This book contains papers presented at the 6th Global Workshop on Digital Soil Mapping, held 11-14 November 2014 at the Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences of Nanjing, China. Digital soil mapping is advancing on different fronts at different paces throughout the world. The researches and applications on DSM are moving from method development to realizations in different scales and regions, serving the generation of national and continental to global soil grids. Meanwhile, new ideas and insights on mapping complex soil-landscapes such as flat plains,anthropogenically altered agriculture and urban spaces are emerging, with the help of new paradigms and models.The goal of the sixth workshop was to review and discuss the state of the art in digital soil mapping, and to explore strategies for bridging research, production, and environmental applications. This book provides a very useful and comprehensive overview of the status of digital soil mapping, in which graduate students, scientists and specialists working within the field of geography can find the spatial prediction approaches and related theory.

Written by a renowned professional with more than 30 years of experience in environmental sampling and analysis, this reference describes in unparalleled detail all the essential elements for the development and execution of a successful sampling plan at both contaminated and uncontaminated sites. The book covers presampling planning and decision-making, specific sampling situations, and correct sample labeling, and presents the framework and background for the sampling of any contaminated site. Presenting a wide variety of models, quality control procedures, and valuable troubleshooting methods, Field Sampling contains an abundance of topics never before covered in any other source.

The first "Big History" written from the perspective of a biologist Summarizes multiple perspectives of history Documents the unique conditions for the emergence of life Speculates on the future

Soil degradation, a decline in soil quality due to anthropogenic perturbations, is a serious threat with negative impacts on agriculture and the environment. The assessment and monitoring of all forms of degradation is essential to the evaluation of negative trends and implementation of mitigating technologies. Soil Degradation in the United States: Extent, Severity, and Trends is an assessment of current trends and geographic hot spots. It not only describes the types of soil degradation, but also evaluates the processes and triggers that cause the damage.

Written by world-renowned leaders in the field of soil science, the book is thematically divided into three sections: Section I addresses basic processes and discusses concepts and definitions, land use change, and global trends. Section II provides the data on soil degradation by various processes such as water and wind erosion, salt build-up, and soil contamination. Section III summarizes the magnitude and severity of degradation and addresses policy issues in relation to economic and environmental impact. Several appendices provide much needed information on past trends and future projections.

This book is a state-of-the-art compendium that provides a ready reference and data source for soil scientists, agronomists, environmentalists, land managers, and policy makers.

A timely review of state-of-the-art tsunami research, covering case studies and recent developments from various approaches. Provides a practical guide to improving operational tsunami warning systems and mitigating coastal hazard from tsunamis.

This book offers an overview of geospatial technologies in land resources mapping, monitoring and management. It consists of four main sections: geospatial technologies - principles and applications; geospatial technologies in land resources mapping; geospatial technologies in land resources monitoring; and geospatial technologies in land resources management. Each part is divided into detailed chapters that include illustrations and tables. The authors, from leading institutes, such as the ICAR-NBSS&LUP, IIT-B, NRSC, ICRISAT, share their experiences and offer case studies to provide advanced insights into the field. It is a valuable resource for the scientific and the teaching community, extension scientists at research institutes and agricultural universities/colleges as well as those involved in planning and managing land resources for sustainable agriculture and livelihood security.

This introductory volume to a new series on Soil Forensics gives a kaleidoscopic view of a developing forensic expertise. Forensic practitioners and academic researchers demonstrate, by their joint contributions, the extent and complexity of soil forensics. their reports exemplify the broad range of sciences and techniques applied in all stages of forensic soil examinations, from investigations at crime scenes to providing evidence that can be used in court proceedings. Moreover the necessity is depicted of co-operation as a condition for any work in soil forensics between scientists of different disciplines, but no less between scientists and law enforcers.Soils play a role in environmental crimes and liability, as trace evidence in criminal investigations and, when searching for and evaluating, buried human remains. This book shows soil forensics as practiced in this legal context, emerging and solidifying in many countries all over the world, differing in some respects because of differences in legal systems but ultimately sharing common grounds.

