Book Description

A quick reference to the planet's driest regions.

Deserts is an abundantly illustrated handbook that examines the fascinating eco-systems of 49 major deserts. Studying the history of deserts improves our understanding of the climatic conditions that create hostile environments. Deserts are located on every continent -- including Antarctica. The book covers each with concise descriptions and quick-reference symbols and charts that display vital statistics such as average rainfall and temperatures, and expanse.

Deserts are defined by their aridity and this lack of water results in conditions that are hostile to flora and fauna, prevent soil, and cause extreme swings of temperature.

For instance, equatorial deserts can experience drops from 122°F during the day to less than -13°F at night.

Some deserts are very old -- the Kalahari has existed for 65-135 million years. Others are relative newcomers -- the Sahara was Africa's Land-o-Lakes until the last Ice Age.

Seven North American deserts are featured: Sonora, Anza Borrego, Death Valley, Gran Desierto de Altar, Mojave, Great Salt Lake, and Great Basin. ... Read more

Book Description

Comet and Asteroid Impact Hazards explores the anticipated consequences of comet and asteroid impact. It presents the first computer simulations of the hazards of comet and asteroid bombardment of a populated Earth. Previous estimates of fatality and damage rates on the 100 to 10,000 year time scale are shown to be too low because they neglect rare, highly lethal outriders of the populations of bombarding objects, those with exceptional strength, unusually low entry velocity, and near-horizontal entry angles. This is the first realistic assessment of both the mean casualty rate and the expected statistical fluctuations in that rate. A breakdown of fatality and damage rates by impactor energy and compositional class suggests lessons for both asteroid search strategies and interdiction techniques.
This book is written so that anyone with college level experience in the physical sciences can understand it. It includes a disk that allows the reader to simulate impact catastrophes. It serves as a useful resource in various physical sciences courses such as astronomy, planetary science, and environmental science.

* Quantatively rigorous treatment of the state of impact hazard prediction, including stuctural blast damage, firestorm ignition, tsunami generation
* Realistic treatment of the impact on population, composition, and orbits
* Attention to economic and public policy issues of warning, interdiction, and asteroid and comet search strategies
* Comparison of simulation results to historical records
* Detailed and realistic Monte Carlo simulation software included ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Excellent Book but the Software presents a Hassle
The text is an excellent and scholarly treatment of the subject. Itis very detailed, quite factual, thoughtfully constructed and verythought provocating. It generates a lot of interest in the includedMonte Carlo impact/fatality model.

Unfortunately, the attached model program is very difficult to use. It is written in native GW-BASIC which can only be read by GW-Basic running under DOS (not a Windows shell). One needs to find a copy of GWBASIC and a DOS boot disk to convert HAZARD5.BAS to ASCII format. Once in ASCII it will run in the more common QBASIC in Windows. In short, it presents an unnecessary hassle. Indeed, there were no instructions to do the conversion and Michael Paine and his web site .... came to the rescue with detailed instructions and some refinements to the model.

Wow!
Dr. Lewis makes a compelling case for the reappraisal of comet and asteroid impacts. This book is lucid, sharp, and, well, SCARY. I strongly recommend it to all readers curious about these potentially cataclysmic events; when you understand the energy involved in one of these impacts, and the effects on human populations it becomes clear that we are currently just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs were 65 million years ago. I also recommend Rain of Iron and Ice for the popular science audience. It is an equally compelling, and also entertaining, read. Worth every penny.

Devastating impact!
Of all the hazards facing Earth, impacts are the most dangerous. Their effects can be devastating over the entire surface of the planet.

I enjoyed the comparison of simulation results to historical records and the attention to economic and public policy issues of warning, interdiction, and asteroid & comet search strategies. David Egge's paintings (in the color section) are awesome.

Keep your eye on the sky!

Simulate asteroid and comet impacts on your PC
This book by Planetary Scientist John Lewis includes a diskette with a Monte Carlo program to run simulations of Earth impacts over time. The book is basically a handbook for the software with a wide range of physical information about NEOs, impacts and effects on the human population. An excellent resource covering physics, chemistry and environment. I can recommend it to anyone studying the possible influence of impacts on civilisation. Over thousands of years airburst events like Tunguska turn out to be important sources of fatalities and yet they leave little or no physical evidence so information about the danger is unlikely to be reliably passed from generation to generation.

