Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

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Book SynopsisThe idea of designing and building quieter pavements is not new, but in recent years there has been a groundswell of interest in making this a higher priority. Various State Highway Agencies and the Federal Highway Administration have responded accordingly with both research and implementation activities that both educate on the state-of-the-practice, and advance the state-of-the-art. This book aims to educate the transportation industry, and in some cases the general public, about the numerous principles behind quieter pavements, as well as summarising the Long-Term Pavement Performance programs and its major activities.

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Book SynopsisAntarctica is the planet''s fifth largest continent. It contains the Earth''s largest (of two) remaining ice sheets and is considered to be one of the most important scientific laboratories on Earth. Changes in the area and volume of the two polar ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland are intricately linked to changes in global climate, and could result in sea-level changes that could severely affect the densely populated coastal regions on Earth. This book explores the global, environmental and economic issues facing Antarctica including topics such as: species diversity of Antarctic mysids; volatile chlorinated hydrocarbons in Antarctica; the levels and trends of organochlorine pesticides in Antarctica; volcanoes in the northern Antarctic Peninsula area, remote sensing of solar influence on Antarctic terrestrial climate by GPS observations and others.

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Book SynopsisDuring the last decade, researchers working within the field of biologically active compounds were attracted to finding new compounds, materials and methods that could be used toward the protection of human health and environment, along with the preservation of cultural heritage from various microorganisms, viruses and fungi. The actuality of this problem was stressed at the 41st congress of IUPAC devoted to these and related topics. Many actual aspects on creation of new compounds were discussed, materials and methods capable of more effective solving of the aforementioned problems. The topics that are discussed in this book encompass novel bioactive systems for human and environmental protection and preservation of cultural heritage from the microorganisms'' and fungi attacks. Also presented are the results of theoretical and experimental investigations conducted by the experienced scientists from different countries, along with the mechanistic comprehension of their performance under various experimental conditions.

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Book SynopsisThe rise of living standards and the deterioration of thermal conditions in the urban environment are mainly responsible for the increase in the energy consumption in buildings. Low energy design of urban environment and buildings in densely populated areas requires consideration of a wide range of factors, including urban setting, transport planning, energy system design and architectural and engineering details. Furthermore, sustainability has acquired great importance due to the negative impact of various developments on the environment. This book focuses on ways to reduce building energy consumption by designing buildings which are more economical in their use of energy for heating, lighting, cooling, ventilation and hot water supply. Furthermore, people living in developed countries are exposed to many physical and mental stresses caused by the urban environment, including air, water and ground pollution. Various trails concerning the domiciliary environment are discussed to support and promote human health in indoor conditions, such as those involving the use of fewer chemicals in buildings. This book also details the establishment of negatively-charged indoor air conditions and investigate their biological effects. Other chapters in this book include a study of methods on how to reduce the energy consumption in different kinds of school buildings, findings on a new generation of decision-making tools for estimating the environmental effects on residential property value and methods on how to reduce airborne contamination in hospital buildings.

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Book SynopsisWhy the word Meltdown in the title of the book? With the world heating up, bush fires wiping out whole communities, money markets and economic systems collapsing, mining operations replacing quality farming land, factory chemicals poisoning the waterways, the natural environment being destroyed, and whole societies being displaced, we are indeed witnessing a meltdown. People are now very concerned and some are afraid for their futures. Does the human race, or at least sections of the populations in different countries of the world hold beliefs about, and attitudes towards, social and ecological issues such as climate change and futurist scenarios that are apocalyptic? In a completely different vein, are they prepared to take action about their environmentally unfriendly behaviours? Are all the natural disasters that have beset the world in the past decade an indicator that the world is about to end, particularly coupled with famine, war and pestilence, and lately the breakdown in the global economic systems, all having been prophesised by different seers and religious leaders? This book is timely and in some ways timeless; the issues discussed within its pages are matters that are of interest to all people across the world and really across time. In this book, there are a number of chapters that focus on the theoretical positions and cognition about fears and concerns for the future, in different segments of the world''s population. There are other chapters that describe nature''s situation as it is today, with water shortages, threats of sea-level rise, loss of forests, habitats and wildlife in various parts of the globe. These chapters demonstrate the complexities involved in attempting to understand which aspects relate to climate change, which aspects are distinct from climate change, and indeed which aspects were already in existence, but have been, and will be, exacerbated by climate change influences. The four basic elements of life - fire, water, earth and air - are covered by contributions on bush fires, floods, drought, water shortages, and air pollution.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents an overview of plant physiology and the routes of contaminant uptake as well as the potential benefits and limitations of using soil amendments to enhance phytoextraction. While amendments can offer some benefits for contaminant removal from soil, their influence is often dependent on factors such as site conditions, contaminants present and plant species involved. Implementation of phytoremediation technologies, as with other remediation approaches, remains site-specific and therefore requires an understanding of these factors.

