The book presents an up-to-date, detailed overview of the Quaternary glaciations all over the world, not only with regard to stratigraphy but also with regard to major glacial landforms and the extent of the respective ice sheets. The locations of key sites are included. The information is presented in digital, uniformly prepared maps which can be used in a Geographical Information System (GIS) such as ArcView or ArcGIS. The accompanying text supplies the information on how the data were obtained (geomorphology, geological mapping, air photograph evaluation, satellite imagery), how the features were dated (14C, TL, relative stratigraphy) and how reliable they are supposed to be. All references to the underlying basic publications are included. Where controversial interpretations are possible e.g. in Siberia or Tibet, this is pointed out. As a result, the information on Quaternary glaciations worldwide will be much improved and supplied in a uniform digital format. The information on the glacial limits is compiled in digital form by the coordinators of the project, and is available for download at: http: //booksite.elsevier.com/9780444534477/

* completely updated detailed coverage of worldwide Quaternary glaciations * information in digital, uniformly prepared maps which can be used in a GIS such as ArcView or ArcGis * step-by-step guideline how to open and use ArcGis files * possibility to convert the shapefiles into GoogleEarth kmz-files * availability of chronological controls

Until now no overview of the Quaternary deposits of northeastern Europe has been available. This book fills the gap. It presents the state of research on Quaternary stratigraphy and geology, with emphasis on glacial deposits, discusses the general scientific ideas and gives an overview of the methods of investigation, some of which have rarely been applied elsewhere. It has become apparent that the region covered has many environmental problems, and a proper understanding of the Quaternary deposits is a basic requirement for dealing with them. The same is true for civil engineering. In the formerly glaciated areas almost all construction sites for roads and houses will encounter glacial deposits. This volume provides an authoritative and fascinating overview for anyone planning to venture into this field. In its 53 regional chapters the book covers Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic and eastern Germany. From the text it becomes clear that not all the stratigraphical schemes are yet fully compatible or comprehensible. There can be no doubt, however, that the east was subjected to very extensive ice advances during the earlier Pleistocene. Also, in contrast to western Europe, there was a significant Early Weichselian ice advance, although not as extensive as the last, Late Weichselian event. The book is illustrated by 421 figures and 74 colour plates (mostly photographs). There are 23 tables, a detailed index and a list of over 1000 references, providing a unique collection of northeastern European geoscience literature, much of which has so far escaped the attention of western scientists. The volume, composed of contributions by 60 scientists, completes the trilogy on glacial deposits of northern Europe. Together with its two companion volumes, the Glacial deposits in North-West Europe and the Glacial Deposits in Great Britain and Ireland, it represents an invaluable source of information for the geoscientist, the advanced student or the amateur.

This book provides a new look at the climatic history of the last 2.6 million years during the ice age, a time of extreme climatic fluctuations that have not yet ended. This period also coincides with important phases of human development from Neanderthals to modern humans, both of whom existed side by side during the last cold stage of the ice age. The ice age has seen dramatic expansions of glaciers and ice sheets, although this has been interspersed with relatively short warmer intervals like the one we live in today. The book focuses on the changing state of these glaciers and the effects of associated climate changes on a wide variety of environments (including mountains, rivers, deserts, oceans and seas) and also plants and animals. For example, at times the Sahara was green and colonized by humans, and Lake Chad covered 350,000 km2 larger than the United Kingdom. What happened during the ice age can only be reconstructed from the traces that are left in the ground. The work of the geoscientist is similar to that of a detective who has to reconstruct the sequence of events from circumstantial evidence. The book draws on the specialisms and experience of the authors who are experts on the glacial history of the Earth. Readership: Undergraduate and postgraduate students studying the Quaternary, researchers, and anyone interested in climate change, environmental change and geology. The book provides a rich collection of illustrations and photographs to help the readers at all levels visualise the dramatic consequences of glacier expansions during the Ice Age.

Die Quantenmechanik hat seit ihrem Beginn immer wieder diskutierte Pro- bleme in Bezug auf ihre "Interpretation" gestellt. Auch heute noch wer- den die Fragen nach der Rolle des Bewusstseins, nach Objektivitat oder Subjektivitat, nach der Bedeutung der sogenannten "Reduktion der Wellen- pakete" mit aller Leidenschaftlichkeit diskutiert. Viele meinen, dass nur eine AEnderung der klassischen Aussagelogik zu einer mehrwertigen "Wahr- scheinlichkeitslogik" es ermoeglicht, die Quantenmechanik zu interpretieren. Die Leidenschaftlichkeit, mit der alle diese Fragen diskutiert werden, zeigt zweierlei: 1. Dass die Grundaussagen der Quantenmechanik begrifflich viel zu ver- schwommen sind, so dass die einzelnen durchaus verschiedene In- halte bei Benutzung desselben Wortes meinen. Solche unklaren Be- griffe sind "Zustand", "Observable", "Beobachter", "Eigenschaft", "Aussage" (Proposition) und ahnliche. 2. Dass die Diskussion der vermeintlich nur physikalischen Fragen tat- sachlich in der Tiefe beherrscht wird von "philosophisch - weltan- schaulichen" Vorentscheidungen. Die entscheidende Grundstruktur derQuantenmechanik, die zu den erwahn- ten Fragestellungen fuhrt, ist die Benutzung von Operatoren des Hilbert- raumes zur Beschreibung der Wahrscheinlichkeit von Messergebnissen, wie es kurz in Kapitel I rekapituliert wird. Kapitel I versucht die bekannte Zusammenfassung der quantenmechanischen Grundpostulate nach J. v. Neumann zu formulieren, damit der Leser an Bekanntes anschliessen kann. Kapitel I erhebt daher keinen Anspruch, eine systematische axiomatische Formulierung im Sinne der Mathematik zu sein; IV im Gegenteil soll Kapitel I als Zusammenfassung heuristischer Prinzipien noch einmal, kurz die "Bedurftigkeit" nach einer echten Grundlegung der Quantenmechanik aufweisen.