Note that the program requires GW-BASIC to run To run the program in a higher version of BASIC such as Quick Basic you will need to convert it from binary to ASCII format from within GW-BASIC. To do this load the program in GW-BASIC (F3 path/filename.BAS) then save it with the ASCII option set (F4 path/new_filename.BAS , A ). This is all subject to the copyright conditions of course. ... Read more

Book Description

From the acclaimed author of Life and Trilobite!, a fascinating geological exploration of the earth's distant history as revealed by its natural wonders.

The face of the earth, crisscrossed by chains of mountains like the scars of old wounds, has changed and changed again over billions of years, and the testament of the remote past is all around us. In this book Richard Fortey teaches us how to read its character, laying out the dominions of the world before us. He shows how human culture and natural history-even the shape of cities-are rooted in this deep geological past.

In search of this past, Fortey takes us through the Alps, into Icelandic hot springs, down to the ocean floor, over the barren rocks of Newfoundland, into the lush ecosystems of Hawai'i, across the salt flats of Oman, and along the San Andreas Fault. On the slopes of Vesuvius, he tracks the history of the region down through the centuries?to volcanic eruptions seen by fifteenth-century Italians, the Romans, and, from striking geological evidence, even Neolithic man. As story adds to story, the recent past connects with forgotten ages long ago, then much longer ago, as he describes the movement of plates and the development of ancient continents and seas. Nothing in this book is at rest. The surface of the earth dilates and collapses; seas and mountains rise and fall; continents move.

Fortey again proves himself the ideal guide, with his superb descriptions of natural beauty, his gripping narratives, and his crystal-clear, always fascinating scientific explanations.
Here is a book to change the way we see the world. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Down Into Earth
This is a wonderful book.As Senior Paleontologist at the Natural History Museum in London, Professor Richard Fortey has an area of great expertise that overlaps into Geology.He has a talent for teaching in an entertaining and painless manner. As you read this book, you learn a lot of material, often presented to you in the context of an interesting story.Importantly he develops in you an understanding of plate tectonics while telling you about the great controversies in Geology.Plate tectonics answers many questions about the natural phenomena that control the world where we live. In only 405 pages, you get a terrific trip around the world, from the Alps to the rocks in Central Park in New York City, from volcanoes to earthquakes, from England to Japan, India, Africa and North and South America.When you read this book, be aware that under the inside cover in the front of the book is a map of the around-the-world trip that Richard Fortey takes you though as a summary "World View" in the last chapter of his book.Also be aware that under the back cover is a list of the names of the major geological periods of Earth, with the millions of years they cover, and with the major phenomena that mark these periods. Occasional quick reference to this table is very helpful for orientation as you go on this marvelous exploration with Professor Fortey.The descriptions of places are colorful and include important people, past and present. Throughout you feel the love Richard Fortey feels for this science.He has written two related books, of which this one might be considered the third in a trilogy, but this one stands on its own.I do think that I enjoyed this book greatly because I had read previously his books "Life" and "Trilobite!." However, I think that you can get a terrific experience out of reading this book by itself, and can enjoy the other ones more in the future.

An ode to the imagination
This book is an ode to the imagination, flowing equally into scientific and literary channels. Endlessly instructive regarding the geology of the earth, it is also a pure literary delight. Fortey rivals such other nature writers as Thoreau and Muir in his ability to depict nature in a manner that weds descriptive power with evocative expression.

It could have used for the sake of the geologically unsophisticated reader a few more illustrations. Perhaps in the next edition?

A delightful ramble through geological history
I have totally changed my mind about this book. At first I thought it
was a disorganized ramble through earth's geological history, but I
found I could not put this book down. As I worked my way thorugh this
book, I came to appreciate the writer's skill and insight. This book
is a delightful read, and in some ways you feel you are right there
with him chipping away at some pre-cambrian volcanic intrusion. I can
easily imagine that Fortey would be a most entertaining traveling
companion on one of his many forays into the field.

