![]() |
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
||
|
Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > Meteorology
This book highlights the increasing attention for climate engineering, a set of speculative technologies aimed to counter global warming. What is the future of the global climate? And who gets to decide-or even design-this future? Imagining Climate Engineering explores how and why climate engineering became a potential approach to anthropogenic climate change. Specifically, it showcases how views on the future of climate change and climate engineering evolved by addressing the ways in which climate engineers view its respective physical, political, and moral domains. Tracing the intellectual and political history of dreams to control the weather and climate as well as the discovery of climate change, Jeroen Oomen examines the imaginative parameters within which contemporary climate engineering research takes place. Introducing the analytical metaphor 'ways of seeing' to describe explicit or implicit visions, understandings, and foci that facilitate a particular understanding of what is at stake, Imagining Climate Engineering shows how visions on the knowability of climate tie into moral and political convictions about the possibility and desirability of engineering the climate. Marrying science and technology studies and the environmental humanities, Oomen provides crucial insights for the future of the climate change debate for scholars and students.
Authored by world-class scientists and scholars, The Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, is an excellent reference for understanding the consequences of changing natural resources to the degradation of ecological integrity and the sustainability of life. Based on the content of the bestselling and CHOICE-awarded Encyclopedia of Natural Resources, this new edition demonstrates the major challenges that the society is facing for the sustainability of all well-being on the planet Earth. The experience, evidence, methods, and models used in studying natural resources are presented in six stand-alone volumes, arranged along the main systems of land, water, and air. It reviews state-of-the-art knowledge, highlights advances made in different areas, and provides guidance for the appropriate use of remote sensing and geospatial data with field-based measurements in the study of natural resources. Volume 6, Atmosphere and Climate, covers atmospheric pollution and the complexity of atmospheric systems and their interactions with human activity. As an excellent reference for fundamental information on air systems, the handbook includes coverage of acid rain and nitrogen deposition, air pollutants, elevated carbon dioxide, atmospheric circulation patterns, and climate change effects on polar regions and climatology. New in this edition are discussions on aerosols monitoring and mapping, greenhouse gases, the Greenland ice sheet, and mountainous regions. This book presents the key processes, methods, and models used in studying the impact of air pollution on ecosystems worldwide. Written in an easy-to-reference manner, The Handbook of Natural Resources, Second Edition, as individual volumes or as a complete set, is an essential reading for anyone looking for a deeper understanding of the science and management of natural resources. Public and private libraries, educational and research institutions, scientists, scholars, and resource managers will benefit enormously from this set. Individual volumes and chapters can also be used in a wide variety of both graduate and undergraduate courses in environmental science and natural science at different levels and disciplines, such as biology, geography, earth system science, and ecology.
This book summarizes the application of soft computing techniques, machine learning approaches, deep learning algorithms and optimization techniques in geoengineering including tunnelling, excavation, pipelines, etc. and geoscience including the geohazards, rock and soil properties, etc. The book features state-of-the-art studies on use of SC,ML,DL and optimizations in Geoengineering and Geoscience. Considering these points and understanding, this book will be compiled with highly focussed chapters that will discuss the application of SC,ML,DL and optimizations in Geoengineering and Geoscience. Target audience: (1) Students of UG, PG, and Research Scholars: Several applications of SC,ML,DL and optimizations in Geoengineering and Geoscience can help students to enhance their knowledge in this domain. (2) Industry Personnel and Practitioner: Practitioners from different fields can be able to implement standard and advanced SC,ML,DL and optimizations for solving critical problems of civil engineering.
Evidence-Based Climate Science: Data Opposing CO2 Emissions as the Primary Source of Global Warming, Second Edition, includes updated data related to the causes of global climate change from experts in meteorology, geology, atmospheric physics, solar physics, geophysics, climatology, and computer modeling. This book objectively gathers and analyzes scientific data concerning patterns of past climate changes, influences of changes in ocean temperatures, the effect of solar variation on global climate, and the effect of CO2 on global climate. This analysis is then presented as counter-evidence to the theory that CO2 is the primary cause behind global warming. Increasingly, scientists are pointing to data which suggests that climate changes are a result of natural cycles, which have been occurring for thousands of years. Unfortunately, global warming has moved into the political realm without enough peer-reviewed research to fully validate and exclude other, more natural, causes of climate change. For example, there is an absence of any physical evidence that CO2 causes global warming, so the only argument for CO2 as the cause of warming rests entirely in computer modeling. Thus, the question becomes, how accurate are the computer models in predicting climate? What other variables could be missing from the models? In order to understand modern climate changes, we need to look at the past history of climate changes. Vast amounts of physical evidence of climate change over the past centuries and millennia have been gathered by scientists. Significant climate changes have clearly been going on for many thousands of years, long before the recent rise in atmospheric CO2 Evidence-Based Climate Science, Data Opposing CO2 Emissions as the Primary Source of Global Warming, Second Edition, documents past climate changes and presents physical evidence for possible causes.
