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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.

  • Trace Elements in Igneous Petrology

    A Volume in Memory of Paul W. Gast
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 5
    • C.J. Allègre + 1 more
    • English
    Trace Elements in Igneous Petrology, 5: Developments in Petrology: A Volume in Memory of Paul W. Gast focuses on the contributions and influence of Gast in petrology, including crystallization, magmatic processes, isotopic composition, and ocean ridge basalt chemistry. The selection first takes a look at quantitative models of trace element behavior in magmatic processes; application of trace elements to the petrogenesis of igneous rocks of granitic composition; and an assessment of local and regional isotopic equilibrium in the mantle. Discussions focus on evidence derived from time constraints, scale of isotopic disequilibrium, fractional crystallization, trace element modeling, geodynamics and tectonic setting, partition coefficients, quantitative models for trace elements, and parameter determination and inverse-problem solution. The publication then examines the isotopic composition of lead in oceanic basalt and its implication to mantle evolution; strontium isotopes in basalts from the Pacific Ocean basin; and trace elements in ocean ridge basalts. Concerns cover variations in ocean ridge basalt chemistry, trace elements in ocean ridge basalts, disequilibrium partial melting, seawater alteration, background for lead isotope tracer studies, and uranium, thorium, and lead concentrations in basalts. The book examines trace elements and anorthosite genesis, lead isotopes in Archaean plutonic rocks, early Archaean rocks and geochemical evolution of the earth's crust, and factors controlling the noble gas abundance patterns of deep-sea basalts. The selection is a valuable source of data for researchers interested in petrology.

  • Soil Mechanics of Earthworks, Foundations and Highway Engineering

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 3
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    This is the third volume of a handbook which covers the whole field of soil mechanics, discussing deterministic and stochastic theories and methods, and showing how they can be used in conjunction with one another. The first volume discusses soil physics, while the second deals with the determination of physical characteristics of the soil. Australian Mining wrote of the Handbook ``a valuable addition to the extensive literature on the topic and will be found to be more useful than most.''The main objective of the third volume is to present solutions to the problems of engineering practice. It deals with the most important theoretical and practical problems of soil mechanics, discussing the following in detail: stability of earthworks, load-bearing capacity and settlement of shallow foundations, design of pile foundations, soil mechanics in road construction, improving the physical properties of soils, the characteristics of soil dynamics, foundations for machines and soil behaviour as affected by earthquakes. The book not only presents up-to-date deterministic methods, but also discusses solutions of probability theory in the fields of design and safety.The book is divided into six chapters covering the stability of slopes, landslides, load-bearing capacity and settlement of shallow foundations and pile foundations, soil mechanics in road construction, and the improvement of the physical characteristics of soil with special emphasis on machine foundations and earthquakes, giving detailed treatment of each subject. For example, the first chapter deals not only with the stability of slopes, but also discusses the natural and artificial effects, slope protection, filter design, stresses in embankments, and the time factor. In this way, the book gives a clear and comprehensive picture of the special fields of soil mechanics and its subjects. It is therefore emminently suitable for postgraduate engineers, and engineers working in the fields of geotechnics, earthworks, foundations, road construction, engineering geology and statistics, and the design of structures.

  • Weathering, Soils & Paleosols

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • I.P. Martini + 1 more
    • English
    For the past 200 years, geological scientists have used the present as a key to unlocking the past. This volume continues the tradition by exploring the processes of weathering and soil formation as indicators of the present environment of the Earth's land surface. Examined are the various ways in which this information can be used to interpret past environments which have produced the soils now preserved as paleosols. Because the surface environment of the earth may now be undergoing rapid change (the greenhouse effect), the book is a timely one for those researchers looking for evidence of analogous changes in the Earth's past. The work is divided into three major sections. The first deals with fundamental considerations of weathering, clay mineralogy and diagenesis. The second deals with the formation of soils from various starting materials and in various surficial environments. And the final section is an interpretation of paleosols. This volume provides valuable reading material for graduate and senior-undergraduate courses.

  • Regional Oceanography

    An Introduction
    • 1st Edition
    • Matthias Tomczak + 1 more
    • English
    Covers the traditional range of topics in regional oceanography. An important aspect of work is its novel approach to a description of the features which give each ocean region its character. The two core principles are the use of the most modern database for all maps of regional distributions of properties and a discussion of all observed features within a frame of reference developed from ocean dynamics, rather than based on the simple geographical approach. The ocean's role in climate variability and climate change is described in detail. The book also includes an evaluation of all major international research projects such as FGGE, IIOE and TOGA. The SI system is used throughout. The use of modern data and inclusion of the oceanographic literature up to 1992 and early 1993 make it a useful reference text.