Not only is this an entertaining book, but it is informative also. It
lacks the dry style of a textbook, but instead it brings you into the
field. The author has also managed to pepper his account with
innumerable insights and asides that I had never heard of before.

I heartily endorse this book and regret the previous, premature,
review I wrote (I penned it when I had the flu).

All Around the World, All Under the World, All Inside ...
"This is where things get really interesting."This sentiment, from a chapter on the Alps in _Earth: An Intimate History_ (Knopf) by Richard Fortey, describes how geological layers, normally oldest at the bottom and newest at the top, can get flipped by one mass of rock being thrust upon another.It might just as well apply to hundreds of ideas in these pages.The book is a fascinating summary of where geology stands now, as a relatively new science which has been completely remade on the foundation of plate tectonics, just as biology has only recently been founded on evolution."It is not faith that moves mountains; it is tectonics," Fortey insists.He does not directly confront those who would misuse science to "prove" an Earth less than 10,000 years old; the real science from real geologists, of course, overwhelmingly indicates an age of billions, not thousands, of years.But he understands the impulse: "Let the time go into the millions, and beyond, and the insignificance of our own sector becomes patent."Somehow, this is an insignificant insignificance.Billions of years of continental plates shoving each other around on our planet did eventually bring forth a creature that could understand that process.The history of how that understanding came about, as told here, is a proud one, full of human errors and pride, but powered by that admirable human trait of curiosity."Rocks do not lie," Fortey tells us."They do, however, dissemble as to their true meaning."Demonstrating the meaning, and clearing away the dissembling, is what this book expertly accomplishes.

One of the sacred locales of the science of geology mentioned here is the Temple of Serapis near Naples.It now consists of three huge columns, each composed of one single piece of marble.They are discolored about four meters above their pedestals, and the discoloring comes from the boring of a destructive type of mollusk.This means that the temple (actually a marketplace) was constructed and then was somehow lowered into the sea, whence it arose again.It was Charles Lyell who realized that the columns could be read to understand the movement of the Earth and that rocks reflected changes by fire, water, ice, and animals.Lyell's _Principles of Geology_ changed the way people thought of the age of the Earth and how the lands were formed, and it profoundly influenced the ideas of the young Charles Darwin.Fortey takes us to the temple, up Vesuvius, along the San Andreas Fault, to the Grand Canyon, and more, at each point showing the stones and layers and describing how they got there.He includes fascinating details, like the work of researchers who are, in a minuscule way, reproducing the enormous heat and pressure of the inner Earth to examine the extraordinary physics and chemistry there.He tells of the streets of Kalgoorlie, Australia, which were literally paved with gold; the miners who dug up the shiny yellow metal didn't realize that the waste rock they brought up contained gold compounded with tellurium.When they did realize it, there was a second gold rush.He mentions a bar at Paddington Station, where the counter is made of a slab of granite from the Precambrian times.Always a genial guide, with a humorous, curious, and philosophical outlook on the large mass of material he presents here, Fortey reflects that anyone who has missed a train can at least reflect at the bar "...that is 1,500 million years old and reflect that half an hour is not a serious delay."

Rockin' round the world
Studying geology can be fun.Trips across the world, meeting new people, sharing insights and resolving mysteries of Earth's processes.There is, of course, the downside.Lava flows that shred boots, impossibly complex rock formations and bays that simply disappear during a seven-year interval between visits.If you have a writing gift, as Richard Fortey does, you can impart all these aspects of the science to a wide audience.This book does that admirably - and Fortey's not even a geologist!

Fortey's study of fossil trilobites has led him far afield.Since those bizarre creatures persisted for over three hundred million years, their remains are well distributed in both time and space.In studying them, Fortey has made the entire planet his backyard.That intimacy and his wide vision combine to produce this matchless work.From the opening pages he combines human history and the Earth's antics in an evocative theme.Vesuvius, that town killer, becomes a symbol of the dynamics of the world beneath our feet.Volcanoes also produce rich soils, luring humans up their slopes to plant crops.That juxtaposition typifies how geology has driven human society.

