"The thesis of Philipp Antrett is focused on reservoir properties, petrography, lithofacies and sedimentology, core analysis and nanoporosity studies. It will be of major interest for colleagues involved in the exploration and production of tight gas reservoirs in Northern Europe and elsewhere." - Francois Roure, August 2012 This thesis describes a multidisciplinary, multiscale approach to the analysis of tight gas reservoirs. It focused initially on the facies architecture of a Permian tight gas field in the Southern Permian Basin (SPB), East Frisia, northern Germany. To improve field development, 3D seismic data, wireline and core data were compared to a reservoir analogue in the Panamint Valley, California, United States. In addition to the large scale approach, a work flow that investigates microporosity by combining Scanning Electron Microscopy-Broad Ion Beam (SEM-BIB) and optical microscopy was developed. For a better understanding of the depositional environment and reservoir rock distribution in the SPB, a sedimentary facies analysis of four cores from the tight gas field in East Frisia was compared to a second study area in northern central Germany. This study demonstrates that tight gas exploration and production requires multidisciplinary, multiscale approaches beyond standard seismic interpretation work flows to better understand the temporal and spatial evolution of these complex reservoirs.

Study of structures associated with shear zones is a crucial aspect to understand the deformation mechanism associated with such zones. Shear zones have been emphasized since it will lead to many latest applied studies such as radioactive waste disposal, groundwater flow etc. For the sake of brevity, research papers cannot show all possible variation in structures found in shear zones. The proposed book aims to present some of these structures in great details with attractive colour photographs. Each photograph will have a comprehensive caption.

In this edited volume on advances in forensic geotechnical engineering, a number of technical contributions by experts and professionals in this area are included. The work is the outcome of deliberations at various conferences in the area conducted by Prof. G.L. Sivakumar Babu and Dr. V.V.S. Rao as secretary and Chairman of Technical Committee on Forensic Geotechnical Engineering of International Society for Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering (ISSMGE). This volume contains papers on topics such as guidelines, evidence/data collection, distress characterization, use of diagnostic tests (laboratory and field tests), back analysis, failure hypothesis formulation, role of instrumentation and sensor-based technologies, risk analysis, technical shortcomings. This volume will prove useful to researchers and practitioners alike.

In view of the grave consequences of soil degradation on ecosystem functions, food security, biodiversity and human health, this book covers the extent, causes, processes and impacts of global soil degradation, and processes for improvement of degraded soils. Soil conservation measures, including soil amendments, decompaction, mulching, cover cropping, crop rotation, green manuring, contour farming, strip cropping, alley cropping, surface roughening, windbreaks, terracing, sloping agricultural land technology (SALT), dune stabilization, etc., are discussed. Particular emphasis is given to soil pollution and the methods of physical, chemical and biological remediation of polluted soils. This book will lead the reader from the basics to a comprehensive understanding of soil degradation, conservation and remediation.

Carbon (C), Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) are three of the most important elements used to build living beings, and their uptake from the environment is consequently essential for all organisms. Photosynthesis is the process in which plants absorb atmospheric C as they grow and convert it to biomass. However, plants acquire N and P only when these are available in the soil solution, which makes these elements the most limiting nutrients in plant growth and productivity in most ecosystems. When plant residues and roots decompose, the C, N and P they contain is transformed primarily into soil organic matter (SOM) or C and N can release to the atmosphere. Recent interest on the global C, N and P cycles has focused attention on the different proportion of terrestrial C, N and P stored in different ecosystem pools. Cuatro Cienegas represents an exceptional place, since the plants are not the base of the food web, they are the microbial community, that recycle the elements essential for life. In this book we describe how this is an analog of early Earth.

This book mainly presents the current state of knowledge on the use of of Silicon (Si) in agriculture, including plants, soils and fertilizers. At the same time, it discusses the future interdisciplinary research that will be needed to further our knowledge and potential applications of Si in agriculture and in the environmental sciences in general. As the second most abundant element both on the surface of the Earth's crust and in soils, Si is an agronomically essential or quasi-essential element for improving the yield and quality of crops. Addressing the use of Si in agriculture in both theory and practice, the book is primarily intended for graduate students and researchers in various fields of the agricultural, biological, and environmental sciences, as well as for agronomic and fertilizer industry experts and advisors. Dr. Yongchao Liang is a full professor at the College of Environmental and Resource Sciences of the Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China. Dr. Miroslav Nikolic is a research professor at the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research of the University of Belgrade, Serbia. Dr. Richard Belanger is a full professor at the Department of Plant Pathology of the Laval University, Canada and holder of a Canada Research Chair in plant protection. Dr. Haijun Gong is a full professor at College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, China. Dr. Alin Song is an associate professor at Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China.

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.

