcanism, and interior structure and dynamics of the Earth and Moon. It describes the state-of-the-art in seismic tomography, with emphasis on the new findings obtained by applying tomographic methods in local, regional, and global scales for understanding the generating mechanism of large and great earthquakes such as the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake (Mw 9.0), crustal and upper mantle structure, origin of active arc volcanoes and intraplate volcanoes including hotspots, heterogeneous structure of subduction zones, fate of subducting slabs, origin of mantle plumes, mantle convection, and deep Earth dynamics. The first lunar tomography and its implications for the mechanism of deep moonquakes and lunar evolution are also introduced.

This book presents the results of the major EU project Promine. For the first time there is now a European database available on mineral deposits, as well as 3D, 4D and predictive models of major mineral belts in Europe: Fennoscandia (Skelleftea and Vihanti-Pyhasalmi), the Fore-Sudetic basin (Kupferschiefer deposits in Poland and Germany), the Hellenic belt in northern Greece, and the Iberian Pyrite belt and Ossa Morena zone in Spain and Portugal. The book also describes the modelling techniques applied and how different types of software are used for three- and four-dimensional modelling. Furthermore, fundamental descriptions of how to build the database structure of three-dimensional geological data are provided and both 2D and 3D predictive models are presented for the main mineral belts of Europe.

This book divides Antarctica into eight ice-free regions and provides information on the soils of each region. Soils have been studied in Antarctica for nearly 100 years. Although only 0.35% (45,000 km2) of Antarctica is ice-free, its weathered, unconsolidated material qualify as “soils�. Soils of Antarctica is richly illustrated with nearly 150 images and provisional maps are provided for several key ice-free areas.

This book presents Brazil as a country of continental dimensions. Its territory has a large variety of rock types, geological structures and climates. The country has a large variety of landscapes, such as the humid plains of the Amazon River, the dry plateaus of the semi-arid region or the subtropical mountains of the southern region. On the coast, some plateaus and mountains, like the Serra do Mar Mountain range, formed a significant barrier front to access the hinterland of Brazil. On the other side of these coastal plateaus and mountains, there is a large collection of other plateaus, mountains, plains and depressions little altered by human interference. Thus, Brazil has a unique variety of different landscapes and extraordinary geomorphological sites. The book invites readers to learn more about the beautiful Brazilian landscapes, their complexity and vastness.

International Kimberlite Conferences (IKCs) are special events that are held across the world once in four to five years. IKC is the confluence platform for academicians, scientists and industrial personnel concerned with diamond exploration and exploitation, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics and origin of the primary diamond host rocks and their entrained xenoliths and xenocrysts (including diamond) to get together and deliberate on new advances in research made in the intervening years. Ever since the organization of first IKC in 1973 and its tremendous success, the entire geological world eagerly look forward to subsequent such conferences with great enthusiasm and excitement. The scientific emanations from IKCs continue to make significant impact on our understanding of the composition, nature and evolution of the planet we live on. The previous conferences were held at Cape Town (1973), Santa Fe, New Mexico (1977), Clermont-Ferrand, France, (1982). Perth, Western Australia (1987), Araxa, Brazil (1991), Novosibirsk, Russia (1995), Cape Town (1998), Victoria, Canada (2003) and Frankfurt, Germany (2008). The tenth IKC was held at Bangalore, India between 5th and 11th February 2012. The conference was organized by the Geological Society of India in association with the government organizations, academic institutions and Indian diamond mining companies. About 300 delegates from 36 countries attended the conference and 224 papers were presented. The papers include 78 oral presentations and 146 poster presentations on following topics: Kimberlite geology, origin, evolution and emplacement of kimberlites and related rocks, petrology and geochemistry of metasomatised lithospheric mantle magmas, diamond exploration, cratonic roots, diamonds, diamond mining and sustainable developments and policies and governance of diamond exploration. Pre- and post-conference field trips were organized to (i) the diamond bearing kimberlites of Dharwar Craton in South India, (ii) lamproites of Bundelkhand Craton in northern India and (iii) diamond cutting and polishing industry of Surat, Gujarat in western India. A series of social and cultural programmes depicting cultural diversity of India were organized during the conference. The Kimberlite fraternity enjoyed yet another socially and scientifically successful conference.