Geology, Fortey reminds us, is a young science, as active as the world it studies.He traces the thoughts of investigators over the past centuries.Through that time, two aspects of the Earth's dynamics eluded them.How fast was the planet cooling and what caused the bizarre formations they studied?It took physics, not geology, to solve the first - radioactive elements kept the interior hot.The second, plate tectonics, resolved most of the second.The notion that the crust "floats" on a sea of magma led to better understanding of deep processes.Plate tectonics, in Fortey's view, is the key to unlock nearly all geology's basic question.It explains "suspect terrain" and anomalous mountain formation.It also demonstrates why some areas are earthquake and volcano prone.Charles Lyell's "uniformitarianism", Fortey stresses, is basically correct.We can't observe directly many of the forces shaping the world.

What shapes the world, Fortey, continues, shapes our lives as well.How much of our history is due to Africa's pushing northward into Europe?What forced the ancient peoples of the Western Hemisphere to create their unique societies?Is the landscape of Southern Asia a foundation for the famous Silk Road?Tilting landscapes give us our rivers and the communities established on their banks.How many times has the Mississippi drowned towns, or abandoned them to isolation?Fortey keeps us aware of how our existence is shaped by the rocks beneath us.

With sets of stunning colour photographs and drawings to enhance the finely crafted text, this book's worthy of your attention.Fortey is always a compelling read, and this book stands among his best.[stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada] ... Read more

Book Description

Islands have always been fascinating places, their separateness evoking a sense of mystery and inspiring a yearning for exploration. California's islands are unique evolutionary laboratories, places where plants and animals have grown and interacted in isolation for millions of years. This comprehensive book discusses both the human and the natural history of the islands of California, including all eight Channel Islands, Ano Nuevo, the Farallons, and the islands of San Francisco Bay. It is also useful as a field guide for visitors, and details on reaching the islands are contained in the first chapter.

The authors explore the formation of the islands; discuss the history of human habitation, beginning with the Native Americans who first visited the islands 12,000 years ago; and provide a thorough introduction to the marine and terrestrial biotas of the islands.The authors also discuss past damage and ongoing threats to island ecosystems, including devastation caused by the introduction of nonnative animals and plants. Large herbivorous animals in particular have caused considerable damage, since island plants evolved in the absence of herbivores and therefore have no defenses against them.

At present all of California's islands are managed by conservancies and public agencies such as the National Park Service and State Park system, and various environmental organizations are working with them to return the islands to their original condition.

"This is a rich slice of information about California's islands --and so complete that it includes the less-well-known Farallon and San Francisco Bay islands. The authors' well- chosen language, style, approach, organization, and illustrations combine to carry one along like a raft passenger on a fast-moving river. I highly recommend it." --Michael G. Barbour, author of California's Changing Landscapes

"This book is the best source easily available to those interested in the California islands' natural history. It gives a good overview for beginning students and the uninitiated, and enough details for more advanced audiences."--Lyndal Laughrin, Director, Santa Cruz Island Reserve, University of California

"Rich in biological fact and historical anecdote, this book takes us into worlds that are made dynamic by geological, evolutionary, and human events. It shows how lively and eventful California's natural landscapes really are."--Peter Steinhart, author of The Company of Wolves ... Read more

Book Description

Earth Systems: Processes and Issues is the ideal textbook for introductory courses in earth systems science and environmental science. Integrating the principles of the natural sciences, engineering, and economics as they pertain to the global environment, it explains the complex couplings and feedback mechanisms linking the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere. An impressive group of internationally respected researchers and lecturers have brought together a vast wealth of teaching experience to produce this fully integrated environmental textbook. It has been designed for the wide range of courses at the first-year university level which touch upon environmental issues: in earth and atmospheric science, environmental science, biological science, oceanography, geography, civil engineering, and social science. Each chapter includes a reading list of the most important references, and problem sets will encourage students to explore the subject further. This text will favorably influence the future development of environmental studies and earth system science. ... Read more

Book Description

This definitive new book should appeal to everyone who produces, uses, or evaluates scientific data. Ensures accuracy and reliability. Dr. Taylor's book provides guidance for the development and implementation of a credible quality assurance program, plus it also provides chemists and clinical chemists, medical and chemical researchers, and all scientists and managers the ideal means to ensure accurate and reliable work. Chapters are presented in a logical progression, starting with the concept of quality assurance, principles of good measurement, principles of quality assurance, and evaluation of measurement quality. Each chapter has a degree of independence so that it may be consulted separately from the others. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Quality Assurance of Chemical Measurements
This book is a valuable reference for quality managers and analysts in the laboratory. It covers many topics concerning quality assurance, and is easy to read and understand. It offers a good overview of the principals involved in a laboratory quality program. ... Read more