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Book SynopsisA tsunami is a series of water waves that is caused when a large volume of a body of water, such as an ocean, is rapidly displaced. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explosions, landslides, bolide impacts, and other disturbances above or below water all have the potential to generate a tsunami. Furthermore, Tsunamis and storm surges have killed more than one million people, and some three billion people live with a high risk of these disasters that are becoming more frequent and devastating world-wide. This book presents field survey results on tsunami arrival times, wave run-up heights, inundation distances and damage to properties on beaches due to tsunamis. The main injuries of survivors (i.e., aspiration and trauma) are also analysed. Effects of coastal forests on tsunami run-up heights are discussed as well. Other chapters in this book highlight topics such as tsunamis and poisonous gases generated by asteroid impact in the Black Sea, tsunami simulation research, coastal protection measures for tsunami disaster reduction, case studies from the Sri Lanka tsunami, tsunami monitoring and detection, and early warning systems.

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Book SynopsisHumankind is under the permanent influence of the geological environment. Roles of some geological biotropic factors, such as volcanic explosions, strong earthquakes, and geochemical anomalies, have been well studied. Little is known about biotropic effects of the Earth''s fluid degassing, geomagnetic activity, natural background radiation, fluid migration and gas emission within fault zones, mild seismicity, cyclicity of tectonic and climatic processes, etc. This book is the first attempt to synthesise the interdisciplinary knowledge on all geogenic factors influencing humans, society, and civilisation. The book consists of two parts. The first part represents the state-of-the-art in the field of geo-bio-interactions. The second part of the book introduces particular examples of the influence of the geological environment on the biosphere and anthroposphere. The scientific intrigue of the book resides in the fact that most geogenic biotropic factors are functions or manifestations of two "meta-agents" -- the deep degassing of the Earth and the geomagnetic field -- which are generated by processes in the liquid outer core.

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Book SynopsisIn the 21st century, the fate of the environment has become a critical issue in both developed and developing countries throughout the world. The environment is considered the surroundings in which an organism operates, including air, water, land, natural resources, flora, fauna, humans and their interrelation. Water pollution, poor air quality, global warming, acid rain, ozonosphere hole, etc., these issues are featured regularly in our newspapers, news reports and TV programs. Pollution has been used quite freely for many years without a clear definition, and it is generally accepted that environmental pollution can be defined as the contamination of air, water, or soil in such a manner as to cause real or potential harm to human health or well-being, or to damage or harm non-human nature without justification. The purpose of this book is to document the latest research in this field.

