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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.

  • Northern Europe Including Examples from the USSR in Both Europe and Asia

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 1
    • Bozzano G Luisa
    • English
    Provides bibliographic and textual information about the principal ore deposits of Northern Europe, plus descriptions of 30 selected deposits from the USSR. Each deposit is introduced by a selected bibliography listing the most important literature followed by a reasonably detailed discussion covering geological characteristics and how the deposit was formed. The general bibliographic introduction to Ireland, Sweden and Finland covers many deposits with insufficient literature to justify separate coverage.

  • Gravity and Low-Frequency Geodynamics

    • 1st Edition
    • Roman Teisseyre
    • English
    This fourth volume in the series Physics and Evolution of the Earth's Interior, provides a comprehensive review of the geophysical and geodetical aspects related to gravity and low-frequency geodynamics. Such aspects include the Earth's gravity field, geoid shape theory, and low-frequency phenomena like rotation, oscillations and tides.Global-scale phenomena are treated as a response to source excitation in spherical Earth models consisting of several shells: lithosphere, mantle, core and sometimes also the inner solid core. The effect of gravitation and rotation on the Earth's shape is analysed. The satellite approach to studies of the gravity field and the geoid shape is discussed in some detail. Discussions of recent findings and developments are accompanied by a brief historical background.

  • Paleoethnobotany

    A Handbook of Procedures
    • 1st Edition
    • Deborah M. Pearsall
    • English
    This book describes the approaches and techniques of paleoethnobotany--th... study of the interrelationships between human populations and the plant world through the archaeological record. Its purpose is twofold. First, it assembles in one volume the three major methods of paleoethnobotany, the analysis of macroremains, pollen analysis, and phytolith analysis, for the student or professional interested in the field. Second, it presents on paleoethnobotanist's view of the discipline: its past, present, and future, its strengths and weaknesses, and its role in modern archaeology.

  • The Origin of Arcs

    Invited Papers Presented at the International Conference "The Origin of Arcs", Held at the University of Urbino, Urbino, Italy, September 22nd-25th, 1986
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 21
    • F.-C. Wezel
    • English
    This volume contains a collection of papers presented as distinguished guest lectures at the International Conference on ``The Origin of Arcs'' held at the University of Urbino in September 1986, under the joint sponsorship of the European Union of Geosciences and the Italian Geological Society.The workshop on island and mountain arcs has been organized with the aim of increasing our understanding of the intrinsic nature of orogenic and post-orogenic processes, on the basis of empiric factual data, rather than particular theoretic models. Quite often a trivial piece of field data appears to bear much more weight than many fascinating hypotheses put forward by the human mind. This seems to be much more valid in geology, where a special method is necessitated by the particular nature of the geological phenomena and the time concept. Every general law deduced should be rooted in the study of the earth's development in geological time. It is the editor's opinion that there must first be an inductive picture by means of geological methods and then it must be interpreted by geophysicists in the light of physical laws. The geological method must serve, besides, to test the historical credibility of geophysical theories. It is clear that these two methods, the geological-historica... one and the geophysical one, must be complementary and the one must not substitute the other.Since the problem of the structure and origin of arcs is open to several solutions, different factors being still unexplained, all correctly deduced opinions are considered by the editor. The contributors to this pre-conference volume have been asked to present essential geological results, as concrete as possible, on some basic problems, such as:Are the island and mountain arcs primary or induced features?How have these orogenic festoons developed into their similar regular shapes?What are the relationships between "primary" active arcs and "secondary" mountain arcs?What is the dominant deformational factor in the bulging of the arc?What is the real nature and tectonic significance of the Benioff zone?These papers have been grouped into five more or less natural sections, of which three are defined on the basis of geography. But of course several range broadly and the classification serves only to channel the discussion in a practical way.

  • The Terrestrial Environment, B

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume B
    • P. Fritz
    • English
    Handbook of Environmental Isotope Geochemistry, Volume 2: The Terrestrial Environment, B focuses on the processes, methodologies, principles, and approaches involved in isotope geochemistry. The selection first elaborates on mathematical models for the interpretation of environmental radioisotopes in groundwater systems; isotopes in cloud physics; and environmental isotopes in lake studies. Discussions focus on water balance studies of lakes, isotopic fractionations during evaporation of water, study of hailstone growth mechanisms by means of isotopic analyses, isotopic effects during growth of individual elements, and models and their hydrological significance. The text then takes a look at environmental isotope and anthropogenic tracers of lake sedimentation; stable isotope geochemistry of travertines; and isotope geochemistry of carbonates in the weathering zone. Topics include isotopic composition of carbonates in the weathering zone; reprecipitation processes in the weathering zone; isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen sources in the weathering zone; and geochemical conditions controlling travertine deposition. The manuscript also reviews radioactive noble gases in the terrestrial environment, isotope effects of nitrogen in the soil and biosphere, and oxygen and hydrogen isotope geochemistry of deep basin brines. The selection is a vital source of data for researchers interested in isotope geochemistry.