Book Description

See the sky as you never have before. Using a series of his awe-inspiring images, photographer and scientist John Day--who has a Ph.D. in cloud physics and is known round the world as "The Cloudman"--introduces us to earth's great skyscape. His spectacular portfolio of pictures captures a variety of cloud forms and shapes, ranging from cottony-soft cumulus clouds to frightening, whirling funnels, as well as a number of optical effects seen in the heavens above. Rainbows, halos, coronas, flashes: all these and more elements in nature's magic show appear on the page, including the incredible "Parhelia" or sun pillar, shafts of bright light that stretch from the ground right up into the sky.A magnificent cloud chart; an explanation of how clouds form; hints on forecasting, observing, and photographing clouds; and his "Ten Reasons to Look Up" show us how to use our "inner eye" to really see the familiar fleeting forms that seemto float effortlessly above.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

A fine tribute to clouds by a veteran weatherman
The many photos making up the bulk of this book (some already seen on his popular website), are presented in a structured way that shows their features and beauty and significance. Dr John Day (know as cloudman) has been practising and teaching about meteorology for longer than most of us have been around. His text is brief, and his style is aimed both at beginners and those who already have some understanding and interest in weather. His chapter on the history of the naming of clouds make up the final section. ... Read more

Book Description

This book provides readers with an Earth system perspective and engages them in active learning and inquiry about their home planet. It contains readings, questions, and exercises that will cultivate a greater appreciation for the planet Earth and its inhabitants, and demonstrate how relevant Earth Science is to our lives and communitiesRecurring themes—interactions of spheres, scale, cycles, energy, humans and the earth system—are woven throughout the five chapters which cover an introduction to the earth system, geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and cosmosphere.For anyone who wants to explore the science of the Earth. ... Read more

Book Description

This book describes a major method in modeling the flow of water and transport of solutes in the subsurface, a subject of considerable interest in the exploitation and preservation of water resources. The stochastic approach allows the uncertainty that affects various properties and parameters to be incorporated in models of subsurface flow and transport. These much more realistic models are of greater use in, for example, modeling the transport and buildup of contaminants in groundwater. The book is a valuable reference work for graduate students, research workers and professionals in government and public institutions, and for those interested in hydrology, environmental issues, soil physics, petroleum engineering, geological engineering and applied mathematics. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (2)

the BEST field guide for North Pacific cetaceans
This manual contains the technical information necessary for distinguishing similar species at sea. Numerous black-and-white photos show all important field characteristics. Detailed analysis of the field characteristics separating the various large Balaenopterids is especially useful. Species which have been recorded as accidental are also included. Updating information about the presence of Hyperoodon (or Indopacetus??) in Pacific waters near the equator would be useful, although photos of 'unidentified' Ziphidae are included. This is the only book I take out with me for field cruises.

An useful guide
This is an excellent book for those who are looking for a guide for whalewatching. But it is more technical than the average, which is good in some cases. FOr me it was very useful when going to sea, because I wanted detailed information, but other people look only for pictures. Which is the only problem here, because they are all in black and white. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the 1996 publication of Translational Control, there has been fresh interest in protein synthesis and recognition of the key role of translational control mechanisms in regulating gene expression. This new monograph updates and expands the scope of the earlier book but it also takes a fresh look at the field. In a new format, the first eight chapters provide broad overviews, while each of the additional twenty-eight has a focus on a research topic of more specific interest. The result is a thoroughly up-to-date account of initiation, elongation, and termination of translation, control mechanisms in development in response to extracellular stimuli, and the effects on the translational machinery of virus infection and disease. This book is essential reading for students entering the field and an invaluable resource for investigators of gene expression and its control. ... Read more

Book Description

Whenever a volcano threatens to erupt, scientists and adventurers from around the world flock to the site in response to the irresistible allure of one of nature's most dangerous and unpredictable phenomena. In a unique book probing the science and mystery of these fiery features, the authors chronicle not only their geologic behavior but also their profound effect on human life. From Mount Vesuvius to Mount St. Helens, the book covers the surprisingly large variety of volcanoes, the subtle to conspicuous signs preceding their eruptions, and their far-reaching atmospheric consequences. Here scientific facts take on a very human dimension, as the authors draw upon actual encounters with volcanoes, often through firsthand accounts of those who have witnessed eruptions and miraculously survived the aftermath.