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Book SynopsisWeathering involves important processes that alter the original structure, texture and chemical components of a granitic rock. The changes in mineralogical and chemicals properties of the rocks as a result of weathering can be studied by means of a number of chemical and petrographic techniques. This paper evaluates some chemical indexes as indicators of the weathering state of granites used in ashlars and to establish the correlation between these indices and the index physical properties of the rocks such as rock density and porosity. Additionally, numerical modeling of mineral deposition from hydrothermal solutions and fluid-rock interaction is used to outline the main regularities of the formation of hydrothermal veins and related metasomatic alteration of wall rocks. This book examines the conditions of fluid flow evolution and geological environment during hydrothermal system activity derived from the data on mineral assemblages in the veins and altered rocks. Furthermore, this book focuses on the tectonic and geological settings, analytical methods, petrographical characteristics, geochemical features, mineralogy and mineral chemistry of the volcanic rocks in the Central Anatolia. Other chapters explain the hydraulic evolution of Tinos, Panormos Bay ore fluid associated with Au-Ag-Te mineralisation and the biological and ecological aspects of the littoral system, composed by bedrock, boulders and cobbles. Furthermore, two types of degradation processes that are affecting some pictographs have been discovered and are described in this book. The information obtained is fundamental to undertake appropriately the conservation of these fragile works of art.

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Book SynopsisEcotourism can be conceptualised as a reconciliation of tourism and environmentalism. The environmentalist dimension of ecotourism involves environmental education and financial support of nature conservation. Extensive and intense human activity has altered the balance of ecosystems to the detriment of the natural environment. The movement of people, capital, goods and services has caused different types of ecosystem changes, including deforestation. Marine ecotourism offers contemporary attractive alternatives to marine resource use within marine protected areas (MPAs). This book reviews our current state of knowledge on the development, effects and management of ecotourism in MPAs, identifies factors affecting the appropriateness, success and sustainability of ecotourism in MPAs, and highlights research and practice priorities in the future. Also summarised in this book are the documented impacts of recreational uses on the coastal marine environment of the Mediterranean. These range from the impact of recreational boating on seagrass meadows, the effects of scuba-diving on hard-sessile benthic invertebrates, and the possible disturbance of marine mammals by whale and dolphin watching activities. Other chapters in this book analyse the current state of the art of ecotourism in Cameroon, an overview of present status quo of ecotourism and its educational activities with its utilisation of wild animals in Japan, the effects of coastal ecotourism and water quality in the Yucatan Peninsula and the impact of tourism management on a population of infant monkeys. The findings suggest that tourism leads to high levels of stress, aggression and infant loss at this site. Several recommendations are offered to minimise harmful effects to help ensure that natural behavioural patterns are fostered.

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Book SynopsisOperator fatigue and sleep deprivation have been widely recognised as critical safety issues that cut across all modes in the transportation industry. However, there are a number of additional safety issues that plague drivers in a variety of vehicles. This book examines the safety issues that affect many types of transportation, such as improvements to drug testing programs in order to promote motor carrier safety, driver fatigue research, driver factors in fatal bus crashes and the role of driving-hours on driver fatigue. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisWhen Josephine Knowles left for the Klondike gold fields with her husband in 1898, she didnt know she would be facing a constant battle with cold, disease, malnutrition, and the ever-present possibility of death. With quiet determination, she resolved to survive, to endure each fresh hardship without complaint, and to be of service to the community around her. Gold Rush in the Klondike is Knowless true story of her year in the Yukon territory, a revealing, never-before-published personal memoir of day-to-day life at the height of the Klondike Gold Rush. Written in a clear, forthright, nineteenth-century style, Gold Rush in the Klondike presents terrifying struggles against a hostile environment, picturesque descriptions of an untouched Arctic wilderness, and Knowless keen observations of men and women on the frontier. A Victorian gentlewoman of refinement, Knowles found herself among swearing, whoring, sometimes violent miners, whom she won over with her grit and compassion. Deciding to never moralize or condemn, Knowles writes frankly of the intense hardships that drove miners into lives of drink and dissipation and the frontier women who were forced to make stark choices between prostitution and starvation. Knowless adventures include encounters with author Jack London (Knowles firmly disapproved of Londons cruel mistreatment of his sled dogs), nursing miners during a typhoid outbreak until she fell ill herself, witnessing savage fights among the miners, dangerous travel through the mountain passes and river rapids of the Yukon, and a daring surreptitious visit to a gambling saloon. Amid all hardships, Knowles formed warm relationships with the mining community, for, as she put it, All the diseases and other troubles had knitted us into one large family. Illustrated with period photographs, Gold Rush in the Klondike is an invaluable historical document of a lost time and place and an admirable portrait of one womans determination in the face of danger.