The book is a thoughtful discussion with scientists studying convergent plate boundaries such as the well-known, active India-Eurasia collision zone. It provides a comprehensive collection of petrographic images of ophiolitic rocks exhumed from oceanic lithosphere and mantle at the India-Asia plate boundary. Ophiolite is exposed in the northwestern Himalayas, eastern Indian plate margin and Andaman-Nicobar Islands. At the eastern margin, it occurs in a narrow strip comprising mantle peridotite tectonite, cummulate peridotite-gabbro-plagiogranite-anorthosite, mafic dyke, volcanics and oceanic sediments. Low temperature/high pressure rocks including blueschists and eclogites were extensively studied recently. Ophiolite derived sediments and podiform chromites will also be discussed to provide complete details. Supplemental maps, geological sections, field sketches and photographs will explain the structure, stratigraphy, ore mineralization, and metamorphic history.

International Kimberlite Conferences (IKCs) are special events that are held across the world once in four to five years. IKC is the confluence platform for academicians, scientists and industrial personnel concerned with diamond exploration and exploitation, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, geophysics and origin of the primary diamond host rocks and their entrained xenoliths and xenocrysts (including diamond) to get together and deliberate on new advances in research made in the intervening years. Ever since the organization of first IKC in 1973 and its tremendous success, the entire geological world eagerly look forward to subsequent such conferences with great enthusiasm and excitement. The scientific emanations from IKCs continue to make significant impact on our understanding of the composition, nature and evolution of the planet we live on. The previous conferences were held at Cape Town (1973), Santa Fe, New Mexico (1977), Clermont-Ferrand, France, (1982), Perth, Western Australia (1987), Araxa, Brazil (1991), Novosibirsk, Russia (1995), Cape Town (1998), Victoria, Canada (2003) and Frankfurt, Germany (2008). The 10th IKC was held at Bangalore, India between 5th and 11th February 2012. The conference was organized by the Geological Society of India in association with the government organizations, academic institutions and Indian diamond mining companies. About 300 delegates from 36 countries attended the conference and 224 papers were presented. The papers include 78 oral presentations and 146 poster presentations on following topics: Kimberlite geology, origin, evolution and emplacement of kimberlites and related rocks, petrology and geochemistry of metasomatised lithospheric mantle magmas, diamond exploration, cratonic roots, diamonds, diamond mining and sustainable developments and policies and governance of diamond exploration. Pre- and post-conference field trips were organized to (i) the diamond bearing kimberlites of Dharwar Craton in South India, (ii) lamproites of Bundelkhand Craton in northern India and (iii) diamond cutting and polishing industry of Surat, Gujarat in western India. A series of social and cultural programmes depicting cultural diversity of India were organized during the conference. The Kimberlite fraternity enjoyed yet another socially and scientifically successful conference.

This book offers a unique collection of inter- and multidisciplinary studies on river systems. Rivers have been the prime source of sustenance since the advent of civilization and river systems often form the basis for agriculture, transport, water, and land for domestic, commercial, and industrial activities, fostering economic prosperity. A river basin is a basic geographical and climatological unit within which the vagaries of natural processes act and manifest themselves at different spatio-temporal scales. Even if compared side-by-side, no two river basins respond to natural processes in the same way and thus, it has long been recognized that each river basin is unique. Hence, any developmental activity or conservation effort has to be designed and implemented to match each unique river basin. With the burgeoning population and increasing dependency on natural resources, understanding and maintaining river systems has become increasingly important. This book provides a varied reference work on and unprecedented guidelines for conducting and implementing research on river basins, and for managing their ecological development.

In this thesis, coupling between the delivery of slope material into valley floors and river erosion is considered to be a factor in the evolution of mid-altitude, forested mountains. Analyses of slope-channel interactions were made in ten small catchments with particular emphasis on landsliding-erosion feedback. An original, new dendrogeomorphic approach was applied to determine the cyclic occurrence of landsliding and erosion during recent decades. The results of dendrochronological studies show that the processes studied are strongly interdependent. Fluvial erosion can trigger landsliding by undermining slope bases. Landsliding can intensify erosion by delivering slope material into valley floors. The results of dendrochronological studies have permitted a better understanding of the relief observed in areas where landslides and erosion are coupled. A scheme was established which describes the importance of coupling in the evolution of mid-mountain landscape.

