Geophysical mass flows, such as landslides, avalanches or debris flows, are frequent mass movement processes in mountain areas and often cause disastrous damage. This book lays a foundation for formulating the depth-averaged equations describing the shallow geophysical mass flows over non-trivial topography. It consists of the detailed derivation of the model equations. The stimulating numerical examples demonstrate how the proposed models are applied. All this make this book accessible to a wide variety of readers, especially senior undergraduate and graduate students of fluid mechanics, civil engineering, applied mathematics, engineering geology, geophysics or engineers who are responsible for hazard management.

Chemical fertilizers have had a significant impact on food production in the recent past, and are today an indispensable part of modern agriculture. On the other hand, the oil crisis of the 1970s and the current Middle East problems are constant reminders of the vulnerability of our fossil fuel dependent agriculture. There are vast areas of the developing world where N fertilizers are neither available nor affordable and, in most of these countries, balance of payment problems have resulted in the removal of N fertilizer subsidies. The external costs of environmental degradation and human health far exceed economic concerns. Input efficiency of N fertilizer is one of the lowest and, in turn, contributes substantially to environmental pollution. Nitrate in ground and surface waters and the threat to the stability of the ozone layer from gaseous oxides of nitrogen are major health and environmental concerns. The removal of large quantities of crop produce from the land also depletes soil of its native N reserves. Another concern is the decline in crop yields under continuous use of N fertilizers. These economic, environmental and production considerations dictate that biological alternatives which can augment, and in some cases replace, N fertilizers must be exploited. Long-term sustainability of agricultural systems must rely on the use and effective management of internal resources. The process of biological nitrogen fixation offers and economically attractive and ecologically sound means of reducing external nitrogen input and improving the quality and quantity of internal resources. In this book, we outline sustainability issues that dictate an increased use of biological nitrogen fixation and the constraints on its optimal use in agriculture.

This book presents in a concise format a simplified and coherent geological-dynamical history of the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Southern Tibet and Pakistan). Encompassing a broad array of information related to structure and tectonics, stratigraphy and palaeontology, sedimentation and palaeogeography, petrology and geochemistry, geomorphology and geophysics, it explores the geodynamic developments that took place from the beginning around 3.4 billion years ago to the last about 5,000 years before present. Presented in a distilled form, the observations and deductions of practitioners, this book is meant for teachers, researchers and students of geology, geophysics and geomorphology and practitioners of earth sciences. A comprehensive list of references to original works provides guidance for those seeking further details and who wish to examine selected problems in depth. The book is illustrated with a wealth of maps, cross sections and block diagrams - all simplified and redesigned.

Use of Microbes for the Alleviation of Soil Stresses, Volume 2: Alleviation of Soil Stress by PGPR and Mycorrhizal Fungi describes the most important details and advances related to the alleviation of soil stresses by PGPR and mycorrhizal fungi. Comprised of eleven chapters, the book reviews the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in alleviation of salt stress, the role of AM fungi in alleviating drought stress in plants, the impact of biotic and abiotic stressors and the use of mycorrhizal fungi to alleviate compaction stress on plant growth. Written by experts in their respective fields, Use of Microbes for the Alleviation of Soil Stresses, Volume 2: Alleviation of Soil Stress by PGPR and Mycorrhizal Fungi is a comprehensive and valuable resource for researchers and students interested in the field of microbiology and soil stresses.

This book integrates the analyses of organic carbon and carbonate accumulation in soil and lake sediment in a typical arid region of China that has experienced significant climate and land-use changes. It demonstrates that carbonate accumulation greatly exceeds organic carbon in both soil and sediment. It also shows that intensive cropping with sound land management in the arid land not only increases soil organic carbon stock, but also enhances accumulation of soil carbonate, particularly in subsoils. Carbon accumulation in the lake sediment increased between 1950 and 2000, after which it declined, and the authors explore how human activity and climate change may have caused the changes in carbon burial in the lake sediment. This book is of interest to researchers in a number of fields such as soil science, limnology and global change, as well as to the policy-makers.