Foraminiferal cultures now serve as tools for researching biological, environmental, and geological topics. However, the biological backgrounds, in particular the natural histories of foraminifera, largely remain unclear. It is also true that the different techniques used in different subdisciplines are a setback to fully understanding the subject. Taken together, these factors prevent progress in experimental approaches to foraminiferal studies. This book aims to share and exchange knowledge between researchers from different subdisciplines, and the book should interest not only foraminiferal researchers but also scientists who are working with marine organisms to explore questions in relation to biology, geology, and oceanography.

Thermochronology, the study of the thermal history of rocks, enables us to quantify the nature and timing of tectonic processes. First published in 2006, Quantitative Thermochronology is a robust review of isotopic ages, and presents a range of numerical modeling techniques to allow the physical implications of isotopic age data to be explored. The authors provide analytical, semi-analytical and numerical solutions to the heat transfer equation in a range of tectonic settings and under varying boundary conditions. They then illustrate their modeling approach built around a large number of case studies. The benefits of different thermochronological techniques are also described. Computer programs on an accompanying website at www.cambridge.org/9781107407152 are introduced through the text and provide a means of solving the heat transport equation in the deforming Earth to predict the ages of rocks and compare them directly to geological and geochronological data. Several short tutorials, with hints and solutions, are also included.

This book provides a timely review of concepts in plant disease management involving microbial soil suppressiveness and organic amendments. Topics discussed include the impact of suppressive soils on plant pathogens and agricultural productivity, the enhancement of soil suppressiveness through the application of compost and the development of disease suppressive soils through agronomic management. Further chapters describe diseases caused by phytopathogens, such as Pythium, Fusarium and Rhizoctonia, interaction of rhizobia with soil suppressiveness factors, biocontrol of plant parasitic nematodes by fungi and soil suppressive microorganisms.

This book examines the field of surrounding rock control mechanisms and support technologies in underground engineering, and proposes a high-strength support system to address the complex conditions in underground engineering, such as high stress, extremely soft rocks, fault fracture zone and strong mining activity. It also comprehensively discusses the concept and bearing mechanisms of the supporting system, design calculation methods, field application and key construction technologies. The book describes the design and construction of a large-scale mechanical test system, independently developed by the author for high- strength confined concrete arches, which can also be used to define the mechanism of deformation and failure of confined concrete arches. Further, the book explores the application of the confined concrete support system in underground engineering with complex conditions, and its control effect on soft surrounding rock. The first international book presenting the theory and key technologies of high-strength, confined concrete support, it is a valuable reference resource for design, construction and supervision staff in the field of geotechnical engineering, as well as for teachers, students and researchers.

This volume, based on the Russian edition publised in 1980, presents the fundamentals of mathematical geology. New developments which have taken place in the last ten years or so have been taken into account as far as possible, and this English edition contains two new chapters devoted, respectively, to random processes and a survey of future geological problems. The book has eight chapters. Chapter one deals with the basic question "what is mathematical geology?" Chapter two deals with the concept of probability. Chapter three relates this fundamental tool to geological problems with the help of specific examples. Chapters four through six cover the theory of random sequence and concentrates on the form which is the most useful to geologists. Chapter seven is dedicated to continuous Markov processes which occur frequently in geological phenomena. The volume concludes with an overview of ideas which have been generated by mathematical geology and which pave the way for the further development of the subject.

This text details the plant-assisted remediation method, "phytoremediation", which involves the interaction of plant roots and associated rhizospheric microorganisms for the remediation of soil contaminated with high levels of metals, metalloids, fuel and oil hydrocarbons, nano particles, pesticides, solvents, organic compounds and various other contaminants. Many chapters highlight and compare the efficiency and economic advantages of phytoremediation and nano-phytoremediation to currently practiced soil and water treatment practices. Volume 6 of Phytoremediation: Management of Environmental Contaminants continues the series. Taken together, the six volumes provide a broad-based global synopsis of the current applications of phytoremediation using plants and the microbial communities associated with their roots to decontaminate terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Few topics cut across the soil science discipline wider than research on soil carbon. This book contains 48 chapters that focus on novel and exciting aspects of soil carbon research from all over the world. It includes review papers by global leaders in soil carbon research, and the book ends with a list and discussion of global soil carbon research priorities.

Chapters are loosely grouped in four sections:
Soil carbon in space and time
Soil carbon properties and processes
Soil use and carbon management
Soil carbon and the environment

A wide variety of topics is included: soil carbon modelling, measurement, monitoring, microbial dynamics, soil carbon management and 12 chapters focus on national or regional soil carbon stock assessments. The book provides up-to-date information for researchers interested in soil carbon in relation to climate change and to researchers that are interested in soil carbon for the maintenance of soil quality and fertility. Papers in this book were presented at the "IUSS Global Soil C Conference "that was held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA."

