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Elsevier

Books in Earth and planetary sciences

Elsevier's Earth and Planetary Sciences collection brings together pioneering research on the complexities of our planet and beyond. Covering topics from Earth's structural dynamics and ecosystems to planetary exploration, these titles support advancements in geoscience, environmental science, and space studies, offering essential insights for researchers, professionals, and students.

  • Groundwater Resources Assessment

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 38
    • J. Balek
    • English
    The development of environmentally sound groundwater resources has recently become a high priority throughout the world. Many countries are currently developing comprehensive regulations for the management of groundwater resources. Within this framework an assessment of renewable groundwater resources is one of the most important factors.This book is based on the author's many years of experience in the assessment of surface and subsurface water resources, field experiments and computer oriented work, in both developed and developing countries. An environmental approach is followed. Groundwater resources are seen as a part of the aquatic ecosystem in which not only geology but the whole lithosphere, vegetation, surface resources and atmosphere play an equally important role.Both simple and advanced models are presented, which can also be applied to complicated geological structures where standard groundwater models fail to operate. Conceptual and stochastic models are presented in a form which the reader can use as a guide for further model development - an approach much in demand in regions where many different features and a variety of data are available. Experimental work leading to the identification of groundwater resources is also broadly discussed.The book will prove valuable to students at university level, researchers, institutes, departments, and consultancies involved in water resources.

  • Asbestos in the Natural Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 37
    • H. Schreier
    • English
    Asbestos minerals have novel properties which make them highly desirable for industrial use. While the health hazards of asbestos have long been recognized and are well documented in the medical literature, ecological and environmental research involving asbestos fibers has only been undertaken in the past 25 years and the significant deleterious effects of asbestos materials on soil and plant ecology has been much less well publicised.This book examines non-occupational exposure and environmental effects of asbestos relating to animal and plant growth in the natural environment. Major nutrient imbalances and excess concentrations of trace metals have been identified as main causes for the poor plant response. Given the complexity of the asbestos analysis and the extent of the problem, this book attempts to bring together the multitude of subjects pertaining to asbestos in the natural environment with the aim of contributing to a better understanding of the chemical characteristics of asbestos-rich materials and their effect on plant growth.

  • Mesoscale/Synoptic Coherent Structures in Geophysical Turbulence

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 50
    • B.M. Jamart + 1 more
    • English
    The 20th Liège Colloquium was particularly well attended and these proceedings demonstrate the significant progress achieved in understanding, modelling, and observing geostrophic and near-geostrophic turbulence. The book contains more than 50 review papers and original contributions covering most aspects of the field of mesoscale/synoptic coherent structures in geophysical (oceanographic) turbulence. The properties of isolated vortices (generation, evolution, decay), their interactions with other vortices, with larger scale currents and/or with topography are investigated theoretically and by means of numerical and physical models. Observation of these dynamically important features in different parts of the world ocean are reported. Of particular interest will be the fourteen contributions by scientists from the USSR which emphasize the international character of the meeting. The book thus constitutes a useful and complete overview of the current state-of-the-art.

  • Surface Operations in Petroleum Production, II

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 19B
    • J.O. Robertson + 2 more
    • English
    This second volume of Surface Operations in Petroleum Production complements and amplifies Volume I which appeared in 1987 and covered several aspects of oilfield technology. This second volume presents a detailed theoretical and practical exposition of surface oilfield practices, including gas flow rate measurement, cementing, fracturing, acidizing, and gravel packing. In today's era of specialization, these operations are generally left to service companies, denying field engineers and company managers direct detailed knowledge of the specific surface and subsurface operations. This book presents a comprehensive analysis which may be used by field engineers to analyze technical problems, specify the required surface and subsurface operations, and closely supervise the service company's work and post-treatment operation of the well.Another subject which has great economic consequences in all oilfields is corrosion of equipment. The book presents a comprehensive analysis of the theory of corrosion in the oilfield and methods that have proved effective for the retardation, or elimination, of corrosion. Quality control of injection waters in then covered. Three more topics are addressed: the first is offshore technology which is presented with reference to onshore oilfield operations, making a lucid presentation for field engineers who have no practical knowledge of the subject. The second is pollution control - an area of oilfield management which has assumed widespread importance in recent years. The last topic covered is the subject of underground storage of gas and oil. Underground fuel storage and retrieval is an active area of oilfield production management that utilizes the technology presented in this entire treatise. Finally, the technology of testing petroleum products and sample experiments for junior and senior petroleum engineering students are presented.This two-volume comprehensive treatise on modern oilfield technology thus provides not only a complete reference for field managers, engineers, and technical consultants, but will also serve academic needs in advanced studies of petroleum production engineering.

