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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.

  • Descriptive Physical Oceanography

    An Introduction
    • 4th Edition
    • George L. Pickard + 1 more
    • English
    Descriptive Physical Oceanography: An Introduction, Fourth Enlarged Edition considers the synoptic or descriptive aspects of physical oceanography with considerable illustrative materials and some 45 additional figures. This book is divided into nine chapters, and begins with an introduction to the basic goal of physical oceanographic study. The next chapters describe the features of the ocean basins, physical properties of seawater, and the ocean's distribution of water characteristics. These topics are followed by discussions of the conservation of seawater volume and salt; the techniques and methods of physical oceanography; and the general features of the main ocean circulations, as well as the circulation and character of the water masses in the individual oceans. The final chapters examine some of the characteristics of coastal oceanography. This book will prove useful to undergraduate and graduate students with oceanography and related subjects.

  • Transistors

    • 1st Edition
    • E. J. M. Kendall
    • English
    Transistors covers the main thread of transistor development. This book is organized into 2 parts encompassing 19, and starts with an overview of the semi-conductor physics pertinent to the understanding of transistors, as well as features and applications of the point contact devices and junction devices. The subsequent part deals with the modulation of conductance of thin films of conductors by surface charges, the metal-semi conductor, and the semi-conductor triode. These topics are followed by discussions on the nature of the forward current, physical principles in transistor, the hole injection in transistor, and the double-surface transistor in which the emitter and collector contacts bear on the two opposite faces of a thin wedge or slab of semiconductor. Other papers describe the effects of electrical forming on the rectifying barrier, the junction in semiconductors and transistors, the theory of Alpha for diffused junction transistors, and a high frequency diffused transistor. The last chapters consider unipolar, analog, and thin film transistors This book will be of value to physicists and researchers in the allied fields.

  • Island Arcs

    Japan and Its Environs
    • 1st Edition
    • A. Sugimura + 1 more
    • English
    Developments in Geotectonics, 3: Island Arcs: Japan and its Environs focuses on geophysical and geological characteristics of island arcs. The book first reviews the geophysical and geological features of island arcs, including topography, crust and upper mantle structure, seismicity, direction of principal stresses of earthquakes, crustal deformation and fault systems, and geological structure. The distributions of Cenozoic volcanoes and hot springs, petrology of volcanic rocks, magnetic fields, and anomaly of electrical conductivity are also discussed. The publication also takes a look at the Cenozoic history of the Japanese Islands relative to the formation of island arcs. The Quaternary tectonic movements of Japan are reviewed. The text ponders on the processes under island arcs, such as generation and ascent of primary magma; convection current descending under island arcs; island arc tectonics and oceanic ridge tectonics; and mechanical process inferred from seismic wave radiation. The text is a valuable reference for geologists and readers interested in island arcs.

  • Biological Oceanographic Processes

    • 3rd Edition
    • Timothy R. Parsons + 2 more
    • English
    This revised edition of a popular textbook is written for students, physical oceanographers, engineers, hydrologists, fisheries experts and a number of other professionals who require quantitative expressions of biological oceanographic phenomena. It is designed to lead the reader, step by step, through a progression from the distribution of marine organisms, to discussions on trophic relations, to a final chapter on some practical applications of biological oceanography to fisheries and pollution problems. The book covers subject matter in the pelagic and benthic environments, and is intended to bridge the gap between entirely descriptive oceanography texts and works on the mathematical modelling of marine ecosystems.

  • Beginner's Guide to Gemmology

    • 2nd Edition
    • Peter G Read
    • English
    Beginner's Guide to Gemmology presents the profiles of the principal gem materials. This book discusses the interesting characteristics of gemstones as the growing consumer market jewelry resulted in increased sales of gem testing instruments. Organized into 12 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the development of the science of gemmology. This text then explains the fundamental qualities necessary in a gem, including color, hardness, specific gravity, crystallography, refractive index, pleochroism, critical angle, luminescence, and absorption spectra. Other chapters consider the organic gem materials, including amber, ivory, coral, tortoiseshell, jet, ebony, and pearl. This book discusses as well the various methods used in the production of man-made gemstones and the commercial use in gem testing. The final chapter deals with the composition of synthetic gemstones. This book is a valuable resource for gemmologists and jewelers. Students who intend to become a qualified gemologist will also find this book extremely useful.