  • The Expanding Earth

    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 10
    • S.W. Carey
    • English
    Developments in Geotectonics, 10: The Expanding Earth focuses on the principles, methodologies, transformations, and approaches involved in the expanding earth concept. The book first elaborates on the development of the expanding earth concept, necessity for expansion, and the subduction myth. Discussions focus on higher velocity under Benioff zone, seismic attenuation, blue schists and paired metamorphic belts, dispersion of polygons, arctic paradox, and kinematic contrast. The manuscript then ponders on the scale of tectonic phenomena, non-uniformitarianis... tectonic profiles, and paleomagnetism. Concerns cover global paleomagnetism, general summary of the tectonic profile, implosions, fluid pressures, pure shear, crustal extension, simple shear with horizontal axis, geological examples of scale fields, and length-time fields of deformation. The publication explores the cause of expansion, modes of crustal extension, and rotation and asymmetry of the earth, including dynamic asymmetry, precessions, nutations, librations, and wobbles at fixed obliquity, variation of rate of rotation, and categories of submarine ridges. The text is a dependable source of data for researchers wanting to study the concept of expanding earth.

  • Contouring

    A Guide to the Analysis and Display of Spatial Data
    • 1st Edition
    • Volume 10
    • Debbie Watson
    • Daniel F Merriam
    • English
    This unique book is the key to computer contouring, exploring in detail the practice and principles using a personal computer. Contouring allows a three dimensional view in two dimensions and is a fundamental technique to represent spatial data. All aspects of this type of representation are covered including data preparation, selecting contour intervals, interpolation and griding, computing volumes and output and display.Formulated for both the novice and the experienced user, this book initially conducts the reader through a step by step explanation of PC software and its application to personal data, and then presents the rationale and concepts for contouring using the computer.Accompanyin... the book is a set of BASIC programs, in ASCII format, on an MS-DOS 360KB floppy disk. These programs implement eighteen interpolation methods, five gradient estimation techniques, and seven types of display, and are designed to be adapted or combined to suit a wide range of possible objectives concerning either the comparative study of contouring methodology or the practical production of contour displays.

  • Advances in Irrigation

    Volume 3
    • 1st Edition
    • Daniel Hillel
    • English
    Advances in Irrigation, Volume 3 covers state-of-the-art reviews of topics related to the rapidly advancing theory and practice of irrigation. The book presents articles on the design development and evaluation of the first- and second-generation traveling trickle irrigation system and the management and control options for efficient irrigation and various cultivation practices; as well as the irrigation practice for crop culture in the Southeastern United States. The text also includes articles on the application of time-domain reflectometry to irrigation scheduling; the aspects of water management and irrigation in India based on physiological and phenological considerations; and the estimation and quantification of evapotranspiration. An article on a model simulating water stress effects on corn yield is also encompassed. Agronomists, hydraulic engineers, and agriculturists will find the book invaluable.

  • Advances in Irrigation

    Volume 4
    • 1st Edition
    • Daniel Hillel
    • English
    Advances in Irrigation, Volume 4 covers articles on the development and management of irrigation. The book presents articles on the improved method for distributing water in furrows, termed cablegation; the analysis of drip irrigation design based on the criterion of statistical uniformity; and the spatial distribution of water in sprinkling-irrigatio... systems. The text also includes articles on the critical evaluation of crop yields as influenced by irrigation uniformity; the concept of evapotranspiration from the scale of a field to the scale of an entire region; as well as the drainage of irrigated lands under sequential water application. Articles on the comparison of several models for the purpose of appraising the effect of irrigation on wheat and barley yields and on the economics of kiwifruit production under irrigation in New Zealand are also encompassed. The book concludes with an article about the modification and testing of a model simulating root and shoot growth as related to soil water dynamics. Agriculturists, agricultural engineers, and hydrologists will find the book invaluable.

  • Elements of Spatial Data Quality

    • 1st Edition
    • S.C. Guptill + 1 more
    • English
    Elements of Spatial Data Quality outlines the need and suggests potential categories for the content of a comprehensive statement of data quality that must be imbedded in the metadata that accompanies the transfer of a digital spatial data file or is available in a separate metadata catalog. Members of the International Cartographic Association's Commission on Spatial Data Quality have identified seven elements of data quality: positional accuracy, attribute accuracy, completeness, logical consistency, lineage, semantic accuracy and temporal information. In the book the authors describe: components of each data quality element, possible metrics that can be used to measure the quality of each criteria, possible testing and rating schemes, and how these parameters might differ from a producer or user point of view. Finally no volume of this nature would be complete without a chapter devoted to necessary future research in this subject area. The chapter points out areas in need of further investigation and speculates about the use and transfer of digital spatial data in tomorrow's electronic world and at developments in presenting specified data quality information in a visualization. This book will be of interest to all of those individuals involved in geographical information systems and spatial data handling.

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