This book focuses on green mine evaluation. It includes green mine evaluation methods, evaluation content, evaluation indicators, etc. The "Green Mine Evaluation Index" has been issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources of China. In order to promote mining enterprises, green mine consulting service agencies, third-party evaluation agencies and mining administration personnel to better understand and practice the provisions of green mine evaluation indicators, the authors wrote this "Interpretation of Green Mine Evaluation Index". The content of this book specifically includes introduction, prerequisites for green mine selection, score sheet of green mine construction, related knowledge, as well as introduction of specific green mine evaluation items, including mining area environment, resource development methods, comprehensive utilization of ore resources, energy saving and emission reduction, technological innovation and smart mines, corporate management and corporate image, etc. The relevant concepts, relevant laws and policies, implementation measures, inspection points, and materials that enterprises should provide, have been vividly expounded based on the actual situation and specific cases of green mine construction. This book is useful as a reference for managers, engineering and technical personnels, teachers and students from mining enterprises, government departments, consulting services and evaluation agencies, colleges and secondary professional schools.
This book stems from a major international essay competition on regional responses to global climate change. First prize in the competition was awarded to Daniel Botkin, author of Discordant Harmonies (Oxford, 1989). The essays selected for this book cover developed and underdeveloped countries alike, and provide valuable background information for policy makers, businesses, and the industries most likely to be affected by global warming. The book is divided into three parts. Contributions in the first part focus on the concept of a regional approach to climate change and the methods best suited to studying its impacts. The second section illustrates the variety of impacts that regions will experience as a result of climate change; the third describes policies designed to deal with climate change. Written by some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field, these writings will interest all policymakers and research analysts involved in the ongoing debate on global warming.
A charming celebration of all things snow. Is it true that no two snowflakes are ever alike? How many Christmases have actually been white? Do the Inuit have dozens of words for snow? Can it ever be too cold to snow? Our memories and imagination are buried in snow. It's the weather of play, joyful abandon and mischievous games - of snowball fights, skiing holidays and rattling down a hillside at full speed. It's the weather of childhood - the world transformed into a temporary playground. Even as adults, the urge to throw a snowball is too hard to resist, those impish, childish instincts overtaking our adult workaday selves. Packed with fascinating insights, outdoor fun, cultural lore and traditional wisdom, The Little Book of Snow delves into the history, science, literary and cultural heritage that surrounds snow, frost and ice - the perfect book for anyone who loves that feeling when you open the curtains in the morning and find the world has turned to white... 'Super-cute... Packed full of snowy snippets' Sunday Express
This book provides readers with a broad understanding of the fundamental principles driving atmospheric flow over complex terrain and provides historical context for recent developments and future direction for researchers and forecasters. The topics in this book are expanded from those presented at the Mountain Weather Workshop, which took place in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, August 5-8, 2008. The inspiration for the workshop came from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Mountain Meteorology Committee and was designed to bridge the gap between the research and forecasting communities by providing a forum for extended discussion and joint education. For academic researchers, this book provides some insight into issues important to the forecasting community. For the forecasting community, this book provides training on fundamentals of atmospheric processes over mountainous regions, which are notoriously difficult to predict. The book also helps to provide a better understanding of current research and forecast challenges, including the latest contributions and advancements to the field. The book begins with an overview of mountain weather and forecasting chal- lenges specific to complex terrain, followed by chapters that focus on diurnal mountain/valley flows that develop under calm conditions and dynamically-driven winds under strong forcing. The focus then shifts to other phenomena specific to mountain regions: Alpine foehn, boundary layer and air quality issues, orographic precipitation processes, and microphysics parameterizations. Having covered the major physical processes, the book shifts to observation and modelling techniques used in mountain regions, including model configuration and parameterizations such as turbulence, and model applications in operational forecasting. The book concludes with a discussion of the current state of research and forecasting in complex terrain, including a vision of how to bridge the gap in the future.