The proposed monograph on 'Geomorphological Landscapes of India' will aim to describe and explain in simple words the geomorphological characteristics and the origin of the above-mentioned landforms and landscapes. The proposed monograph will provide the background information about the geology, climate and tectonic framework of the Indian region, as well as cover Indian climates of the present and the past. It will mainly cover the four main morphotectonic regions of India and about 15-20 distinct landforms of the Indian region as well as the major geomorphosites in India.

This book contains peer-reviewed papers from the Second World Landslide Forum, organised by the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL), that took place in September 2011. The entire material from the conference has been split into seven volumes, this one is the second: 1. Landslide Inventory and Susceptibility and Hazard Zoning, 2. Early Warning, Instrumentation and Monitoring, 3. Spatial Analysis and Modelling, 4. Global Environmental Change, 5. Complex Environment, 6. Risk Assessment, Management and Mitigation, 7. Social and Economic Impact and Policies.

This thesis tackles fundamental questions concerning the discharge of a pre-Pyrenean karst aquifer system and an Antarctic glacier system, utilizing a system engineering methodology and data-driven approach. It presents for the first time a simplified and effective linear transfer function for karst aquifers. The author provides detailed wavelet spectrum results, which reveal certain non-linearities in drought periods. In addition, structures based on Hammerstein-Wiener blocks have yielded a nonlinear model that is substantially more efficient than its linear counterparts. Another pioneering finding is the use of wavelet coherence between glacier discharge and air temperature to estimate SEC (Seasonal Effective Core) boundaries. The yearly SEC is essential to obtaining a model based on Hammerstein-Wiener structures, which offers considerably higher efficiency. Moreover, two different types of glacier dynamics have been discovered (over damped and overshoot), depending on the annual cycle and the SEC average temperature.

The book provides a model for the structural evolution of the Himalaya with relevant background information making it easily accessible to earth scientists specializing in other areas. The book is divided into two parts: The first part describes the basic principles of structural geology that are required to understand the evolutionary model described in the second part. The book incorporates some of the commonly ignored structural features, such as Pre-Himalayan rift tectonics, reactivation of faults, simultaneous development of folds and thrust faults, superposed folds, strike-slip faults developed during early and superposed deformation, problems with GPS data, erratic crustal shortening obtained by restoration of deformed sections, etc. The proposed model is essentially based on inversion tectonics and provides answers to some previously unresolved questions. It describes in detail the structure of the Himalaya as a primary arc, with supporting evidence from model deformation under controlled boundary conditions and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility studies.  

"The PhD thesis written by Mr. Ackermann is an outstanding and in-depth scientific study that closes a research gap and paves the way to new developments. Despite the extremely complex issues, his work is very understandable and excellently elaborated." Prof. Dr. Christiane Schmullius "The PhD thesis written by Mr. Ackermann is an excellent and very comprehensive work performed at the highest scientific level. It examines in detail the potential of SAR data with regards to the derivation of forest stem volume in the temperate latitudes. The work belongs to a technically complex field. Nevertheless, Mr. Ackermann has succeeded in presenting the content in a clear and understandable way." Dr. Christian Thiel "The proposed document is overall of very good quality. Mr. Ackermann has done an exhaustive analysis of the in-situ data available on the Thuringian forest and was able to derive Growing Stocking Volume using L- and X-band spaceborne SAR data. The document is very well structured with a good split of information between the core of the text presented in the 6 chapters and the 4 annexes, which contain detailed results. Mr. Ackermann's English grammar is excellent and his syntax is crystal clear, making his document pleasant to read. The way arguments are presented is logical and Mr. Ackermann gives a lot of attention to ensuring that sound explanations properly support these arguments." Dr. Maurice Borgeaud