The book begins with a description of the lethal May 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens--complete with an explanation of how safety officials and scientists tried to predict events, and how unsuspecting campers and loggers miles away struggled against terrifying blasts of ash, stone, and heat. The story moves quickly to the ways volcanoes have enhanced our lives, creating mineral-rich land, clean thermal energy, and haunting landscapes that in turn benefit agriculture, recreation, mining, and commerce. Religion and psychology embroider the account, as the authors explore the impact of volcanoes on the human psyche through tales of the capricious volcano gods and attempts to appease them, ranging from simple homage to horrific ritual sacrifice.

Volcanoes concludes by assisting readers in experiencing these geological phenomena for themselves. An unprecedented "tourist guide to volcanoes" outlines over forty sites throughout the world. Not only will travelers find information on where to go and how to get there, they will also learn what precautions to take at each volcano. Tourists, amateur naturalists, and armchair travelers alike will find their scientific curiosity whetted by this informative and entertaining book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A most excellent book on volcanoes
I recommend this book most highly. It is well-organized, easily read by anyone with a high school education and a limited scientific background, and all-encompassing on the subject of volcanoes. The latest developments in volcanic petrology, pyroclastic flow study, caldera formation, supervolcanic eruptions and their horrific consequences, and the like are superbly covered. Additionally, the book contains excellent narratives of nearly all significant late 20th Century eruptions, such as Pinatubo, El Chichon, St. Helens, and Paricutin. The research is copious, and the results highly accurate.

The book has been well-proofed, with the pleasurable consequence that distortive prose, inaccurate figures, and like blips are virtually non-existent. A fellow reviewer has stated that plate tectonics is not well-covered, but this writer's view is that the scope of the book lies beyond such basics. Anyone unfamiliar with basic volcanological concepts should first read "Teach Yourself Volcanoes", and then move into this book.

Again, I enjoyed this book to the hilt, and would prize it above most other books on the subject. I strongly believe it is the best non-technical book on the subject.

one thumb up, one thumb down
I found that this book has some positives and negatives: Positives: 1. the authors have compiled a wealth of information about volcanoes all over the world: Mt. St. Helens catastrophe, planes flying over eruption clouds, eruption accounts from Krakatua, etc, etc. 2. For a geologist like me, when we study about volcanoes, we tend to forget the human factor, not only hazards, but also how it affects agriculture, tourism, etc. Which I think this book pinpoints very well. Negatives: 1. The book doesn't flow: lots of information, but in my opinion disorganized. Except for the chapter about Mt. St. Helens, I didn't understand the point that the authors were trying to make (or probably there was no point, and it was just a plain description). 2. Any time you touch a scientific subject, you are immersed in having to use scientific terms. Since this book is trying to reach a general audience (I think), it will benefit a lot by having a glossary. 3. Some chapters are really weak, like the one that talks about plate tectonics. Plate tectonics is the driving force of volcanoes (mostly) and should have more emphasis on the book, and be explained in more simple terms. 4. The decimal metric system is used throughout the book. This is good when you are writing a paper to publish on a specialized journal, but not for a book aimed at general audiences. The equivalence in the English system should probably go in parentheses.

Neither too little or too much
Neither too little or too much, Volcanoes: Crucibles of Change is the best volume I have ever read on Volcanology. Written for the intelligent layperson, the book never talks down to its reader or loses them in mult-semicolon sentances of unintelligble jargon as so many other books by scientists do. If you want the latest theories on volcanoes, this is th book for you. I was especially surprised by how many dormant/active volcanoes there are in the lower 48. And as one who has flown from the U.S. to Japan, the chapter on planes and volcanoes was both fascinating and scary.

