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.

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.

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)

The practical application of geomorphological science now forms a regular part of any project involving flood protection, fisheries, conservation, recreation, environmental protection and river restoration. In this book the authors use their extensive experience gained through fieldwork, analysis, and input to the design process to provide a thorough understanding of geomorphology in the river environment and describe effective ways to incorporate geomorphological science into river engineering and management.

In 1830-33, Charles Lyell laid the foundations of evolutionary biology with Principles of Geology, a pioneering book that Charles Darwin took with him on the Beagle. Volume 1 discusses the effects on the Earth's crust of climate change, running water, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, and supports James Hutton's theory of uniformitarianism, now a guiding principle of geology. Volume 2 (1832) focuses on plants and animals, their distribution, diffusion, migrations and adaptation to changing habitats, and considers the theories of Lamarck, while Volume 3 periodises sedimentary and volcanic rock formations and considers the marine fossil record. The books are generously illustrated and thoroughly indexed. Lyell writes with infectious enthusiasm, conveying the excitement of his fieldwork and discoveries in this landmark book, which remains of interest to geologists and historians of science alike.

The second edition of Beaches of the New South Wales Coast has been rewritten and expanded. It covers all of the state's 757 open coast beaches, as well as 120 beaches in five large bays, including Sydney Harbour, and the 15 beaches on Lord Howe Island - 892 beaches in all. It also covers 276 of NSW top surfing sites. This book has two aims. First, to provide the public with general information on the origin and nature of all NSW beaches, including the contribution of geology, oceanography, climate and biota to the beaches, and information on beach hazards and safety. Second, to provide a description of each beach, including its name(s), location, access, facilities, dimensions and the character of the beach and surf zone. The book comments on the suitability of the beach for bathing, surfing and fishing, with special emphasis on the natural hazards. Based on the physical hazards, all beaches are rated in terms of public safety and scaled from 1 (least hazardous) to 10 (most hazardous).

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product. A compendium of knowledge and technology relating to scour processes in all earth materials Structures built in or near rivers and other channels can be vulnerable to scour around their foundations. If the depth of the scour becomes significant, the stability of the foundations may be endangered, with a consequent risk of damage or failure of the structure. There have been several bridge failures, resulting in transport disruption, economic loss and, on occasion, loss of life. The factors influencing scour are complex and vary according to the type of structure. Protection for preventing scour needs to be designed to withstand the flow forces imposed on them and have to be practical to build and install, while minimizing adverse environmental effects. This book covers the entire Scour Technology area and is prepared by one of the leading experts on the subject.

This encyclopedia, which constitutes a wide ranging and authoritative collection of academic articles, covers the sedimentological aspects of sediments and sedimentary rocks. As such the encyclopedia provides a comprehensive, one-volume reference work for students and faculty in universities, and for professionals in geology and allied disciplines (geography, engineering, environmental studies), as well as informed lay readers.

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.

Coasts provides a necessary background in geomorphology for those studying coastal systems. It describes the landforms that occur on the coast, their responses to the processes that shape them, and the pattern of evolution that can be determined for different types of coasts over thousands of years. Numerous examples from around the world illustrate the variety of environments. Particular attention is paid to coastal morphodynamics; the co-adjustment of process and form, on rocky, reef, sandy, deltaic-estuarine and muddy coasts.

Glacially triggered faulting describes movement of pre-existing faults caused by a combination of tectonic and glacially induced isostatic stresses. The most impressive fault-scarps are found in northern Europe, assumed to be reactivated at the end of the deglaciation. This view has been challenged as new faults have been discovered globally with advanced techniques such as LiDAR, and fault activity dating has shown several phases of reactivation thousands of years after deglaciation ended. This book summarizes the current state-of-the-art research in glacially triggered faulting, discussing the theoretical aspects that explain the presence of glacially induced structures and reviews the geological, geophysical, geodetic and geomorphological investigation methods. Written by a team of international experts, it provides the first global overview of confirmed and proposed glacially induced faults, and provides an outline for modelling these stresses and features. It is a go-to reference for geoscientists and engineers interested in ice sheet-solid Earth interaction.

The Anthropocene is a major new concept in the Earth sciences and this book examines the effects on geomorphology within this period. Drawing examples from many different global environments, this comprehensive volume demonstrates that human impact on landforms and land-forming processes is profound, due to various driving forces, including: use of fire; extinction of fauna; development of agriculture, urbanisation, and globalisation; and new methods of harnessing energy. The book explores the ways in which future climate change due to anthropogenic causes may further magnify effects on geomorphology, with respect to future hazards such as floods and landslides, the state of the cryosphere, and sea level. The book concludes with a consideration of the ways in which landforms are now being managed and protected. Covering all major aspects of geomorphology, this book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students studying geomorphology, environmental science and physical geography, and for all researchers of geomorphology.

A clear understanding of the processes responsible for observed rock microstructures is essential for making reliable petrogenetic interpretations, including inferences made from chemical and isotopic analyses of minerals. This volume presents a comprehensive survey of rock microstructures, emphasising basic concepts and the latest methods, while highlighting potential pitfalls in the interpretation of the origin of rock microstructure. Richly illustrated with over 250 colour photographs, including more than 10 percent new photomicrographs and several mesoscopic images, it demonstrates the basic processes responsible for the wide variety of microstructures in igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. This second edition includes extensive updates to the coverage of igneous rocks as well as recent ideas on physical processes in migmatites and partial melting of sedimentary rocks. This practical guide will continue to be an invaluable resource to advanced students and early-career researchers of mineralogy, petrology and structural geology, as well as professional geologists and material scientists.

The main mesological factors that determine vegetation activity are moisture and temperature (Ferreras Chasco, 2000). Under certain conditions of moisture and temperature a limitation in growth can appear and, if these conditions do not improve, plants can enter into a state called vegetative paralysis. This book discusses the land surface of the basin of the Guadaira River, and it pays attention to the study of riparian vegetation on different channels that belong to its countryside stretch. It also presents research on the modern spatiotemporal variability of the morphology of High Arctic proglacial rivers; and provides a review on the general properties of ancient Martian systems, focusing on possible issues related to the lack of biogenic effects on Mars, and analysing mainly riverbank related erosional and depositional structures.

This book is in response to the growing demand from academics and the general public for state-of-the-art research in permafrost science and, in particular, information about its impacts on infrastructure and ecosystems. It brings together research from diverse but highly complementary scientific disciplines to illuminate the main physical, chemical and biological processes occurring in permafrost systems and identifies the possible mechanisms controlling fluxes of energy and matter at various scales. Taken together, the 8 chapters of this book provide a comprehensive, up-to-date description and analysis of the basic geomorphological, physical, hydrological, chemical and biological aspects of permafrost-affected ecosystems, their interaction with other components of the landscape and their impact on human life and infrastructure.