This book provides a common theoretical and practical basis to the multifaceted nature of magma mixing. This process represents a fundamental phenomenon both in the evolution of igneous rocks and in triggering explosive volcanic eruptions. The topic is attacked surgically merging field evidence, numerical models, and experiments in order to draw the most complete picture about this natural process. Arguments are discussed in the light of Chaos Theory and Fractal Geometry as new tools to understand the role of magma mixing as a fundamental petrological and volcanological process. The book is intended to be a source of information and a stimulus for new ideas in students, young and possibly more experienced researches.

Recent research has produced a large number of results concerning the Stone-Cech compactification or involving it in a central manner. The goal of this volume is to make many of these results easily accessible by collecting them in a single source together with the necessary introductory material. The author's interest in this area had its origin in his fascination with the classic text Rings of Continuous Functions by Leonard Gillman and Meyer Jerison. This excellent synthesis of algebra and topology appeared in 1960 and did much to draw attention to the Stone-Cech compactification {3X as a tool to investigate the relationships between a space X and the rings C(X) and C*(X) of real-valued continuous functions. Although in the approach taken here {3X is viewed as the object of study rather than as a tool, the influence of Rings of Continuous Functions is clearly evident. Three introductory chapters make the book essentially self-contained and the exposition suitable for the student who has completed a first course in topology at the graduate level. The development of the Stone Cech compactification and the more specialized topological prerequisites are presented in the first chapter. The necessary material on Boolean algebras, including the Stone Representation Theorem, is developed in Chapter 2. A very basic introduction to category theory is presented in the beginning of Chapter 10 and the remainder of the chapter is an introduction to the methods of categorical topology as it relates to the Stone-Cech compactification."

This book presents a comprehensive collection of various in situ and ex-situ soil remediation regimes that employ natural or genetically modified microbes, plants, and animals for the biodegradation of toxic compounds or hazardous waste into simpler non-toxic products. These techniques are demonstrated to be functionally effective in connection with physical, chemical, and biological strategies. Soil and water contamination through heavy metals, hydrocarbons and radioactive wastes is of global concern, as these factors have cumulative effects on the environment and human health through food-chain contamination. The book discusses the utilization of algae, plants, plant-associated bacteria, fungi (endophytic or rhizospheric) and certain lower animals for the sustainable bioremediation of organic and inorganic pollutants. In addition, it explores a number of more recent techniques like biochar and biofilms for carbon sequestration, soil conditioning and remediation, and water remediation. It highlights a number of recent advances in nanobioremediation, an emerging technology based on biosynthetic nanoparticles. Lastly, it presents illustrative case studies and highlights the successful treatment of polluted soils by means of these strategies.

This book provides a detailed overview on methods used for the dating of past torrential activity on fans and cones and fosters the discussion on the impact of past and potential future climate change on torrential processes. The book has a clear focus on the practical applications of these methods, complemented by case studies. The limits of each dating method in case of excessive natural and human interventions on fans and cones are shown.

In this unique volume, renowned experts discuss the applications of fractals in petroleum research-offering an excellent introduction to the subject. Contributions cover a broad spectrum of applications from petroleum exploration to production. Papers also illustrate how fractal geometry can quantify the spatial heterogeneity of different aspects of geology and how this information can be used to improve exploration and production results.

Presented here is the story of the mining and sale of uranium and radium ore through biographical vignettes, chemistry, physics, geology, geography, occupational health, medical utilization, environmental safety and industrial history. Included are the people and places involved over the course of over 90 years of interconnected mining and sale of radium and uranium, finally ending in 1991 with the abandonment of radium paint and medical devices, Soviet nuclear parity, and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act.