Transport barriers are observed inhibitors of the spread of substances in flows. The collection of such barriers offers a powerful geometric template that frames the main pathways, or lack thereof, in any transport process. This book surveys effective and mathematically grounded methods for defining, locating and leveraging transport barriers in numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, technological processes and nature. It provides a unified treatment of material developed over the past two decades, focusing on the methods that have a solid foundation and broad applicability to data sets beyond simple model flows. The intended audience ranges from advanced undergraduates to researchers in the areas of turbulence, geophysical flows, aerodynamics, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, flow visualization, computational mathematics and dynamical systems. Detailed open-source implementations of the numerical methods are provided in an accompanying collection of Jupyter notebooks linked from the electronic version of the book.
This book discusses various issues relating to water resources, climate change and sustainable development. Water is the main driving force behind three major pillars of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. As stated in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, development of these pillars rests on the availability and management of resources to fulfill the demand for water. By identifying the various challenges in the context of water resources and climate change, the book offers insights into achieving a better and more sustainable future. It provides a unique forum for practitioners and academics to exchange ideas on emerging issues, approaches, and practices in the area of water resources, climate change, and sustainability, while also presenting valuable information for policymakers on the changing contours of water management and climate change mitigation. As such it is a useful resource for decision-makers at the local as well as the global level.
Geospatial Technologies and Climate Change describes various approaches from different countries on how to use geospatial technologies to help solving climate change issues. It also details how different geospatial technologies (remote sensing, Geographical Information System...) can be used to help with climate monitoring and modeling, how to work with them and what to be careful about. This book is written by scientific experts from four different continents. Written in a comprehensive and complete way, this book is essential reading material for graduate and undergraduate students interested in these techniques and in climate change.
Revised and updated for the 2nd edition, this textbook provides an analysis and investigation of the most essential areas of environmental economic theory and policy, including international environmental problems. The approach is based on standard theoretical tools, in particular equilibrium analysis, and aims to demonstrate how economic principles can help to understand environmental issues and guide policymakers. Current topics including climate change, overfishing and integrated approaches to environmental policies are carefully analyzed in this framework, and a multitude of practical examples from various parts of the world is presented. Addressing undergraduate and graduate students, this book is a must read for everybody interested in a better understanding of environmental economics.
This book introduces the methods of synoptic climatology -- the relationship between the atmospheric circulation and the surface environment -- and shows the vital importance of this approach in the understanding of environmental systems. This innovative and up-to-date text is both a primer for environmental scientists and a text in applied climatology for students of atmosphere science and geography. This book is constructed around the principal analytical methods of synoptic climatology: manual classification, correlation-based map-pattern classification, eigenvector-based classifications, composites and circulation indices. Four environmental scenarios illustrate the application of the synoptic climatological methods: these are urban air quality, acid rain, crop yield and fluvial hydrology. Contents Foreword Editor's preface Preface and Acknowledgments
This textbook explores the theory of Cosserat continuum mechanics, and covers fundamental tools, general laws and major models, as well as applications to the mechanics of granular media. While classical continuum mechanics is based on the axiom that the stress tensor is symmetric, theories such as that expressed in the seminal work of the brothers Eugene and Francois Cosserat are characterized by a non-symmetric stress tensor. The use of von Mises motor mechanics is introduced, for the compact mathematical description of the mechanics and statics of Cosserat continua, as the Cosserat continuum is a manifold of oriented "rigid particles" with 3 dofs of displacement and 3 dofs of rotation, rather than a manifold of points with 3 dofs of displacement. Here, the analysis is restricted to infinitesimal particle displacements and rotations. This book is intended as a valuable supplement to standard Continuum Mechanics courses, and graduate students as well as researchers in mechanics and applied mathematics will benefit from its self-contained text, which is enriched by numerous examples and exercises.
This second edition contains new sections such as space weather data sources and examples, new satellite missions, and latest results. The importance of the Sun for the Earth, life on Earth, climate and weather processes was recognized long ago by the ancients. Now, for the first time, there is a continuous surveillance of solar activity at nearly all wavelengths. These data can be used to improve our understanding of the complex Sun-Earth interaction. Since the field is quite interdisciplinary, the book will be of interest to scientists working in different fields such as solar physics, geophysics, and space physics.
Wallace and Hobbs' original edition of "Atmospheric Science" helped
define the field nearly 30 years ago, and has served as the
cornerstone for most university curriculums. Now students and
professionals alike can use this updated classic to understand
atmospheric phenomena in the context of the latest discoveries and
technologies, and prepare themselves for more advanced study and
real-life problem solving.