  • Enhanced Oil Recovery, II

    Processes and Operations
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 17B
    • E.C. Donaldson + 2 more
    • English
    Written by foremost experts in the field, and formulated with attention to classroom use for advanced studies in reservoir characterization and processes, this book reviews and summarises state-of-the-art progress in the field of enhanced oil recovery (EOR). All of the available techniques: alkaline flooding; surfactant flooding; carbon dioxide flooding; steam flooding; in-situ combustion; gas injection; miscible flooding; microbial recovery; and polymer flooding are discussed and compared. Together with Volume I, it presents a complete text on enhanced recovery technology and, hence, is an almost indispensible reference text.This second volume compliments the first by presenting as complete an analysis as possible of current oilfield theory and technology, for accomplishment of maximum production of oil. Many different processes have been developed and field tested for enhancement of oil recovery. The emerging philosophy is that no single process is applicable to all petroleum reservoirs. Each must be treated as unique, and carefully evaluated for characteristics that are amenable to one or two of the proven technologies of EOR. This book will aid the engineer in field evaluation and selection of the best EOR technology for a given oilfield. Even the emerging technology of microbial applications to enhance oil recovery are reviewed and explained in terms that are easily understood by field engineers.The book is presented in a manner suitable for graduate studies. The only addition required of teachers is to supply example problems for class work. An appendix includes a reservoir mathematic model and program for general application that can also be used for teaching.

  • Applications in Coastal Modeling

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 49
    • A.S. Trenhaile + 1 more
    • English
    The importance of models to facilitate our understanding and management of the coastal system is evident from this book, which shows that the preference for using models to study the coastal system is shared not only by different research institutions (government, military, industry and academia), but also by researchers from diverse backgrounds. With contributions from several leading experts a variety of models - physical, analytical, numerical and computer simulation - are presented on various components of the coastal system.The book opens by examining the coast as a system, and provides an overview of models, systems concepts, and the systems approach. It next covers the simulation design process, stressing that modeling and simulation should form an interface between real-world processes, and the field of General Systems Theory. It is clearly shown that a system can be investigated with more than one type of model. For example, it is shown that waves can be studied with physical models, empirical and numerical models or with computer simulation models. Likewise, beaches can be investigated with physical, numerical or empirically-based models.The indispensability of models to enhance our understanding of coastal dynamics and associated component systems is emphasised. Mathematical modeling of rock coast development and the simulation of deltaic depositional systems are covered. A chapter on analytical modeling of predator-prey interactions highlights the fact that the coastal system also has biotic resources. Finally, problems which have to be overcome for the practical application of numerical and simulation models are discussed.The explanatory and detailed formulation of the various models, together with more than 100 figures, make this book worthwhile reading for senior undergraduates, graduate students, and all coastal researchers interested in the formulation and application of models of the coastal system.

  • Waves, Tides & Shallow-Water Processes

    • 1st Edition
    • Open Open University
    • English
    This is the fourth Volume of the six Volume Open University set. Each Volume is used by students as a relevant part of the Open University course in the UK, but designed so that it can equally be used as an individual text book. This Volume describes waves, their measurement and characteristics, their behaviour in shallow water and unusual waves. It also considers mainly theoretical aspects of sediment movement and deposition of currents, wave estuaries, and the interaction of waves, tides and river flow in deltas. Concludes with a look at shelf-sea processes and their mineral resources. Each Volume in this set is well laid out and copiously illustrated with full colour photographs, graphs and graphics. Questions to help develop arguments and/or understanding can be found in the text and at the end of each chapter, with worked answers provided at the back of each Volume. Each chapter also concludes with a summary to help consolidate understanding before the next chapter is begun.

  • Groundwater Economics

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 39
    • E. Custodio + 1 more
    • English
    This book contains a selection of papers presented at the Symposium and Workshop on Groundwater Economics, held in Barcelona, Spain, 19-23 October 1987. The editors' aim was to produce a publication with useful contributions, containing basic concepts, general formulations, relevant specific studies usable as reference cases, and issues of interest for developing areas and countries.

  • Hydrodynamics of Coastal Zones

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 48
    • S.R. Massel
    • English
    This book discusses selected theoretical topics of coastal hydrodynamics, including basic principles and applications in coastal oceanography and coastal engineering. It is not intended as a handbook; the emphasis is placed on presentation of a number of basic problems, rather than giving detailed instructions for their application. The bulk of the material deals with surface waves. In the author's opinion there is still a strong need for a book on wave phenomena in the coastal waters, as general textbooks on sea surface dynamics focus most of their attention on the deep ocean. This book intends to fill this need by concentrating on the phenomena typical of the coastal zone.Based on lectures given at the Institute of Hydroengineering, Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdansk, the approach throughout is a combination of the theoretical and observational. A basic knowledge of ordinary and partial differential equations, as well as the statistical and spectral analysis of time series, is assumed. The reader should also be familiar with fundamental hydrodynamic concepts.The book comprises nine chapters. Governing equations and conservation laws are treated in Chapter 1, using the variational principles. The theory of regular surface waves is covered in Chapters 2 to 4. The nonlinear effect of wave train modulation and their breaking of beaches is examined in Chapter 5. Chapters 6 and 7 focus on the statistical and spectral treatment of waves induced by wind. Current generation and circulation pattern are the subject of Chapter 8, while sea level variations are examined in Chapter 9. References for further reading are given at the end of each chapter.

  • Advances in Heat Transfer

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 19
    • English

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