  • Transformation of Petroleum in Nature

    International Series of Monographs in Earth Sciences
    • 1st Edition
    • P. F. Andreev + 2 more
    • Dean Earl Ingerson
    • English
    Transformation of Petroleum in Nature is a a comprehensive account of the thermodynamic principles governing petroleum transformations in nature. Topics covered range from the dependence of petroleum properties on geologic-geochemical conditions to processes of spontaneous alteration of organic matter. A considerable section of the book is devoted to the thermodynamic transformation of hydrocarbons. Comprised of nine chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the connection between the properties of petroleum and its geologic age, as well as the basic aspects of the natural phenomenon and the many observed deviations from this basic phenomenon. The role played by a number of catalysts in connection with the transformable material is also considered, along with geochemical transformations of petroleum during the process of migration into the reservoir rocks. Subsequent chapters focus on the phenomenology of spontaneous transformation processes of organic matter; thermodynamics of low-temperature transformation of hydrocarbons; oxidative transformations of petroleum in nature; and the significance of clays in the formation and conversion of petroleum in the earth's crust. The thermocatalytic transformations of heterogeneous organic compounds are also analyzed. This book will be of interest to petroleum geologists and geochemists.

  • Nuclear Geophysics

    Selected Papers on Applications of Nuclear Techniques in Minerals Exploration, Mining and Process Control
    • 1st Edition
    • C.G. Clayton
    • English
    Nuclear techniques are critical in the exploration for oil and in the control of oil wells, and intrinsic to uranium exploration. This volume includes comprehensive review articles by internationally eminent scientists and engineers, on a wide variety of techniques and applications in the area of nuclear geophysics, including important new techniques and equipment being developed for use in the metalliferous and industrial minerals industries. Also included is a description of neutron interaction methods now being introduced to give a total elemental analysis, calorific value and ash-content, on-line.

  • Advances in Hydroscience

    Volume 1
    • 1st Edition
    • Ven Te Chow
    • English
    Advances in Hydroscience, Volume 1 considers the physical theories and mathematical analyses of a broad spectrum of specialized subjects in various branches of hydroscience, including hydrodynamics, hydrology, hydrochemistry, hydrophysics, hydrobiology, hydrometeorology, oceanology, hydrogeology, naval science, and water resources. This book contains five chapters, and begins with a presentation of scientific and engineering advances in the field of sonar and hydroelasticity. The following chapter deals with the fundamental principles and concepts of statistical hydrodynamics in porous media and their significance in various engineering applications. These topics are followed by a discussion on the concepts of theoretical incompressible fluid dynamics, with a special emphasis on the field of hydroballistics. The last chapter provides first a brief introduction to the basic principles and fundamental equations of well hydraulics, followed by a survey of its importance to water economy in arid and semiarid regions of the world. This book will be of great value to research workers and practitioners in the interdisciplinary field of hydroscience.

  • Seawater: Its Composition, Properties and Behaviour

    Prepared by an Open University Course Team
    • 2nd Edition
    • John M. Wright + 1 more
    • Gerry Bearman
    • English
    Seawater: Its Composition, Properties and Behaviour provides a comprehensive introduction to marine science. This book is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1 summarizes the special properties of water and the role of the oceans in the hydrological cycle. The distribution of temperature and salinity in the oceans and their combined influence on density, stability, and vertical water movements are discussed in Chapters 2 to 4. The fifth chapter describes the behavior of light and sound in seawater and provides examples of the application of acoustics to oceanography. Chapter 6 examines the composition and behavior of the dissolved constituents of seawater, covering minor and trace constituents and major ions, as well as dissolved gases and biologically important nutrients. Residence times, speciation, and carbonate equilibria are also deliberated. The last chapter provides a short review of ideas about the history of seawater, involvement of the oceans in global cycles, and their relationship to climatic change. This publication is beneficial to oceanographers and marine biologists, including students that are interested in marine science.

  • Hydrogen Power

    An Introduction to Hydrogen Energy and Its Applications
    • 1st Edition
    • L. O. Williams
    • English
    Hydrogen Power: An Introduction to Hydrogen Energy and its Applications explains how hydrogen is produced, used, and handled and shows that the use of chemical hydrogen power has enormous advantages as an energy storage, transport, and use medium. Organized into seven chapters, this book first describes the chemical and physical properties of hydrogen. Subsequent chapters elucidate the current industrial uses of hydrogen, methods of producing hydrogen, and hydrogen transportation and storage. Hydrogen safety and environmental considerations are also addressed.

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