This book is the outcome of rigorous and continuous research work done by the author over about three decades on the open ecosystem and dynamic environment of the estuarine Sunderbans. The objective of this work is to identify the field and factors changing gradually upon this active delta over the years, decades and centuries. The deltaic Sunderbans yet not mature enough, has been changing in its natural course with time. Further, anthropogenic interferences disturb the environments and accelerate degradation of nature of this fragile ecosystem simultaneously. Roles played by almost all the agents including man and environment and their involvement are identified for the changing environmental scenario of the Sunderbans. The book is befitted for the researchers and students for the post graduate levels. The Sunderbans, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering parts of Bangladesh and the southern tip of Indian state of West Bengal, is a part of world's largest deltaic plain of fluvio-marine deposit formed by the Ganges and Brahmaputra at the confluence of the Bay of Bengal. It is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world, conspicuous for its great size and biodiversity. With an enormous network of channels and creeks, tidal inundation twice daily, Sunderbans mangroves wetland is a dynamic and complex ecosystem, which undergoes continuous processes of erosion and accretion. Natural processes like changes in local hydrology, sediment motion under wind, wave and tidal action, beach dynamics, regional and global processes like sea level rise as well as the impact of human interference in the form of reclamation of forest land, changes in land use patterns, coastal urbanizations etc are the lead factors for the changes in the environmental scenario of Sunderbans.

This book explains how it came to be that Venus and Earth, while very similar in chemical composition, zonation, size and heliocentric distance from the Sun, are very different in surface environmental conditions. It is argued here that these differences can be accounted for by planetoid capture processes and the subsequent evolution of the planet-satellite system. Venus captured a one-half moon-mass planetoid early in its history in the retrograde direction and underwent its "fatal attraction scenario" with its satellite (Adonis). Earth, on the other hand, captured a moon-mass planetoid (Luna) early in its history in prograde orbit and underwent a benign estrangement scenario with its captured satellite.

The Soils of Bulgaria offers a comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of soils and concepts on their magnitude. The purpose of the book is to introduce readers to the soil problematic and ecology in Bulgaria. The volume is divided into 3 parts. The first includes historical facts on soil research in Bulgaria, as well as general conditions and factors of soil formation, while the second applies an original pedological approach. The book's third part focuses on essential information concerning land use/cover in Bulgaria. Each of the 13 chapters deals more specifically with fundamental chemical and physical soil properties, concepts of soil evolution, old and modern processes, geographic distribution, climatic conditions, topography, parent materials, plant associations, morphology and the relationship with different classification systems. The interactions between soil status and management are also highlighted. The use of the latest, statistically significant data ensures precise conclusions. The book also includes a large number of charts and new illustrations. The Soils of Bulgaria is crucial reading material for anyone interested in soil management and agriculture in Easter Europe, from students to policy makers and is also of particular interest for researchers in the field.

Our understanding of the rheological and seismic properties of the Earth's interior relies on interpreting geophysical observations using mineral physics data. The complexity of natural materials complicates these interpretations, but here the key features of such materials in controlling the attenuation of seismic waves are determined by a set of careful experiments. This thesis clearly explains how dynamic mechanical spectroscopy has been used to determine the visco-elastic properties of igneous and sedimentary rocks containing geological fluids. These experiments highlight, for the first time, the importance of mineral and rock microstructures as controls on geophysical properties of solids, particularly near the melting point. The results have impacts in areas ranging from volcanic processes, through the structure of the deep Earth, to fluid-saturated porous media.

This book describes the nature and origin of the Macraes gold deposit. It also documents the key features of this spectacular deposit for a wide range of professionals in the resource geology community. This world-class gold deposit has been a spectacular geological and economic success story, as it has developed from a small historical gold mine in discontinuous quartz veins measuring only meters to a large-scale mine in deposits spreading over kilometres in extensive disseminated gold-bearing rock.

This book provides an integrated approach to the assessment of seismic hazards. The reduction of losses expected by future earthquakes is probably the most important contribution of seismology to society. Large earthquakes occurred in densely populated areas highlight the dramatic inadequacy of a massive portion of the buildings demonstrating the high risks of modern industrial societies. Building earthquake-resistant structures and retrofitting old buildings on a national scale can be extremely expensive and can represent an economic challenge even for developed western countries. Earthquakes can cause also several psychological problems due to the fact that such kind of disasters will result in casualties, collapsing of houses, strategic buildings and facilities and deeply affect a community. Moreover in our society it is necessary to properly plan emergency responses and rescues taking into account any possible secondary effect in order to avoid more casualties.