This book examines the effects of incoherent noise and how it leads to the misinterpretation of seismic data. It also reviews common noise reduction approaches and their drawbacks, focusing on developments that have occurred in the past decade. The main features of this book include: * Hands-on implementation in MATLAB and/or C * In-depth discussions of both theoretical and practical aspects of the subject * Supplementary, real-world seismic data * Detailed descriptions of structure-enhancing filters. Connecting the theory and practical implementation of noise reduction, the book helps readers fill the gap from equations to code, and from classical filters to the preservation and enhancement of a robust structure. Lastly, it highlights cutting-edge research in the area. As such, it is of interest to researchers in the fields of petroleum engineering, exploration seismology, and geophysics, as well as to practitioners working in the petroleum industry.
Stochastic Analysis of Offshore Steel Structures provides a clear and detailed guide to advanced analysis methods of fixed offshore steel structures using 3D beam finite elements under random wave and earthquake loadings. Advanced and up-to-date research results are coupled with modern analysis methods and essential theoretical information to consider optimal solutions to structural issues. As these methods require and use knowledge of different subject matters, a general introduction to the key areas is provided. This is followed by in-depth explanations supported by design examples, relevant calculations and supplementary material containing related computer programmers. By combining this theoretical and practical approach Stochastic Analysis of Offshore Steel Structures cover a range of key concepts in detail including: The basic principles of standard 3D beam finite elements and special connections, Wave loading - from hydrodynamics to the calculation of wave loading on structural members, Stochastic response calculations with corresponding solution algorithms including earthquakes, and Fatigue damage, reliability calculation and reliability based design optimization. The broad and detailed coverage makes this a solid reference for research oriented studies and practical sophisticated design methods. Students, researchers, insuring bodies and practical designer offices can turn to Stochastic Analysis of Offshore Steel Structures to broaden their theoretical understanding and develop their practical designs and applications of 3D finite analysis in fixed offshore steel structures.
This single-volume thoroughly summarizes advances in the past several decades and emerging challenges in fundamental research in geotechnical engineering. These fundamental research frontiers are critically reviewed and described in details in lights of four grand challenges our society faces: climate adaptation, urban sustainability, energy and material resources, and global water resources. The specific areas critically reviewed, carefully examined, and envisioned are: sensing and measurement, soil properties and their physics roots, multiscale and multiphysics processes in soil, geochemical processes for resilient and sustainable geosystems, biological processes in geotechnics, unsaturated soil mechanics, coupled flow processes in soil, thermal processes in geotechnical engineering, and rock mechanics in the 21st century.
This book develops a fundamental understanding of geophysical fluid dynamics based on a mathematical description of the flows of inhomogeneous fluids. It covers these topics: 1. development of the equations of motion for an inhomogeneous fluid 2. review of thermodynamics 3. thermodynamic and kinetic energy equations 4. equations of state for the atmosphere and the ocean, salt, and moisture effects 5. concepts of potential temperature and potential density 6. Boussinesq and quasi-geostrophic approximations 7. conservation equations for vorticity, mechanical and thermal energy instability theories, internal waves, mixing, convection, double-diffusion, stratified turbulence, fronts, intrusions, gravity currents Graduate students will be able to learn and apply the basic theory of geophysical fluid dynamics of inhomogeneous fluids on a rotating earth, including: 1. derivation of the governing equations for a stratified fluid starting from basic principles of physics 2. review of thermodynamics, equations of state, isothermal, adiabatic, isentropic changes 3. scaling of the equations, Boussinesq approximation, applied to the ocean and the atmosphere 4. examples of stratified flows at geophysical scales, steady and unsteady motions, inertia-gravity internal waves, quasi-geostrophic theory 5. vorticity and energy conservation in stratified fluids 6.boundary layer convection in stratified containers and basins
As the population is growing and urbanization is progressing, higher numbers of people are exposed to disaster risks, especially in the developing countries. Climate change is further worsening the impacts of existing risks and introducing new ones. It is imperative that countries need to invest more in disaster risk reduction (DRR) as well as climate change adaptation (CCA) not only to minimize their impacts but also to build resilience. To date, various international arenas have recommended increasing investment in DRR. The Sendai Framework for DRR, adopted by the UN member states in 2015 during the Third UN World Conference on DRR, emphasizes investment as a priority for decreasing disaster risks and losses. The Yangon Declaration set the goal of doubling investment to address water-related disasters. However, most countries are not able to proactively invest enough in DRR. Understanding the current scale and estimate of investment and its effects is crucial for promoting DRR investment, but such information and estimates are rarely available. This book examines the current investment trends and issues in DRR and CCA. Based on specific case studies, field data and evidence, the book identifies challenges in increasing investment and recommends various investment policies and innovative approaches to sustainable progress towards a resilient future. Chapter 12 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.
