This book highlights the indispensability of minerals, the vulnerability of humans and issues faced by governments around the world regarding the management of natural resources. It addresses the growing land-ecology-mining conflicts, energy security and water policies of different countries bringing these issues into focus and critically analyzing them. The book discusses the role of governments regarding the security-centric issues pertaining to sustainability of mineral supply and the welfare-centric aspects of sustainable development of mineral resources. The latter includes the current trends for corporate social responsibility, political viability of mining projects, industrial ethics, human health and human resource development. The Annexure I is unique: It is a list of 925 familiar consumer products and processes with the names of the minerals, metals and rocks as well as the intermediate chemicals and alloys that go into the making of that product or process alongside each. Annexure II is an up-to-date, exhaustive list of about 835 minerals, metals, rocks and intermediate chemicals and alloys and against each of them is a list of the names of the end products and processes for which they are used. These two annexures will serve as a day-to-day reference source for teachers, students and professionals concerned with minerals as well as other interested readers. The book will be useful to any university/institution with undergraduate and post-graduate teaching/research facilities and libraries in the field of geology, mining, mineral economics, planning and natural-resource management. About the Author Kaulir Kisor Chatterjee studied Applied Geology at the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad for his post-graduate and PhD degrees. He served in the Indian Bureau of Mines for over three decades and retired in early 2004, as Chief Mineral Economist. Post-retirement, he has occupied himself mostly with writing, teaching and lecturing in various institutions of repute in India on the subject of mineral economics. Besides 50 technical papers, he has authored eight books. He has worked in various Government committees and expert groups and was involved in organization of national mineral inventory; UN Framework Classification system of mineral resources; rationalisation of the mineral taxation, royalty and mineral legislation framework in India. He has been examiner and member of selection boards of UPSC, India and is also a recognised guide of the Nagpur University for doctoral research. His resume has been included in the Marquis Who Is Who of the World and in the 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century, Cambridge.

The Rhine is one of Europe 's most researched rivers and this book presents a compilation of that research in one volume. Topics include the river 's catchment area, its hydrology, the development of water protection requirements and early warning systems on the Rhine. Additionally the book describes many aspects of water quality from the Rhine but also from alpine lakes, tributaries, estuary and adjacent coastal waters connected with the river.

This book presents the latest developments and recent research trends in the field of plankton, highlighting the potential ecological and biotechnological applications. It critically and comprehensively discusses strain selection, growth characteristics, large-scale culturing, and biomass harvesting, focusing on the screening and production of high-value products from algae, and evaluating carbon dioxide sequestration from fuel gas as a climate change mitigation strategy. The latter areas of research are clearly central to the sustainable development approach that is currently attracting global attention. Over the decades, much of the literature on has focused on the biological and ecological aspects of phytoplankton found in freshwater, marine and brackish water environments. However, these organisms are known to also inhabit various other environments. More recently, there has been a substantial shift toward the concept of sustainable development and the "green economy" with emphasis on exploiting biological systems for the benefit of mankind. The significance of these plankton cannot be underestimated as they contribute approximately 40% of the oxygen in the atmosphere. Therefore, there is potential for exploitation of this invaluable biomass source that could lead to significant environmental and economic benefits for man. Providing a comprehensive outline of the most recent developments and advances in the field of industrial applications of these plankton, this book is an excellent reference resource for researchers and practitioners.

In a rapidly evolving world of knowledge and technology, do you ever wonder how hydrology is catching up? This book takes the angle of computational hydrology and envisions one of the future directions, namely, quantitative integration of high-quality hydrologic field data with geologic, hydrologic, chemical, atmospheric, and biological information to characterize and predict natural systems in hydrological sciences.

Intelligent computation and information fusion are the key words. The aim is to provide both established scientists and graduate students with a summary of recent developments in this topic. The chapters of this edited volume cover some of the most important ingredients for quantitative hydrological information fusion, including data fusion techniques, interactive computational environments, and supporting mathematical and numerical methods. Real-life applications of hydrological information fusion are also addressed.