Great Book
A brilliant book for any volcanoholic. I am a geology student hoping to proceed to volcanology, and thoroughly enjoyed this book just for the sake of a good read on a great subject.

A terrific book about volcanoes and people.
This book is enjoyable to read: a great narrative that covers a wide range of topics about volcanoes: famous eruptions, effects on climate, how they provide resources, how they can adversely affect us, and more. The text has a lot of depth, but is cohesive and flows well. The diagrams are nicely done too. At the end of the book, the reader finds many helpful resources for volcano tourism. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is devoted to the derivation and application of simplified bioclimatic boundary conditions at vegetated land surfaces using natural selection of vegetation characteristics driven by productivity maximization. It investigates the internal control of forest growth by the vertical fluxes of light, CO2, water vapor, and heat within the canopy, as well as the external control offered by the balances of thermal energy and water. Through these means it seeks to determine how the physical characteristics and productivity of forest communities are related to the climates and soils in which they are found. Ecohydrology bridges the fields of hydrology and ecology and proposes new unifying principles derived from the concept of natural selection. It also has potential application in determining the response of vegetation to slow variations in climate and will provide fascinating reading for graduate-level students and research scientists working in ecohydrology, hydroclimatology, forest ecology, and surface water hydrology. ... Read more

Book Description

Electric green pierced by neon blue, shocking pink spinning into violent red, and shimmering purple sidled up against deep indigo: never before have you seen such high-octane colors in the sky, and never before has a book shown the northern lights—aurora borealis—in such vivid color. In Northern Lights, photographers Calvin Hall and Daryl Pederson bring to print nearly a hundred photographs of this amazing natural phenomenon, shot from remote locations all over Alaska and using no filters or digital enhancement. Just as fascinating are the legends, myths, and science surrounding this polar phenomenon, described by George Bryson. As 2002 marks the peak viewing time of the northern lights in an eleven-year cycle, this book brings the elusive magic of the northern lights to stargazers near and far. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A beautiful coffee table book!

This one was given to me as a gift by an Alaskan friend, and I shall cherish it. It is an absolutely awesome collection of photographs of the Northern Lights, with accompanying text describing the legends, myths and theories surrounding the phenomenon.

The typography and layout are first-class, and the whole project is an absolutely flawless collection of photographs and prose relating to the Aurora Borealis.

What an exquisite gift, Ted!

Joseph Pierre,BR>
author of The Road to Damascus and other books

In a word...Awesome!
This spectacular collection of Aurora Borealis photographs is absolutely breathtaking. Daryl Pederson and Calvin Hall have captured the essence of the mysterious wonders of the Northern Lights with their combined abilities. Having lived in Alaska we have long admired the rare talents of Mr Pederson. My husband and I own many of his prints and continue to enjoy them daily. We most definately will order some from this offering. This book is a must for everyone who appreciates the visual splenders displayed by the Aurora Borealis or just loves to look at georgeous photography. ... Read more

Book Description

Covering all traditional topics in comfortable depth, this text presents a process-oriented approach to understanding how Earth systems work. Emphasis is placed upon understanding fundamental principles and concepts over memorizing terminology. The authors' vision of Earth as a "planet in process" reinforces throughout the text the dynamic properties of Earth's systems. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Delaware Water Gap, where the Delaware River cuts through the Appalachian Mountains, is a bucolic and peaceful landscape perhaps best known as the setting of Edward Hicks's famous painting, The Peaceable Kingdom. However, the calm landscape conceals the tortuous geological history of this region and the equally complex debates concerning the geological past of the eastern United States.

In Basin and Range, McPhee traveled across the United States with a strong proponent of plate tectonics. In this volume, he travels over some of the same terrain with Anita G. Harris, a geologist who questions the ability of plate tectonics to completely explain the geology of this part of the world. Asalways, McPhee conveys the brilliant enthusiasms of those he profiles and the engaging complexity of the disciplines within which they work.