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Book SynopsisThe Pacific coast is the most iconic region of California and one of the most fascinating and rapidly changing places in the world. Densely populated, urbanized, and industrializedand also home to complex, fragile ecosystemsthe coast is the place where humanity and nature coexist in a precarious balance that is never perfectly stable. This is a dramatic snapshot of the California coasts past, present, and probable future in a time of climate change and expanding human activity. Written by two marine experts who grew up on the coast, The Edge is both an appreciation of the coasts natural and cultural uniqueness and a warning of the changes that threaten that uniqueness. As ocean levels rise, coastal communities are starting to erode, and entire neighborhoods have been lost to the sea. Coastal ecosystems and wildlife that were already stressed by human settlement now face new dangers. Fisheries, oil drilling, recreation, housing and environmental advocates compete to define the future of the region. A masterful and sweeping synthesis of environmental and social science, The Edge presents a comprehensive portrait of the history, people, communities, industries, ecology, and wildlife of the coast.

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Book SynopsisIn May 2014, the mountaineer and scientist John All fell into a crevasse near Everest and took a series of videos as he struggled to climb out 70 feet of ice and snow with fifteen broken bones - including 6 cracked vertebrae, internal bleeding, a severely dislocated shoulder, and his face covered in blood. The videos of him went viral and appeared in newscasts all over the world: CNN, BBC, Australia, Brazil, Israel, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, etc. and every website imaginable - from People Magazine to National Geographic. NPR called him "a badass for science."Yet this story is only the latest of All's adventures. He's also won a footrace for his life with a wild hyena, stepped on a black mamba in the African bush, and scaled Everest - all in pursuit of his true passion: the future of adaptation to our world's changing climate. Icefall is more than a fascinating adventure story-it is a report from the extremes, which hold new lessons about the impact of climate change. It is about the collapsing Andean glaciers, the hidden jungles in Honduras where native people have learned about surviving hurricanes, and the highest points on earth, where more scientific secrets lie. The result is a thrilling adventure memoir with profound lessons for how humans will adjust as our world continues to change beneath our feet.

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Book SynopsisChina has been very successful in developing its economy in the past 30 years. However, the severe environmental deteriorations associated with the rapid economic growth have generated serious concerns. Strong efforts and significant achievements have been observed in the work of environmental protection in China. This book explores the present environmental quality and pollution emission trends in the past as well as current protection efforts in China today.

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Book SynopsisThe dynamics and mechanisms of a monsoon is one of the most spectacular global phenomena of nature. Climate change could influence monsoon dynamics, cause poor summer precipitation, and delay the start of monsoon season. This book discusses the impact of monsoons from the normal or even slight deviations in the light of country economics, agricultural production, water availability, and hydroelectric power generation. Also discussed in this compilation is the methodical aspects of an avalanche mechanism and the electrical breakdown of gases.

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Book SynopsisLightning balls are very rare natural phenomena that appear as free floating glowing globs, usually during electric activity in the atmosphere of the Earth. Each year, hundreds of eyewitness accounts of such strange events are reported to local journals, police and even military authorities. This book also discusses, extraterrestrial lightning detected so far on the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Venus, which are attributed to intracloud lightning. An overview of the results of Schumann resonance and ELF studies obtained during the last decade are explored and educational computer simulations of lightning and associated thunders is reviewed.

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Book SynopsisThe Okavango Delta, a globally renowned wetland, is characterised by a mosaic of meandering watercourses, floodplains and islands, and is home to a variety of wildlife and vegetation species. It is a major source of livelihoods for the local communities and also an important attraction for tourism, the second most important economic activity in Botswana after diamonds, contributing 5% to the gross domestic product (GDP). As a globally renowned Ramsar Site and major tourist attraction, the Okavango Delta is a resource of national, regional and international importance. This book examines the results of empirical micro-level studies undertaken in the Okavango Delta and contributes to the formulation of relevant policies for sustainable development in the Okavango Delta.