Experts in the field offer the first comprehensive review of the tectonics and magmatism of backarc basins, covering their initial rift stage to mature spreading. Complete with numerous illustrations, each of the twelve chapters focuses on a young, active backarc basin of the circum-Pacific-where volcano-tectonic processes are best studied because of their activity. Key themes in this volume include volcano-tectonics setting; cause and location; rift magmas; and hydrothermal activity. Researchers also present models of the dynamic processes occurring in backarc basins.

This handbook offers effective strategies to modify and adjust crop production processes to decrease the toxicity of soil contaminants, balance soil pH, improve root growth and nutrient uptake, and increase agricultural yield. The Handbook of Soil Acidity provides methods to, measure soil acidity, determine the major causes of soil acidification, calculate acidification rates for specific crop sequences, identify high-risk areas for soil acidification, and model acidification phenomena. This is an essential resource for plant, crop, soil, and environmental scientists, plant and crop physiologists, botanists, agronomists, agriculturists, and upper-level undergraduate, graduate, and continuing-education students in these disciplines.

The subject of this book is the methodology and results of integrated geophysical investigations in the Caucasian region, mainly interpretation of magnetic and gravity anomalies with utilization of a huge petrophysical database for the evaluation of geological structure and mineral resources. Relative voluminous geophysical data are useful for the Earth Sciences researchers interested in the Caucasian region (and adjacent and similar regions) characterized by complicated geological structure, inclined magnetization (polarization), uneven topography and mountain/sea transition. Examination of geophysical fields verified by super-deep wells drilling indicates that magmatic rocks of the Lesser Caucasus are extended northward under thick sedimentary cover of the Kura Depression up to the Greater Caucasus. These rocks form hidden petroleum-bearing traps of a newly identified type. On the basis of geophysical studies (mainly inexpensive magnetic and electric methods), a new copper-polymetallic province in the Greater Caucasus has been revealed. a newly developed integrated approach and special information-statistical techniques for processing and interpretation of geophysical data facilitate detection of important geological features, e.g. hidden intersections of linear structures that control location of large commercial ore and oil-and-gas deposits, as well as focuses of dangerous geodynamic events at a depth. Numerous illustrations (including colour) elucidate different problems and solutions on various scales and in diverse geological-geophysical environments. Many aspects of this book have been presented at the teaching courses for bachelors, masters and doctors at the Tel-AvivUniversity (Tel Aviv, Israel) and Ben-Gurion University (Bea (TM)er-Sheva, Israel). Benefits to readers are predetermined by the combination of the authors many-years personal experience in the geophysical studies of Azerbaijan and other regions of the Caucasus with the authora (TM)s knowledge of the modern level of geophysics in the world.

Agricultural soils are subjected to many applied mechanical stresses that influence their behavior. Stresses arise from tillage machines, seeders and chemicals applicators, tractors, and equipment for harvest and transport. Applied stresses may compact or loosen the bulk soil. Micro sections of soil (aggregates or clods) may be compacted during tillage while the bulk soil is loosened. Because most granular soils are combined into structural units of varying sizes with different strengths and properties, prediction of the effect of stresses on the behavior of bulk soils is difficult. The basic strength properties of soil are determined by many fac tors: the size distribution of particles, chemical and mineralogical properties of inorganic clay fraction, the organic matter content and composition, the water content and the stress history. These factors combine and interact to produce many possible behavior patterns. Changes in structure of the soil from applied stresses and biologi cal reactions may profoundly influence storage and transmission of water, heat, and air, and the mechanical resistance to penetration by plant roots. They may also affect the traction of vehicles. Manipulation of structural properties of soils by tillage implements is a major cost under most crop production systems. Reduced energy use is also a significant conservation objective. Improved management systems are very dependent upon a better understanding of soils' response to applied stresses. The content of this book resulted from a NATO Advanced Research Workshop held in St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.A. September 13-16, 1988."