Global warming, melting polar caps, rising sea levels and intensifying wave-current action, factors responsible for the alarming phenomena of coastal erosion on the one hand and adverse environmental impacts and the high cost of 'hard' protection schemes, on the other, have created interest in the detailed examination of the potential and range of applicability of the emerging and promising category of 'soft' shore protection methods. 'Soft' methods such as beach nourishment, submerged breakwaters, artificial reefs, gravity drain systems, floating breakwaters, plantations of hydrophylous shrubs or even dry branches, applied mostly during the past 20 years, are recognised as possessing technical, environmental and financial advantageous properties deserving more attention and further developmental experimentation than has occured hitherto. On the other hand, 'hard' shore protection methods such as seawalls, groins and detached breakwaters, artefacts borrowed from port design and construction technology, no matter how well designed and well implemented they may be, can hardly avoid intensification of the consequential erosive, often devastating, effects on the down-drift shores. Moreover, they often do not constitute environmentally and financially attractive solutions for long stretches of eroding shoreline. Engineers and scientists practising design and implementation of shore defence schemes have been aware for many years of the public demand for improved shore protection technologies. They are encouraging efforts that promise enrichment of those environmentally sound and financially attractive methods that can be safely applied.

This book examines the water resistance capacity of the Upper Ordovician limestone and its feasibility as a water barrier to achieve safe and green mining. Mine water inrush events often occur during coal mine construction and production; they account for a large proportion of the coal mine disasters and accidents in China, second only to gas explosions. As mining depths and mining intensity continue to increase, the hydrogeological conditions encountered are becoming more complex. This book describes in-situ methods designed to test the water resistance of the limestone layer, as well as specific grouting techniques developed to transform this layer into a barrier that can prevent water inrush during mining. The innovative technologies, which were applied and validated in two coal mines, are applicable to other coal mines or any underground engineering works.

Seafloor surveying with acoustic remote sensing has become a powerful tool for researchers and professionals seeking knowledge about the structure and behavior of the seafloor. In particular, sidescan sonar is proving to be the preeminent technique, but its data is often difficult to interpret due to the physics of acoustic remote sensing, and to the varied geological processes at play. This handbook not only presents all the fundamentals but also explains how to interpret sidescan sonar imagery and bathymetry. It fully explores the most recent advances, both in the technology and in the knowledge of marine structures, and provides deep insights for interpretation and decision-making. Broadly expanded and updated from the previous 1997 Handbook of Seafloor Sonar Imagery, this handbook is indispensable to oceanographers, resource exploiters, telecommunications engineers, and marine researchers of all kinds."

This two-volume work is a testament to the increasing interest in the role of microbes in sustainable agriculture and food security. Advances in microbial technologies are explored in chapters dealing with topics such as carbon sequestration, soil fertility management, sustainable crop production, and microbial signaling networks. Volume I is a collection of research findings that invites readers to examine the application of microbes in reinstating degraded ecosystems and also in establishing sustainable croplands. Highly readable entries attempt to close the knowledge gap between soil microbial associations and sustainable agriculture. An increase in the global population with changing climate is leading to environments of various abiotic and biotic stresses for agricultural crops. It therefore becomes important to identify the techniques to improve soil fertility and function using different microbial groups such as actinobacteria, microalgae, fluorescent pseudomonads and cyanobacterial systems. These are examined in this volume in greater detail. This work is a significant contribution to research in this increasingly important discipline, and will appeal to researchers in microbiology, agriculture, environmental sciences, and soil and crop sciences.

With millions of different bacterial species living in soil, the microbial community is extremely complex, varying at very small scales. Microbe-driven functions are essential for most processes in soil. Thus, a better understanding of this microbial diversity will be invaluable for the management of the various soil functions.

Nucleic Acids and Proteins in Soil combines traditional approaches in soil microbiology and biochemistry with the latest techniques in molecular microbial ecology. Included are methods to analyse the presence and importance of nucleic acids and proteins both inside and outside microbial cells, the horizontal gene transfer which drives bacterial diversity, as well as soil proteomes. Further chapters describe techniques such as PCR, fingerprinting, the challenging use of gene arrays for structural and functional analysis, stable isotope probing to identify in situ metabolic functions, and the use of marker and reporter genes in soil microbial ecology.

