Professionals and students in any geology-related field will find this an essential reference. It clearly and systematically explains underground engineering geology principles, methods, theories and case studies. The authors lay out engineering problems in underground rock engineering and how to study and solve them. The book specially emphasizes mechanical and hydraulic couplings in rock engineering for wellbore stability, mining near aquifers and other underground structures where inflow is a problem.

Stable Isotope Geochemistry is an introduction to the use of stable isotopes in the geosciences. It is subdivided into three parts: theoretical and experimental principles; fractionation processes of light and heavy elements; the natural variations of geologically important reservoirs. Since the application of stable isotopes to earth sciences has grown in the last few years, a new edition appears necessary. Recent progress in analysing the rare isotopes of certain elements for instance allow the distinction between mass-dependent and mass-independent fractionations. Special emphasis has been given to the growing field of "heavy" elements. Many new references have been added, which will enable quick access to recent literature. For students and scientists alike the book will be a primary source of information with regard to how and where stable isotopes can be used to solve geological problems.

The application of microbiological methods to the extraction of metals from minerals has definitely gained a prominent role and is supported by the several bioleaching and biooxidation processes operating in different sites over the world. In recent years new techniques and new results about proteomic and bioinformatics are bringing a new perspective on the microbial processes.

This book focuses on the basic aspects of the process with special emphasis on recent contributions regarding the chemical and microbial aspects of the bioleaching process and the use of microorganisms in the treatment of complex ores and concentrates.

It has been written by recognized researchers in order to introduce the main subjects of microbial processing to undergraduate and postgraduate students, scientists working in this field as well as interested industrialists.

Cathodoluminescence microscopy/spectroscopy is a powerful technique providing detailed information on the shock metamorphism of target rocks, biosignatures of meteorites and mineralogy of the pre-solar grains. Moreover, it can be used as an in-situ method to classify the solid-atmospheric-liquid interactions on the surface of Mars.

"Archaeomineralogy" provides a wealth of information for mineralogists, geologists and archaeologists involved in archaeometric studies. The first edition was very well-received and praised for its systematic description of the rocks and minerals used throughout the world by our ancestors and for its excellent list of over 900 references, providing easy access to the fields of archaeomineralogy and geoarchaeology.

This second edition of "Archaeomineralogy" takes an updated and expanded look at the human use of rocks and minerals from the Paleolithic through to the 18th century CE. It retains the structure and main themes of the original but has been revised and expanded with more than 200 new references within the text, a bibliography of additional references not included in the text, a dozen new figures (drawings and photos), coverage of many additional important mineral, rock, and gem materials, a broader geographic scope, particularly but not limited to Eastern Europe, and a more thorough review of early contributions to archaeomineralogy, especially those of Agricola.

From reviews of the first edition:

..". crammed full of useful information, is well-balanced using both new and Old World examples of the archaeomaterials described. It also provides a broad, but of necessity, all too brief overview of the geological raw materials used in antiquity." -- Geoscientist

..".provides much interesting discussion of how particular names came to be employed by archaeologists working in different regions of the world.... much to offer for any geologist or archaeologist interested in minerals and rocks and how they have been used in the past." -- Mineralium Deposita

..". a gem of a book, it's strength is that it is encyclopedic in content, if not in layout, draws on a wealth of field experience and almost every sentence contains a nugget of information" -- The Holocene

The origin of different kinds of igneous rocks can be understood in terms of their tectonic setting, and by way of the isotope compositions of strontium, neodymium, and lead. This book explains the petrogenesis of igneous rocks as a consequence of tectonic processes resulting from interactions between asthenopheric plumes and the overlying lithospheric mantle. The relevant principles of isotope geochemistry are explained in the first chapter, making it accessible for university students as well as professionals. The relevant isotopic data is presented in diagrammatic form. The book contains more than 400 original drawings.

Rock Joints deals exclusively with the mechanical genesis of joints in rocks. It is aimed at a coherent, critical and comprehensible presentation of the underlying mechanical processes of various types of joints and joint systems. Special care is taken to elucidate and quantify the role of high fluid pressures in the formation of joints. The background is an offshoot of the author's courses on "Genesis of Rock Joints" in the Department of Rock Mechanics and Tunneling at the Technical University of Graz, Austria.

From the reviews: " ...] an excellent reference book. I have no doubt it will become a much-thumbed resource for students and researchers in mineralogy and crystallography." Geological Magazine

This monograph deals with the part of the field of experimental rock deformation that is dominated by the phenomena of brittle fracture on one scale or another. Thus a distinction has been drawn between the fields of brittle and ductile behaviour in rock, corresponding more or less to a distinction between the phenomena of fracture and flow. The last chapter deals with the transition between the two fields. In this new edition an attempt has been made to take into account new developments of the last two and a half decades. To assist in this project, the original author greatly appre- ates being joined by the second author. The scope of the monograph is limited to the mechanical properties of rock viewed as a material on the laboratory scale. Thus, the topic and approach is of a "materials science" kind rather than of a "structures" kind. We are dealing with only one part of the wider field of rock mechanics, a field which also includes structural or boundary value problems, for example, those of the stability of slopes, the collapse of mine openings, earthquakes, the folding of stratified rock, and the convective motion of the Earth's mantle. One topic thus excluded is the role of jointing, which it is commonly necessary to take into account in applications in engineering and mining, and pr- ably often in geology too. Shock phenomena have also not been covered.