This book on SOIL has been written in a very simple and straightforward manner, which is easy to understand by anyone who may have a simple academic background of general science. This book contains the basic properties of soil, which have been distinctly described under separate chapters, which include an Introduction, Physical, Chemical, Mineralogical, and its Biological properties. In addition, a comprehensive descriptive picture of Soil has been presented in the following chapter of Soil survey and classification which brings out the entire philosophy of soil and its classification methodology in a very precise manner. It is based on the Classification System developed in the United States of America and is agreed upon by the Soil Scientists of the most parts of the world. This is an open system and is very viable, because it has a tremendous scope of improvements in future. This is essential when one considers that soil itself is a very dynamic system in nature. Finally the book ends with an insight for Crop production based on its variable properties followed by its last chapter Soil Care. This last chapter aims at the sustainability and productivity of our soil resour world that soil is a living identity and must be used with utmost care. Based on my thirty-eight years of prolonged learning which includes all the theories and the practical aspects of Soil I must say, It is the only natural gift on which all kinds of living things have been depended upon and will continue to depend in future too. So each of us has to remain obliged towards this, which is always under our feet.

The use of statistics is fundamental to many endeavors in biology and geology. For students and professionals in these fields, there is no better way to build a statistical background than to present the concepts and techniques in a context relevant to their interests. Statistics with Applications in Biology and Geology provides a practical introduction to using fundamental parametric statistical models frequently applied to data analysis in biology and geology.

Based on material developed for an introductory statistics course and classroom tested for nearly 10 years, this treatment establishes a firm basis in models, the likelihood method, and numeracy. The models addressed include one sample, two samples, one- and two-way analysis of variance, and linear regression for normal data and similar models for binomial, multinomial, and Poisson data. Building on the familiarity developed with those models, the generalized linear models are introduced, making it possible for readers to handle fairly complicated models for both continuous and discrete data. Models for directional data are treated as well. The emphasis is on parametric models, but the book also includes a chapter on the most important nonparametric tests.

This presentation incorporates the use of the SAS statistical software package, which authors use to illustrate all of the statistical tools described. However, to reinforce understanding of the basic concepts, calculations for the simplest models are also worked through by hand. SAS programs and the data used in the examples and exercises are available on the Internet.

This book is the first of its kind on environmental change research devoted to monsoon-arid environment evolution history and its mechanism involved. Capturing the most prominent features of Asian climate and environmental changes, it gives a comprehensive review of the Asian Monsoon records providing evidence for spatial and temporal climatic and environmental changes across the Asian continent since the Late Cenozoic. The dynamics underlying these changes are explored based on various bio-geological records and in particular based on the evidence of loess, speleothems as well as on mammal fossils. The Asian monsoon-arid climate system which quantifies the controlling mechanisms of climate change and the way it operates in different time scales is described. Attempts to differentiate between natural change and human-induced effects, which will help guide policies and countermeasures designed to support sustainable development on the Chinese Loess Plateau and the arid west.

Author Biography:
Richard Chapman's experience as a geologist, petroleum engineer, and stratigrapher, as well as an academic, has enabled him to produce a clear and practically-oriented book, that will be essential to those whose lack of physics in their background hampers their understanding of some aspects of geology.

This book describes the development of a constitutive modeling platform for soil testing, which is one of the key components in geomechanics and geotechnics. It discusses the fundamentals of the constitutive modeling of soils and illustrates the use of these models to simulate various laboratory tests. To help readers understand the fundamentals and modeling of soil behaviors, it first introduces the general stress-strain relationship of soils and the principles and modeling approaches of various laboratory tests, before examining the ideas and formulations of constitutive models of soils. Moving on to the application of constitutive models, it presents a modeling platform with a practical, simple interface, which includes various kinds of tests and constitutive models ranging from clay to sand, that is used for simulating most kinds of laboratory tests. The book is intended for undergraduate and graduate-level teaching in soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering and other related engineering specialties. Thanks to the inclusion of real-world applications, it is also of use to industry practitioners, opening the door to advanced courses on modeling within the industrial engineering and operations research fields.