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Book SynopsisThe Corps is responsible for dredging sediment from waterways to maintain shipping routes important for commerce. One dredge type, a hopper dredge, performs much of the dredging in ports and harbours, and the Corps uses its own fleet of hopper dredges and contracts. In 2003, GAO examined the Corps'' hopper dredging program and made recommendations to improve its management. GAO was asked to review changes to the program. This book examines actions the Corps has taken to address GAO''s 2003 recommendations for improving the information needed to manage its hopper dredging program and develop cost estimates for industry contracts; effects since 2003, if any, of the statutory restrictions placed on the use of the Corps'' hopper dredges; and key challenges, if any, the Corps faces in managing its hopper dredge fleet.

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Book SynopsisOver the past 60 years, the world has seen gradual and hard-won progress in reducing child mortality and improving the lives of opportunities of children. Some of this is attributable to medical science, much of it to simple but effective public health measures. Even though 24,000 children continue to die each day from preventable causes, this represents a dramatic improvement, and progress continues to be made. Climate change threatens to undo all of this progress, and wipe out the gains of decades. The threat of rising sea levels, the potential loss of productive farmland and the potential threat to water supplies are all profound concerns, and threaten the well-being of children and communities around the world. This book examines the connection between climate action and the future of childrens'' health.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents and discusses research in the field of earth science, with a specific focus on the kryosphere and its relationship to the hydrosphere. Explored also are the shield volcanoes of the Siberian flood basalts and the dynamics of lava sheet formation, as well as the planetary conditions at the Hadean and Archean transition and the possible scenarios for the origin of life and oxygen genesis in the early earth atmosphere.

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Book SynopsisOngoing climate change will significantly change agricultural production conditions around the world in the coming decades. An early recognition of risks and implementation of adaptation strategies is crucial as anticipatory and precautionary. Adaptation is more effective and less costly than forced, last minute, emergency adaptation or retrofitting. This book presents topical research data in the study of climate change adaptation, including climate change in the arctic regions of Russia; adaptation measures in protecting mangroves from climate change; emission reduction potentials for various transport modes and the impact of climate change on crop selection.

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Book SynopsisAntarctica is a magnificent display of interaction between air and the various phases of water in a pristine environment. This interaction has led to the formation of many unique features over the Antarctic continent. Antarctica is now emerging as an important key in the understanding of global and environmental concerns. Its unique features have provided scientists with special opportunities to investigate the origin of the continents, pollution at the global level, ozone hole healing and changes in the global climate. However, lack of scientific data remains a major problem for researchers in many areas of Antarctic science. This book fills the gaps in the process of understanding Antarctic science.

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Book SynopsisManagement and restoration of river ecosystems are based on an understanding of the relations between physical, chemical and biological processes at varying time scales. This book examines river ecology, disturbances of the ecology and restoration strategies. Topics discussed include the social side of river management; historical change and management of the floodplain forests of the Middle Elbe River; pollution, water quality, toxic contamination and fish health of the Volga River and the relationship between river management and economic growth in urban regions.

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Book SynopsisIn 2010 the total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in the United States was $277 billion. This represents the present value of lifetime economic costs for 32,999 fatalities, 3.9 million non-fatal injuries, and 24 million damaged vehicles. These figures include both police-reported and unreported crashes. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is charged with improving the safety of our Nation''s roadways. The agency accomplishes this by regulating vehicle safety performance, enforcing existing safety requirements, and promoting programs that influence driver behaviour. This book describes the process, assumptions, and methods used by the agency to estimate the impact of its safety regulations and behavioural programs on fatality rates, and measures the impact of these programs on those rates.

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Book SynopsisThe increasing use of cellular phones has served as a catalyst for growing interest in driver distraction in recent years. While the use of cellular phones poses a significant and increasing risk to roadway safety, studies show that it represents a relatively small proportion of a bigger distraction program. This book examines current knowledge on driver distraction to help state and local governments formulate effective policies, regulations and laws relating to this challenging issue.