One of the major questions in the evolution of animals is the transition from unicellular to multicellular organization, which resulted in the emergence of Metazoa through a hypothetical Urmetazoa. The Comparative Embryology of Sponges contains abundant original and literary data on comparative embryology and morphology of the Porifera (Sponges), a group of 'lower Metazoa'. On the basis of this material, original typization of the development of Sponges is given and the problems concerning origin and evolution of Porifera and their ontogenesis are discussed. A morphogenetic interpretation of the body plan development during embryogenesis, metamorphosis and asexual reproduction in Sponges is proposed. Special attention is given to the analysis of characteristic features of the ontogenesis in Porifera. The book pursues three primary goals: 1) generalization of all existing information on individual development of sponges, its classification and a statement according to taxonomical structure of Porifera; 2) revealing of heterogeneity of morphogenesis and peculiarities of ontogeneses in various clades of Porifera, and also their correlations with the organization, both adult sponges, and their larvae; 3) revealing homology of morphogeneses in both Porifera and Eumetazoa, testifying to the general evolutionary roots of multicellular animals, and peculiar features of sponges' morphogeneses and ontogenesis. This book will be of interest to embryologists, zoologists, morphologists and researchers in evolutionary biology.

Maria Sala introduced experimental and field-based studies on soil and fluvial processes in Spain during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Research on this broad topic has grown remarkably worldwide since then. This title shows some of these advances and documents the latest research, although with a particularity: it gives special treatment to research on Mediterranean climate regions, an ever-present issue in Maria Sala's research career. It contains the latest research on slope and river processes with a special emphasis on rivers and catchments with a Mediterranean climate. Papers cover a gamut of topics describing research and applied studies, mainly in Spain, but also in Israel, the USA, Canada, the UK and New Zealand.

The book examines natural and anthropogenic processes operating in drainage basins and includes coverage of current experimental and fieldwork investigations on soil erosion, river and catchment hydrology, suspended sediment transport and bedload dynamics in gravel-bed rivers, and present-day diagnosis and future key-paths for catchment and river management.
* Examines the natural and anthropogenic processes operating in drainage basins and river channels, and covers current investigations on Process Geomorphology and Catchment Hydrology, including management issues
* Topics covered include soil erosion, catchment hydrology, suspended sediment transport, bedload dynamics in gravel-bed rivers, and sediment yield
* Emphasis is on the Mediterranean region

Delphus E. Carpenter (1877-1951) was Colorado's commissioner of interstate streams during a time when water rights were a legal battleground for western states. A complex, unassuming man as rare and cunning in politics and law as the elusive silver fox of the Rocky Mountain West, Carpenter boldly relied on negotiation instead of endless litigation to forge agreements among states first, before federal intervention. In Silver Fox of the Rockies, Daniel Tyler tells Carpenter's story and that of the great interstate water compacts he helped create. Those compacts, produced in the early twentieth century, have guided not only agricultural use but urban growth and development throughout much of the American West to this day. In Carpenter's time, most western states relied on the doctrine of prior appropriation--first in time, first in right--which granted exclusive use of resources to those who claimed them first, regardless of common needs. Carpenter feared that population growth and rapid agricultural development in states sharing the same river basins would rob Colorado of its right to a fair share of water. To avoid that eventuality, Carpenter invoked the compact clause of the U.S. Constitution, a clause previously used to settle boundary disputes, and applied it to interstate water rights. The result was a mechanism by which complex issues involving interstate water rights could be settled through negotiation without litigating them before the U.S. Supreme Court. Carpenter believed in the preservation of states' rights in order to preserve the constitutionally mandated balance between state and federal authority. Today, water remains critically important to the American West, and thegreat interstate water compacts Carpenter helped engineer constitute his most enduring legacy. Of particular significance is the Colorado River Compact of 1922, without which Hoover Dam could never have been built.