Soil organic matter is a reservoir for plant nutrients, provides water-holding capacity, stabilizes soil structure against compaction and erosion, and thus determines soil productivity. All agriculture to some degree depends on soil organic matter. It has long been known that soil organic matter declines when land is taken into cultivation, and that the productivity of new agricultural land is governed by fertility contributions from decomposing natural organic matter. The expansion of agriculture to ever new and more fragile lands, particularly in tropical and developing regions, causes environmental degradation with local effects on soil quality, regional effects on landscape integrity and water quality, and global effects on carbon cycles and the atmosphere.

This book summarizes current knowledge of the properties and dynamics of soil organic matter in the tropics, its role in determining soil quality, its stability and turnover, and the options for management in the context of tropical landuse systems, for a readership of resource scientists, economists and advanced students. Maintenance of organic matter is critical for preventing land degradation. Case studies and practical applications are therefore an important part of the book, as are the exploration of future directions in research and management.

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 volume presents up-to-date research on the Nile Delta and discusses the challenges involved in and opportunities for improving its productivity. The topics addressed include: groundwater in the Nile Delta and its quality; the mapping of groundwater with remote sensing technologies; land degradation; salt-affected soils; on-farm irrigation; the remediation of agricultural drainage water for sustainable reuse; the use of satellite images to estimate the bathymetry of coastal lakes; the assessment of the Nile Delta coastal zone and its management; its sediment and water quality; and fishing ports, fish and fisheries. The book closes with a review of the latest findings on the Nile Delta and offers conclusions and recommendations for future research to fulfill the requirements for sustainable development. It provides a unique and topical resource for researchers, graduate students and policymakers alike.

The book deals with the processes in marine environment with particular emphasis on the interface processes (sediments- water and atmosphere-water) regarding organic matter and energy fluxes, carbon dioxide intake and transformation. Particular analytical methodologies concerning biosensors for analysis in situ are discussed.

In 1984, the Conference on Environmental Quality, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Science Foundation convened a series of panel meetings to discuss long-term environmental issues. "Environmental Impacts on Human Health"is the result of that prestigious conference. Drawing on contributions from nationally recognized scientists and experts from industry and government, this collection of papers will help to redirect long-term environmental research and development. The book addresses four topic areas: surface and groundwater processes and pollution; land/soil processes and pollution; atmospheric/oceanic processes and pollution; and multimedia toxic substance/hazardous waste research.

Earth scientists and geotechnical engineers are increasingly challenged to solve environmental problems related to waste disposal facilities and cleanup of contaminated sites. The effort has given rise to a new discipline of specialists in the field of environmental geotechnology. To be effective, environmental geotechnologists must not only be armed with the traditional knowledge of fields such as geology and civil engineering, but also be knowledgeable of principles of hydrogeology, chemistry, and biological processes. In addition, the environmental geotechnologist must be completely up to date on the often complex cadre of local and national regulations, must comprehend the often complex legal issues and sometimes mind-boggling financial impli cations of a project, and must be able to communicate effectively with a host of other technical specialists, regulatory officials, attorneys, local land owners, journalists, and others. The field of environmental geo technology will no doubt continue to offer unique challenges. The purpose of this book is to summarize the current state of practice in the field of environmental geotechnology. Part One covers broadly applicable principles such as hydrogeology, geochemistry, and con taminant transport in soil and rock. Part Two describes in detail the underlying principles for design and construction of new waste disposal facilities. Part Three covers techniques for site remediation. Finally, Part Four addresses the methodologies for monitoring. The topics of 'waste disposal' and 'site remediation' are extra ordinarily broad."

Cryosols - permafrost - occupy a unique part of the earth and have properties greatly different from other soils. They also occur where the greatest impact of global warming is predicted. This is the first book bring together the leading researchers in the area of permafrost soils to produce a review of the geography, cryogenic soil forming processes, ecological processes, classification and use of soils that are affected by permafrost.