'Tensile Fracturing in Rocks' presents field observations on fracturing of sedim- tary rocks and granite outcrops from various provinces in three continents. It also combines results of recent experiments conducted at different laboratories around the world with current theories on fracturing. In treating faults, this book limits itself to faults that are associated with joint sets produced by definable causes and occasi- ally to cases where interaction between the two types of fracture - faults and joints - is not clear. The book's subject matter is divided over six chapters, which are briefly described below. Chapter 1 summarizes current key concepts in fracture physics. It starts with a pr- entation of the elastic theory of fracture, and concentrates on the results of linear el- tic fracture mechanics. The chapter touches also upon other fracture properties, e.g., crack nucleation, dynamic fracturing and slow fracturing processes. Nucleation is - dressed by statistical mechanics methods incorporating modern approaches of th- mal and fiber bundle processes. The analyses of dynamic fracturing and slow fract- ing focus on the differences, as compared to the linear elastic approach. The cont- versy in interpreting experimental dynamic results is highlighted, as are the surface morphology patterns that emerge in fracturing and the non-Griffith crack extension criterion in very slow fracturing processes.

Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials presents an overview of the general concepts in luminescence spectroscopy as well as experimental methods and their interpretation. Special emphasis is laid on the fluorescence lifetime and the determination of time-resolved spectra. This method enables the exposure of new luminescence in minerals previously hidden by more intensive centers. Specialists in the fields of solid state physics, chemistry and spectroscopy will find a wealth of new information in this unique book.

Astromineralogy deals with the science of gathering mineralogical information from the astronomical spectroscopy of asteroids, comets and dust in the circumstellar environments in general. This field has received a tremendous boost with the reliable identification of minerals by the Infrared Space Observatory. The first edition of this book, published in 2003, was the first comprehensive and coherent account of this exciting field. Data obtained in the meantime with the Spitzer Infrared Space Telescope, the stardust mission to the comet 81P / Wild 2, and with the Cassini mission, together with progress in ground-based observations and laboratory astrophysics form the basis for this updated and widely extended second edition.Beyond addressing the specialist in the field, the book is intended as a high-level but readable introduction to astromineralogy for both the nonspecialist researcher and the advanced student.

This book comprises papers resulting from the 1st International workshop Minerals as Advanced Materials I . It is intended as an exchange of ideas between mineralogists and material scientists. The aim is to identify minerals and mineral objects that have or potentially have unique physical, chemical and structural properties that are of interest from the viewpoint of applied mineralogy and material science. The author studied Crystallography at the St.Petersburg State University.

Mechanochemistry as a branch of solid state chemistry enquires into processes which proceed in solids due to the application of mechanical energy. This provides a thorough, up to date overview of mechanochemistry of solids and minerals. Applications of mechanochemistry in nanoscience with special impact on nanogeoscience are described. Selected advanced identification methods, most frequently applied in nanoscience, are described as well as the advantage of mechanochemical approach in minerals engineering. Examples of industrial applications are given. Mechanochemical technology is being applied in many industrial fields: powder metallurgy (synthesis of nanometals, alloys and nanocompounds), building industry (activation of cements), chemical industry (solid waste treatment, catalyst synthesis, coal ashes utilization), minerals engineering (ore enrichment, enhancement of processes of extractive metallurgy), agriculture industry (solubility increase of fertilizers), and pharmaceutical industry (improvement of solubility and bioavailability of drugs).

This reference serves as an introduction to newcomers to mechanochemistry, and encourages more experienced researchers to broaden their knowledge and discover novel applications in the field.

Using the kind permission given to me by my co-author, this short preface will be written in my name. I want to devote this book to San Juan city in Argentina. It is not only due to the fact that the city was twice completely destroyed after the devastating ear- quakes in 1941 and 1977, but also because my stay there completely changed my life. Changes included changing my career from the field of space plasma physics to Earth sciences and geophysics, and changes in my personal life giving me h- piness and compliance in my present family. Going back to the subject of the book, it should be noted that the history of the question asked by the book is very complicated and intricate. Starting in the 1930s from the observation of seismogenic electric fields, the area of seismo-ionospheric coupling became an area of fighting and conflicts, hopes and frustrations. Spe- lation and misunderstanding on the interdisciplinary borders made this field for many years (even up to now) taboo for so-called "serious scientists." But due to the courageous efforts of several groups in Russia and the former USSR states such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, Japan, later France and Taiwan, Greece and Italy the situation started to improve.

This textbook gives a concise introduction to modern crystal structure determination, emphasising both its theoretical background and the way it is actually carried out. The theoretical sections are supported by many illustrations, and lay emphasis on a good understanding rather than rigorous mathematics. The most important data collection techniques, and the methods of data reduction, structure solution and refinement are discussed from a practical point of view. Many tips and insights help readers to recognise and avoid possible errors and traps, and to judge the quality of results. The second edition has been considerably updated, especially the chapter on experimental methods, which is now mainly concerned with modern data collection using area-detectors.