Part travelogue, part history, and part environmental treatise, "Mekong - The Occluding River" is above all else an urgent warning that factors such as pollution, ecological devastation, and the depletion of natural resources are threatening the very existence of the Mekong River. Author Ngo The Vinh combines his vivid travel notes and collection of photographs with a meticulously researched history of the environmental degradation of the Mekong River. Translated from Vietnamese, the best-selling treatise outlines the myriad threats facing the river today. From oil shipments feeding the industrial cities of southwestern China to gigantic hydroelectric dams known as the Mekong Cascades in Yunnan province, China is the worst environmental offender, though the other nations along Mekong's banks behave no better. From Thailand to Laos to Vietnam, hydroelectric dams that threaten the Mekong and its inhabitants are being built at an alarming rate. To save the Mekong, Ngo The Vinh calls upon all the nations that benefit from its life-giving water to observe the "Spirit of the Mekong" in the implementation of all future development projects. To achieve this end, there must be a concerted and sustained commitment to cooperation and sustainability. At this critical cross-roads, we should remind ourselves of the mantra from Sea World San Diego: "Extinction is forever. Endangered means we still have time."

Most of the world s mountains are rich in water and, as such, play a pivotal role in the global water cycle. They provide water for diverse human uses and ecosystems. Growing water demands as well as climate change will lead to ever-increasing pressure on mountain waters. Overcoming water-use conflicts and maintaining the ecological functioning of mountain waters presents a highly challenging task and is indispensable for sustainable development.
This book extensively portrays the highly diverse attributes of mountain waters and demonstrates their paramount importance for ecological and societal development. The extensive summaries on the scientific basics of mountain waters are supplemented with considerations on the diverse water uses, needs for management actions, and challenges regarding sustainable water management. This overview concerns not only the mountain areas themselves but also downriver reaches and their surrounding lowlands, and, therefore, the relationship between mountain and lowland water issues."

This book provides an introductory understanding of fluvial geomorphic principles and how these principles can be integrated with geochemical data to cost-effectively characterize, assess and remediate contaminated rivers. The book stresses the importance of needing to understand both geomorphic and geochemical processes. Thus, the overall presentation is first an analysis of physical and chemical processes and, second, a discussion of how an understanding of these processes can be applied to specific aspects of site assessment and remediation. Such analyses provide the basis for a realistic prediction of the kinds of environmental responses that might be expected, for example, during future changes in climate or land-use.

This book presents selected contributions of the 34th International School of Hydraulics that was held in May 2015 in Zelechow, Poland. It gives an overview about the state of the art in environmental hydraulics. A special emphasis is put upon physical, biochemical and ecological processes that act at interfaces in natural surface water bodies but also other important hydraulic problems are considered. The achievements of well-known researchers from all over the world as well as the results obtained by young researchers, among others within a Marie Curie funded Initial Training Network, led by the University of Padua (HYTECH - HYdrodynamic Transport at Ecologically Critical Heterogeneous Interfaces) are gathered in this volume.

The book provides an elaborate treatment of groundwater prospecting and management covering remote sensing, geological-geophysical cum hydrogeological studies, exploration (geological and geophysical), development (well logging techniques, pump test, its analysis and applications in well design), contamination (pollution of groundwater) and regulatory legislations regarding groundwater utilization under one cover. The book presents an elucidation of fundamental and theoretical background of each technique supported by necessary illustrative examples and exclusive case studies. It is a text-cum-reference book not only for students, research scholars and practicing earth scientists but also for practicing civil and agricultural engineers working in the application of groundwater resources, engaged in its exploration, development, contamination, legislation and management. The general readers can also refer the book for understanding the groundwater domain for adequate knowledge, as groundwater resources are essential life support commodity which is replenishable but not inexhaustible.

Flash floods typically develop in a period a few hours or less and can arise from heavy rainfall and other causes, such as dam or flood defence breaches, and ice jam breaks. The rapid development, often associated with a high debris content, can present a considerable risk to people and property. This book describes recent developments in techniques for monitoring and forecasting the development of flash floods, and providing flood warnings. Topics which are discussed include rainfall and river monitoring, nowcasting, Numerical Weather Prediction, rainfall-runoff modelling, and approaches to the dissemination of flood warnings and provision of an emergency response.

The book is potentially useful on civil engineering, water resources, meteorology and hydrology courses (and for post graduate studies) but is primarily intended as a review of the topic for a wider audience.