Contamination of the earth's ecosystems by potentially toxie metalsl metalloids is a global problem. It will likely grow with our planet's increasing populations and their requirements for natural resources (e. g. , water, food, energy, waste-disposal sites) and metals-based goods. The health impacts of pollution from the ingestion of heavy metals/metalloids via respiration, food, and drinking water are most often long-term and manifest themselves in many ways. These include, for example, disminution of mental acuity, loss of motor control, critieal organ dysfunction, cancer, chronie illnesses and con- comitant suffering, incapacitation, and finally death. The incidence and geographie distribution of disease (epidemiology) has been well-documented historieally and in modern times for toxic metals- triggered diseases in humans, animals and vegetation. The role of the environmental geochemist and colleagues in environ- mental sciences is to scientifically evaluate how to manage metalsl metalloids at sources or in-situ so as to alleviate or eliminate their negative health impacts on living populations. This is initiated by identifying sources and by developing models of the physieal, chem- ieal and biologieal controls on mobilization, interaction, deposition and accumulation of potentially toxie metals/metalloids in source systems and earth ecosystems. Prom this knowledge base, environ- mental scientists (e. g. , geologists, chemists, biologists, environmen- tal engineers, physicists/meteorologists) work together to develop Preface VI concepts and technologieal methodologies to preserve global eco- systems. Their concerted efforts are equally focussed on devising strategems to remediate ecosystems still carrying heavy metals/metal- loids pollutant burdens from ancient and modern societies.

On February 19, 1973, five centuries have elapsed since the birth of Nicolaus Coperni cus - the greatest astronomer of the Renaissance period - who rediscovered for us the heliocentric model of the solar system, and documented it by his life's work in such a manner as to make its concept a permanent property of mankind. The life of Copernicus, extending from 19 February 1473 to his death on 24 May 1543, was not too rich in adventures or biographical facts. Born in Toruti from a family of Polish burghers, he received his first university training in Cracow between 1491-1494. From Cracow he proceeded to Italy to spend the years between 1496-1503 at the Universities of Bologna, Padua and Ferrara - with occasional visits to Rom- in preparation for an ecclesiastical career. When Bishop Watzenrode - his patron and maternal uncle - could no longer extend his leave, Copernicus returned to Poland in 1503 to enter the service of the church establishment, which soon led to a canonry at the Frombork (Frauenburg) Cathedral in Warmia. And there - in the northern mists not far from the Baltic shores - in a land so different in climate from the sunny Italy of his youth - he was destined to spend the rest of his life."

Gian Gaspare Zuffa Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra Universita della Calabria 87030 Castiglione Cosentino Stazione, Cosenza, ITALY The tradition has been to consider Sedimentology and Sedimen- tary Petrology as quite separate areas of research. It is however impossible to arrive at an optimal description of sedimentary rocks without integrating the two fields since sedimentary processes and compositional aspects are strongly intertwined. The study of arenites is of particular importance in obtaining paleogeographic and paleotectonic reconstructions aimed at deter- mining the geodynamics of the earth's crust. It also has important implications in exploration for and exploitation of hydrocarbons. At the NATO ASI Meeting on Reading Provenance from Arenites held in Calabria (Italy), June 3-ll, 1984, field sedimentologists and sedimentary petrologists were given opportunity to pool their resources in order to obtain better analyses of both source areas and depositional basins. The papers collected in this volume represent an edited ver- sion of the lectures given and provide a comprehensive picture of the present state of the art since they include such important top- ics as: l) the climate and relief of the source areas, 2) mechani- cal transport of sediments and depositional processes, 3) postdep- ositional processes, and 4) the methodology adopted for petrogra- phic optical analyses. Particular attention has been paid to the limitations and errors introduced into paleogeographic and paleo- tectonic reconstructions by incomplete and incorrect data.