Geomorphological Mapping: a professional handbook of techniques and applications is a new book targeted at academics and practitioners who use, or wish to utilise, geomorphological mapping within their work. Synthesising for the first time an historical perspective to geomorphological mapping, field based and digital tools and techniques for mapping and an extensive array of case studies from academics and professionals active in the area. Those active in geomorphology, engineering geology, reinsurance, Environmental Impact Assessors, and allied areas, will find the text of immense value.
Growth of interest in geomorphological mapping and currently no texts comprehensively cover this topicExtensive case studies that will appeal to professionals, academics and students (with extensive use of diagrams, potentially colour plates)Brings together material on digital mapping (GIS and remote sensing), cartography and data sources with a focus on modern technologies (including GIS, remote sensing and digital terrain analysis)Provides readers with summaries of current advances in methodological/technical aspectsAccompanied by electronic resources for digital mapping

This book is devoted to the biogeochemical environment of the White Sea, an inland sea in the Northwestern region of Russia. It provides a comprehensive review and discusses the latest research findings on the oceanology, sedimentology and biogeochemistry of the White Sea water column. The topics discussed include the regulation of the physico-geographical conditions in the White Sea basin; dispersed sedimentary substance of the atmosphere and the cryosphere; the geochemical peculiarities of the river discharge into the White Sea; and the phyto- and zooplankton activities in the White Sea. Taking the biggest river in the White Sea basin as an example, the authors closely examine the deposition of suspended particulate matter, the biogeochemical behaviour of dissolved and suspended forms of organic material and the significant group of chemical elements in the river-sea mixing zone of the Severnaya Dvina River. The book ends with a summary of the key conclusions and recommendations. Together with the companion volume Sedimentation Processes in the White Sea: The White Sea Environment Part II, it offers an essential source of information for postgraduate students, researchers and stakeholders alike.

"Soil as World Heritage" celebrates a half century of field experiments on the Balti Steppe, in Moldova - where Dokuchaev first described the Typical Chernozem in 1877, protected from the elements by a unique system of shelter belts designed by the great man, and now provisionally listed as the first World Heritage Site for soil. The book presents contributions to the 2012 international symposium attended by researchers, practitioners and policy makers from the European Commission and countries as diverse as Belarus, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA and, of course, Moldova itself.

The experimental data demonstrate the damage caused by human activity to the productivity and integrity of the black earth and, also, ways to restore its fertility. Results from even longer-established trials worldwide also demonstrate that agricultural practices are driving global warming, leaching of nutrients, pollution of water resources, diversion of rainfall away from replenishment of soil and groundwater to destructive runoff, and destroying soil organic matter and biodiversity. These are pressing issues for our generation and will press harder on future generations. Long-term field experiments, and the scientific skills and experience that they nurture, will be more and more valuable as a foundation and focus for interdisciplinary teams studying the effects of farming practices on the soil and soil life so as to devise a sustainable alternative.

Europe-wide and worldwide contributions also discuss economic incentives - carbon and green water credits - which themselves require robust supporting data, and legislative aspects of promoting more sustainable farming systems. The outcomes of the conference include recommendations for institutional support for sustainable farming and a draft of the law on land and soil management for the Parliament of Moldova."

This book presents essential data on the geology of the Puchezh-Katunki crater - an early Jurassic crater located on the East European Platform, with an impact structure that is ca. 80 km in diameter. Offering a comprehensive guide, it reviews the studies carried out during the last several decades on this prominent but not well-known impact structure. It offers the international community state-of-the-art information on the crater with regard to e.g. structural mapping, drilling (including the Vorotilovo well, which is 5374 m deep), geophysical research, and the petrological analysis of impactites and various breccias. In addition, the book includes new results from the mineralization and crystallizations beneath this large impact crater, and suggests new models for crater formations.

This book provides comprehensive information on the youngest member of the petroleum sciences family: Oilfield Chemistry, proposes the chemical agents for addressing current problems, and explains the functions, mechanisms and synergistic effects of various chemical agents

In the second edition Steve Kesler (University of Michigan) has been added as an author to rewrite some chapters. The motivation for this revised edition is to more intensively address economic issues that surround the exploitation of mineral resources. This emphasis gives the book a unique character. With these sections "Metals and Society" deals with issues that pervade much of current science reporting the rate of exploitation of natural resources, the question of when or if these resources will be exhausted, the pollution and social disturbance that accompanies mining, the compromises and challenges that arise from the explosion of demand from China, India and other rapidly developing countries, and the moral issues that surround mining of metals in lesser developed countries for consumption in the first-world countries.

With its dual character, the book will be useful as an introductory text for students in the earth sciences and a reference volume for students, teachers and researchers of geography, economics and the social sciences.

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