  • Nitrogen in the Marine Environment

    • 1st Edition
    • Edward J. Carpenter + 1 more
    • English
    Nitrogen in the Marine Environment provides information pertinent to the many aspects of the nitrogen cycle. This book presents the advances in ocean productivity research, with emphasis on the role of microbes in nitrogen transformations with excursions to higher trophic levels. Organized into 24 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the abundance and distribution of the various forms of nitrogen in a number of estuaries. This text then provides a comparison of the nitrogen cycling of various ecosystems within the marine environment. Other chapters consider chemical distributions and methodology as an aid to those entering the field. This book discusses as well the enzymology of the initial steps of inorganic nitrogen assimilation. The final chapter deals with the philosophy and application of modeling as an investigative method in basic research on nitrogen dynamics in coastal and open-ocean marine environments. This book is a valuable resource for plant biochemists, microbiologists, aquatic ecologists, and bacteriologists.

  • Visualization in Modern Cartography

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 2
    • A.M. MacEachren + 1 more
    • English
    Visualization in Modern Cartography explores links between the centuries-old discipline of cartography and today's revolutionary developments in scientific visualization. The book has three main goals: (1) to pass on design and symbolization expertise to the scientific visualization community - information that comes from centuries of pre-computer visualization by cartographers, and their more recent experiences with computerizing the discipline; (2) to help cartographers cope with the dramatic shift from print cartography to a dynamic virtual cartography for which their role is changing from that of map designer to one of spatial information display (and/or interface) designer; (3) to illustrate the expanded role for cartography in geographic, environmental, planning, and earth science applications that comes with the development of interactive geographic visualization tools. To achieve these goals, the book is divided into three parts. The first sets the historical, cognitive, and technological context for geographic/cartograp... visualization tool development. The second covers key technological, symbolization, and user interface issues. The third provides a detailed look at selected prototype geographic/cartograp... visualization tools and their applications.

  • Geomorphology and Natural Hazards

    Proceedings of the 25th Binghamton Symposium in Geomorphology, Held September 24-25, 1994 at SUNY, Binghamton, USA
    • 1st Edition
    • M. Morisawa
    • English
    The theme of this proceedings volume is the latest research on geomorphic characteristics and processes associated with natural hazards. Presentations cover a gamut of types of disasters throughout the world, describing research and applications of studies in the U.S. and other countries. The book begins with a collection of papers giving a basic background and philosophy of approaching an understanding of natural disasters. These are followed by papers on natural hazards in coastal areas, mountainous regions, landslides, flooding and the detrimental effects of permafrost.The book should prove valuable in gaining an insight of natural hazards and their geomorphic relations, which is imperative for prudent environmental planning in coping with disasters.

  • Seismic Coal Exploration

    In-Seam Seismics
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 16
    • L. Dresen + 1 more
    • English
    The efficient mining of hard coal in deep coal mines using highly mechanized longwall techniques requires information on the geological structure ahead of the operating face. Even minor tectonic faults with throws of only a few metres mean a loss in productivity, as they present severe working problems for underground mining equipment. Because investment costs to install a mechanized face are high, "insurance" in the form of spare capacity by both machine shifts or spare faces is uneconomic. Thus, to reduce mining costs it is essential to delineate the geology prior to mining. Today, the only effective geophysical tool to detect and to map minor faults in front of the coal cutter is in-seam seismics using channel, or so called seam waves. The techniques are well established and successfully applied for more than two decades.In-Seam Seismics covers the entire range of elementary and advanced topics in mathematics, physics and data processing of dispersive channel waves. The results of analogue and numerical modelling provide a thorough understanding of transmission, reflection, recording and interpretation of seam waves and coal seam disturbances. Fire damp proof instrumentation, target orientated underground layouts, processing and interpretation of real data impart the state-of-the-art of in-seam seismics. Selected and well-rounded case histories complete the presentation of in-seam seismics. They can help the mining engineer to come to a decision to plan and to apply in-seam seismics in case of underground mining problems.A clear text, only formulae which are necessary, many carefully designed figures, an extended list of references and a lucid index make it easy for the reader to get acquainted with seam waves or to promote the technique of in-seam seismics.

  • Advances in Hydroscience

    Volume 3
    • 1st Edition
    • Ven Te Chow
    • English
    Advances in Hydroscience, Volume 3-1966 encompasses naval hydrodynamics, biohydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics... hydrology, and water resources. The book presents articles on viscous resistance of ships, magnetohydrodynamics of channel flow, and hydrodynamics of blood flow in the circulatory system. The text also includes articles about the biological treatment of waste water; the processes and trends in the development of sea water conversion; and the linearized steady theory of fully wetted hydrofoils. The developments in the retardation of evaporation by the use of monolayers, as well as the dynamic programming in water resources development are also encompassed. Students and researchers in naval hydrodynamics, biohydrodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics... hydrology, and water resources will find the book invaluable.

  • The Structure of Western Europe

    • 1st Edition
    • J. G. C. Anderson
    • English
    After a brief account of the stratigraphy in each case, the author summarises the structure of the main tectonic units of Western Europe, the units being defined within the framework of Precambrian, Caledonian, Hercynian and Alpine structures. The work provides accounts of these structural units both for geological study in general and for field visits for advanced school level and research students. A useful complementary volume to 'The Structure of the British Isles' (Anderson and Owen).

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