This fully updated textbook is intended for the economic geologist who deals with the evaluation of deposits at an early stage of development. It offers rules for quick and easy calculations based on the application of approximate data. It provides both the student and the geologist in the field with a complete set of rules and methods enabling them to perform a quick initial evaluation of the deposit without the support of specialists or computers - even if he is left to his own resources. All rules for calculations are illustrated with examples, and mistakes and pitfalls the authors encountered during their careers are pointed out.

This book reviews current ideas explaining the formation of granite in terms of melting, segregation, ascent and emplacement. It introduces an alternative hypothesis that granites are endogenic in that they essentially form and remain at melting sites in the middle upper crust under conditions of abnormally high heat flow. The book highlights results of Chinese research over the last 30 years in English for the first time.

Review of the second edition "For geologists and geophysicists studying sedimentary fill of basins, this volume is a valuable addition to their shelves. The book is packed with informationincludes numerous lists of references, and is up-to-date. As a source volume, this book is second to none. It is clear and well organized." GEOPHYSICS

Crystal structure analysis from powder diffraction data has attracted considerable and ever growing interest in the last decades. X-ray powder diffraction is best known for phase analysis (Hanawalt files) dating back to the 30s. In the late 60s the inherent potential of powder diffraction for crystallographic problems was realized and scientists developed methods for using powder diffraction data at first only for the refinement of crystal structures. With the development of ever growing computer power profile fitting and pattern decomposition allowed to extract individual intensities from overlapping diffraction peaks opening the way to many other applications, especially to ab initio structure determination.

Powder diffraction today is used in X-ray and neutron diffraction, where it is a powerful method in neutron diffraction for the determination of magnetic structures. In the last decade the interest has dramatically improved. There is hardly any field of crystallography where the Rietveld, or full pattern method has not been tried with quantitative phase analysis the most important recent application.

Fluvial deposits represent the preserved record of one of the major nonmarine environ ments. They accumulate in large and small intermontane valleys, in the broad valleys of trunk rivers, in the wedges of alluvial fans flanking areas of uplift, in the outwash plains fronting melting glaciers, and in coastal plains. The nature of alluvial assemblages - their lithofacies composition, vertical stratigraphic record, and architecture - reflect an inter play of many processes, from the wandering of individual channels across a floodplain, to the long-term effects of uplift and subsidence. Fluvial deposits are a sensitive indicator of tectonic processes, and also carry subtle signatures of the climate at the time of deposition. They are the hosts for many petroleum and mineral deposits. This book is about all these subjects. The first part of the book, following a historical introduction, constructs the strati graphic framework of fluvial deposits, step by step, starting with lithofacies, combining these into architectural elements and other facies associations, and then showing how these, in turn, combine to represent distinctive fluvial styles. Next, the discussion turns to problems of correlation and the building of large-scale stratigraphic frameworks. These basin-scale constructions form the basis for a discussion of causes and processes, including autogenic processes of channel shifting and cyclicity, and the larger questions of allogenic (tectonic, eustatic, and climatic) sedimentary controls and the development of our ideas about nonmarine sequence stratigraphy."

This monograph examines the mineralogy of illite, the most common clay mineral, as a unifying theme for understanding problems of the surface environment and environmental change. The volume begins with a careful analysis of the structure and transformation of illite. Using illite as the frame, the authors describe problems in soil chemistry, clay stability and clay kinetics in sedimentary rocks.

2Gpa has increased to more than 15. This indicates that subduction of continental fragments to depths of 100-150 km may have played a significant role in the formation of mountain belts. This volume brings together the geochemical, geophysical and geodynamical approaches to study the processes active during ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) tectonics. The collection of papers demarkates the frontier of our understanding of the creation, preservation, and exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure rocks. Audience: This volume will be of interest to any earth scientist interested in ultrahigh pressure processes and the formation and modification of continental crust.

An important prerequisite to the long-term use of nuclear energy is information on uranium ore deposits from which uranium can be economically exploited. Hence the basic purpose of this book is to present an overview of uranium geology, data characteristic for uranium deposits, and a synthesis of these data in the form of a typological classification of uranium deposits supported by more detailed descriptions of selected uranium districts and deposits. An additional goal is to provide access for the interested reader to the voluminous literature on uranium geology. Therefore a register of bibliography as global as possible, extending beyond the immediate need for this book, is provided. The volume presented here was not originally designed as a product for its own sake. It evolved as a by-product during decades of active uranium exploration and was compiled thanks to a request by the Springer Publishing Company. Routine research work on identifying characteristic features and recognition criteria of uranium deposits, combined with associated modeling of types of deposits for reapplication in exploration, provided the data bank. The publisher originally asked for a book on uranium deposits structured as a combined text- and reference book. The efforts to condense all the text into a single publication were soon doomed. The material grew out of all feasible proportions for a book of acceptable size and price, a wealth of data on uranium geology and related geosciences having become available during the past decade, too vast for one volume.

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.