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Book SynopsisThere is increasing recognition of the numerous and important services that ecosystems provide to human populations, such as flood protection, water purification, and climate control. Protecting ecological systems and services is part of the EPA''s core mission. This book describes how the EPA can use an "expanded and integrated approach" to ecological valuation to encourage greater collaboration among a wide range of disciplines, including ecologists, economists at each step of the valuation process.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents and discusses current research in the study of the environment. Topics discussed include biomonitoring of aquatic ecosystems; agricultural land-use in forest frontier areas; resource-based integrated land-use planning; participatory forest regeneration; phenological modelling; the use of microarrays in the study of environmentally relevant organisms; geochemistry of acid mine drainage and thoughts for stream restoration.

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Book SynopsisTransportation infrastructure has a significant meaning for the economic growth, the mobility of labour, the opportunities for tendering transport services and the competitiveness of the economy as a whole. This book presents topical research in the study of transport policy, including the European Union (EU) policy on the sustainability of transport and policy goals; public transit service quality evaluation for a sustainable transportation system; urban structure and transport; policy and market-based mechanisms towards a green and sustainable transport and policies of railway interoperability.

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Book SynopsisThis series covers leading-edge research in a cross-section of fields focusing on the environment including current research data on the management and conservation of lake ecosystems; plastic bag recycling in waste management; lichen communities of the montane quaking aspen forests; developing motor vehicle emission inventories and air quality regulation for ultrafine particles and bioremediation of aquatic systems polluted by oil.

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Book SynopsisForests are enormously important to mankind. They not only supply essential harvestable products, but also ornamental landscapes, regulate climate, hydrology, mineral cycling and soil erosion. Over the last few decades, crucial changes have taken place in the views and demands on forests by society at large. In this book, the authors present topical research in the study of forestry ecology and policy. Topics discussed include forest management in Finland and Sweden; forestry-related GPS research; forestry trade and population growth in the Philippines and forestry education towards ecological civilization.

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Book SynopsisEngineers and scientists work to secure water supplies for potable and agricultural use. They evaluate the water balance within a watershed and determine the available water supply, the water needed for various needs in that watershed, the seasonal cycles of water movement through the watershed and they develop systems to store, treat and convey water for various uses. This book presents current research in the study of water engineering including the methods and approaches of groundwater investigation, development and management; industrial wastewater treatment using cavitational reactors and the Fenton process; acquifer characterization using slug tests; water cluster ion beam processing and sustainable water engineering for vulnerable communities in Colombia.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents and discusses research in the field of earth science, with a focus on the dynamics of continental deformation with regard to rifting and plate tectonics; archaeological charcoal signals from Upper Paleolithic sites; olivine and its role in chemical evolution and in the origin of life; Great Lakes ecology, conservation and management; volcanic ash soils in Taiwan; finite half-space models of the oceanic lithosphere and manifestations of upwelling mantle flow on the Earth''s surface.

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Book SynopsisCleaner Production is an emerging field of research that comprises concepts and methodologies from different disciplines in a problem-oriented manner. Research efforts are often concentrated in a variety of sectoral domains, and for understanding the global change, which embraces a variety of processes on several scales, a variety of environmental and sustainability aspects can be addressed. This book includes contributions from researchers from various countries for the development of Cleaner Production. Divided into three sections, the book addresses national experiences for the implementation of CP programs, research related to the metrics used to assess the effects of CP initiatives in the production sector and discussions that emerge before and after the implementation of these programs.

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Book SynopsisThis book examines the issues raised by the use of dispersants in the Deepwater Horizon spill. Dispersants change the distribution, not the amount, of oil within a marine environment. They are chemicals typically applied directly to oil on the water surface in order to break the oil into small droplets that can then mix with water below the surface. Discussed in this compilation is how well the government handled the dispersant issues it faced in the absence of necessary scientific information and pursuant to a regulatory regime that had failed to anticipate this kind of problem, and in light of lessons learned from this experience, how government procedures and existing laws might be improved to allow for sounder decisions regarding the use of dispersants in the future.

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