As we all know, weather radar came into existence during the Second World War when aircraft detection radars had their vision limited by echoes from rain bearing clouds. What was often considered to be of nuisance value by the air force personnel trying to locate enemy aircraft was seen as an opportunity by the weather men. Thus adversity in one field was converted into an opportunity in another. Since then weather radar has found myriad applications with the increased sophistication of technology and processing systems. It has now become an indispensable tool for the operational forecasters, cloud physicists and atmospheric scientists. The current generation radar is but a distant echo of the radars of the 1940s. As a result, its operation and maintenance have become very complex, like the technology it uses. Therefore, there is a definite requirement of focussing our special attention not only on the science of radar meteorology but also on its operational aspects. The present book, as pointed out by the author, attempts to fill this gap. The author has presented the subject with a balanced blend of science, technology and practice. The canvas is indeed very broad. Starting with the history of weather radar development the book goes on to discuss in a lucid style the physics of the atmosphere related to radar observation, radar technology, echo interpretation, different applications and finally attempts to look into the future to indicate potential new opportunities in this field.
Concrete is still the most widely used construction material since it has the lowest ratio between cost and strength as compared to other available materials. However, it has two undesirable properties, namely: low tensile strength and large brittleness that cause the collapse to occur shortly after the formation of the first crack. To improve these two negative properties and to achieve a partial substitute of conventional reinforcement, an addition of short discontinuous randomly oriented steel fibres can be practiced among others. In spite of positive properties, fibrous concrete did not find such acknowledgment and application as usual concrete. There do not still exist consistent dimensioning rules due to the lack sufficient large-scale static and dynamic experiments taking into account the effect of the fibre orientation. The intention of the book is twofold: first to summarize the most important mechanical and physical properties of steel-fibre-added concrete and reinforced concrete on the basis of numerous experiments described in the scientific literature, and second to describe a quasi-static fracture process at meso-scale both in plain concrete and fibrous concrete using a novel discrete lattice model. In 2D and 3D simulations of fibrous concrete specimens under uniaxial tension, the effect of the fibre volume, fibre distribution, fibre orientation, fibre length, fibrous bond strength and specimen size on both the stress-strain curve and fracture process was carefully analyzed.
Developing countries recognize the importance of their future role in responding to the uncertainty posed by global climate change through appropriate technical, institutional, and policy measures. The ongoing global negotiations are now in a critical phase. A comprehensive assessment and understanding of issues relevant to developing countries, such as greenhouse gas emissions inventories, contribution of developing countries to greenhouse gas emissions, projected climate change, impacts of climate change on the ecosystems and developing economies, mitigation opportunities, and potential socio-economic implications for developing countries, is necessary in order to address the emerging climate change. This book presents the alternative perspectives of developing countries on opportunities to benefit from the current and emerging global negotiations, institutions, and mechanisms to address climate change. Analyses show that the developing countries, with appropriate policy and institutional responses, could benefit from the global programs for mitigating the climate change. A comprehensive and simplified guide to assist negotiators and policy makers from developing countries, as well as researchers, is provided. The unique feature of this book is that it provides a comprehensive coverage of different issues such as greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation analysis, impacts and adaptation, policy options, emerging global institutions and mechanisms, and alternative perspectives of developing countries. The book provides basic information, analysis, and interpretation of various aspects relevant to climate change and will be a valuable asset to researchers, negotiators, policymakers, and environmental groups engaged in the analysis and discussion of climate change. |
You may like...
Artificial Intelligence of Things for…
Rajeev Kumar Gupta, Arti Jain, …
Hardcover
R6,683
Discovery Miles 66 830
Global Change Scenarios of the 21st…
J. Alcamo, R. Leemans, …
Hardcover
R4,336
Discovery Miles 43 360
Climate Impacts on Extreme Weather…
Victor Ongoma, Hossein Tabari
Paperback
R2,801
Discovery Miles 28 010
The Arctic - A Barometer of Global…
Neloy Khare, Rajni Khare
Paperback
R2,821
Discovery Miles 28 210
|