Geochemical barrier zones play an important role in determining various physical systems and characteristics of the oceans, e.g. hydrodynamics, salinity, temperature and light. In this book, each of the 40 barrier zones covered are illustrated and defined by physical-chemical parameters. Among the topics discussed are the processes of inflow, transformation and precipitation of the sedimentary layer of the open oceans and more restricted areas such as the Baltic, Black and Mediterranean Seas. This well-illustrated book may serve as the basis for courses such as "Marine Geochemistry" or "Ocean Usage" and can be useful to researchers in the fields of geology, geography, marine chemistry, geoecology and hydrochemistry.

Most of the time series analysis methods applied today rely heavily on the key assumptions of linearity, Gaussianity and stationarity. Natural time series, including hydrologic, climatic and environmental time series, which satisfy these assumptions seem to be the exception rather than the rule. Nevertheless, most time series analysis is performed using standard methods after relaxing the required conditions one way or another, in the hope that the departure from these assumptions is not large enough to affect the result of the analysis. A large amount of data is available today after almost a century of intensive data collection of various natural time series. In addition to a few older data series such as sunspot numbers, sea surface temperatures, etc., data obtained through dating techniques (tree-ring data, ice core data, geological and marine deposits, etc.), are available. With the advent of powerful computers, the use of simplified methods can no longer be justified, especially with the success of these methods in explaining the inherent variability in natural time series. This book presents a number of new techniques that have been discussed in the literature during the last two decades concerning the investigation of stationarity, linearity and Gaussianity of hydrologic and environmental times series. These techniques cover different approaches for assessing nonstationarity, ranging from time domain analysis, to frequency domain analysis, to the combined time-frequency and time-scale analyses, to segmentation analysis, in addition to formal statistical tests of linearity and Gaussianity. It is hoped that this endeavor would facilitate further research into this important area.

Lake Issyk-Kul is a closed lake located in the Tien Shan mountain belt of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan. It is the world's fifth deepest lake (668 m) and the second largest high altitude lake in the world (1607 m above sea level). The lake is affected by several environmental threats of both anthropogenic and natural origin: decline of the lake level resulting in progressively increasing salinity, incomplete vertical water exchange, and risk of contamination by past and present industrial activity.
Although the lake has been intensively studied, the information is only available in unpublished reports or local scientific journals. This book presents for the first time to an international audience the main physical, chemical, biological and geological characteristics of the lake, the fruits of many years of observations, complemented by recent results of international projects. Case studies of similar problems in other parts of the world are presented, together with ethical aspects of the environmental protection of the lake.

Physical Oceanography of the Dying Aral Sea describes the background, present crisis state, and possible future of this peculiar inland water body from the physical oceanographic standpoint. Based on a wide range of material, a large part of which was published in Russian and has not been previously available to the international reader, the book first provides an historical overview of this unique system, which possesses both lake and sea properties.

Next, the current physical state of the lake is described, partly based on original field research and model experiments, along with the remote sensing data, model results and analyses extracted from recent literature. Next, book attempts to forecast the forthcoming state of the Aral Sea and identify plausible future scenarios. Finally, the book discusses the Aral Sea dessication viewd as a part of the global perspective.

Water scarcity affects hydrologic resources, systems connectivity, biodiversity, water quality, and river ecosystem functioning. It has direct impacts on economic sectors that use and depend on water, such as agriculture, tourism, industry, energy and transport. The Mediterranean Basin is one of the regions in the world most vulnerable to climate changes, as well as one of the most impacted by human water demand. This volume provides an in-depth view of the water quality and quantity implications of water scarcity. It highlights its possible causes and describes the effects in regions under Mediterranean climate. The topics covered include climate effects, water resources (use, storage and new sources), water quality (chemical and microbiological), and the effects on ecosystems suffering from water scarcity. This book is addressed to scientists and students, but also to managers involved in the necessary decision making process to face future periods of drought.

A major task for physical oceanographers is to determine the movement of oceanic water from observations. This book introduces the P-vector inverse method, with a two-step determination of the velocity from hydrographic data.The book provide insights into the basics of the P-vector inverse method and the features of the inverted global and regional ocean circulations. Upper undergraduate and graduate students as well as oceanographers, marine biologists and other environmental scientists will find this book a valuable tool for their studies."

This book comprises selected proceedings of the Fourth International Conference in Ocean Engineering (ICOE2018), focusing on emerging opportunities and challenges in the field of ocean engineering and offshore structures. It includes state-of-the-art content from leading international experts, making it a valuable resource for researchers and practicing engineers alike.

This textbook provides a mathematical introduction to the theory of large-scale ocean circulation. It is accessible for readers with an elementary knowledge of mathematics and physics, including continuum mechanics and solution methods for ordinary differential equations.

At the end of each chapter several exercises are formulated. Many of these are aimed to further develop methodological skills and to get familiar with the physical concepts. New material is introduced in only a few of these exercises. Fully worked out answers to all exercises can be downloaded from the book 's web site.

Large lakes are important because of their size and ecological distinctiveness as well as their economic and cultural value. Optimal management of them requires a proper understanding of anthropogenic impacts both on the lake ecosystems as such and on the services they provide for society. The specific structural and functional properties of large lakes, e.g. morphology, hydrography, biogeochemical cycles and food-web structure, are all directly related to their size. Although large lakes are among the best-studied ecosystems in the world, the application to them of environmental regulations such as the European Water Framework Directive is a challenging task and requires that several natural and management aspects specific to these water bodies are adequately considered. These vulnerable ecosystems often suffer from accelerated eutrophication, over-fishing, toxic contamination and invasive species. Large lakes offer socio-economic benefits and can be used in many ways, and are often areas in which economic, cultural and political interests overlap. In this book the problems regarding the present status of European large lakes and the directions of change are discussed. Threats caused by direct human impact and by climate change, protection needs and restoration measures are considered.

This unrivalled reference book is the first in the new Springer-Praxis Earth System Science Series. Written by a team of global experts, this new book describes mankind s destruction of the Aral Sea. Dr Philip Micklin and team explain how spheres and events interact and reveal the social, psychological, political and economic consequences of the "Aral Sea Problem" together with some lessons of how to potentially rehabilitate portions of the sea.

International experts in the field have contributed to the work including Praxis author Dr. Zavialov, covering physical oceanography and also Dr. Vitaliy Bortnik, the leading expert on the hydrometeorology and hydrochemistry of the Aral at the end of the Soviet period. Other pioneering experts have contributed chapters covering climatology; archaeological and paleobotanical evidence for ascertaining the level variation history of the Aral Sea; landscape dynamics of the Amu Dar ya Delta owing to drying of the sea; use of radar altimetry to trace sea level changes and much more.

The book is structured into six core parts. The first part sets the scene and explains how the use of Aral basin water resources, primarily used for irrigation, have destroyed the Aral Sea. The team explains how spheres and events interact and the related problems. Part 2 examines the social consequences of the ecological catastrophe and the affect of the Aral Sea desiccation on cultural and economic conditions of near Aral region. Part 3 explores the scientific causes of the destruction using detailed analyses and data plus some of their own research spanning aquatic biology, terrestrial biology, hydrology, water management and biodiversity. They also share some of the latest archaeological discoveries and paleobotanical analysis to delineate past levels and characteristics of the Aral Sea. There is particular focus on modern remote sensing and GIS techniques and how they can monitor the Aral Sea and the environment. Part 4 discusses regional and international initiatives to mitigate human and ecological problems of the Aral Sea and the wider political and economic consequences. With thorough insight of the total environment cost, the final chapters of the book will provide lessons for the future. There are insightful case studies throughout.

Multidisciplinary by nature, all titles in our new reference book series will explore significant changes within the Earth s ecosystems and to some extent, will tackle ways to think about our changing environment. "

This book gives a comprehensive overview of our present understanding of the Earth's cryosphere, its changes and their consequences for mean sea level changes. Since the middle of the 19th century there has been an increase of sea level height by 20-25 cm. Some 8-10 cm of this is due to net losses from glaciers, the remainder being due to mass losses from land ice and thermal expansion of the oceans. The mean sea level rise is slowly accelerating; at present it is some 3 mm/year. Recent space observations made by the GRACE satellite combined with ocean temperature and volume measurements have enabled the separate contributions to sea level rise from melting ice and from thermal expansion to be better estimated. The estimation of mean sea level change is complicated by changes in land level due to tectonic effects and to ongoing changes following the latest major glaciation. The book gives an up-to-date survey of our present knowledge of this crucial subject.