This is the second of four books on North American geology by McPhee, collectively entitled Annals of the Former World. The other volumes are Basin and Range, Rising from the Plains, and Assembling California. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Terrain or terrane
This book is filled with scientific terms straining the general reader's capacity to follow the narrative. Wonderful, clear-speaking John McPhee's lurching off into geology is analogous to Doris Lessing losing her readers in science fiction yarns. Fortunately most of us have been to New York City or have spent time traveling Route 80. Changes do not come in a slow steady march in geology. Geologic time is punctuated by catastrophes. Geology repeats itself. Geology is named for Gaea, daughter of Chaos says McPhee's informant, Anita Harris. The right bedrock, the right angle of deep caused the pond of boulders in Hickory State Park, Pennsylvania to be formed. Geologists are detectives. Road cuts are incredibly useful to them. Without them they are reduced to drilling holes straight down and studying streams. Streams and rivers form later than rock. The limit of glaciation in New York City is reflected in the subway system. The book is rich and informative. It is organized around the career of and the author's travels with Anita Harris, a wholly reasonable focus for the study.

Fire and Ice......
In Suspect Terrain by John McPhee details the geology of Interstate 80 from the Delaware Water Gap to the state of Indiana. Primarily concerned with the formation of the Appalachians, the intrusion and withdrawal of vast inland seas, and the impact of widespread glaciation, the book introduces us to Anita Harris, a geologist who is less enamored of plate tectonic theory than most. Though far from discounting the theory altogether, Harris, through McPhee, displays for the reader several "tectonic" inconsistencies prevalent in the Appalachian region.

As in Basin and Range, a previous work, McPhee brings a traveler's commentary and an historian's insight to the scientific discussion making geology, perhaps, more enticing to the layman than anyone who has come before him. Indeed, were all science so artfully presented us commonfolk might have a better grasp of that which can often confuse and intimidate. I thoroughly enjoyed In Suspect Terrain and look eagerly forward to other McPhee efforts.

state of the art - now 20 years ago
This is an excellent book, in which McPhee follows an original and stolid geologist on her job and records her musings and concerns with her science. It is written in absolutely luminous prose, with a clarity that can only be called perfect. As he travels with the geologist, ideas keep cropping up that are explained and examined, sometimes adding historical context, such as the long passages on Agassiz. I enjoyed the flow of the narrative and it held my interest completely, indeed I was in awe of his writing talent.

In my reading, there were two principal scientific ideas. First, McPhee lets the geologist question the pervasive acceptance of plate tectonics, that is, how it is now the first explanation that geologists seek to advance, which may mean that they do not seek alternative explanations when appropriate. More specifically, the geologist accepts the theory for oceanic plates, but not the land/continental versions. She chafes against the preference of many young geologists to create micro-plates for every new unexplained phenomenon, a kind of reductionism that may be similar to that used by proponents of "heavenly spheres" to explain the motions of the planets prior to Kepler and Newton. Second, McPhee goes over the notion of glacial ice flows and what they explain about the current landscapes. As I was quite ignorent of these theories except in the crudest outline, I learned a lot from this. What I cannot do is evaluate whether, after 20 years, this book is outdated, which it almost certainly is.

Beyond those 2 issues, the reader also gets to know how geologists work and think, which was equally fascinating and pleasurable for me. THere are long passages on a technique that the geologist developed - using the teeth of long-disappeared marine worms to date and evaluate the conditions of the sediments in which they appear - that are clearly explained. Nonetheless, the level of the reasoning and vocabulary can at times be technical and was sometimes beyond my level: those "teeth" above are called conodonts, which I happened to know about from a Gould essay; otherwise, I would have found use of that word confusing, as I did many others that are explained perhaps once. THat made the book quite dense and necessary to re-read in certain sections, which is not a criticism so much as an indication of the experience the reader should expect.

Warmly recommended.

All in one ZIP code . . . ?
Whatever drove John McPhee to writing of geology should be found and packaged. It would find a ready market in university science departments. This finest of American essayists produced a series of exemplary books on how North America came to be. His journeys gleaning the information he provides us, traversed the continent, chiefly along an Interstate highway, examining roadcuts, adjacent outcrops and surrounding mountains. His guides were America's foremost geologists, their work often hiding them from the public gaze. McPhee brings them into view, relating their work, their personalities, their accomplishment through unmatched descriptive prose.

In this book, McPhee teams up with geologist Anita Harris in touring the eastern mountains of North America from the coast to the southern shores of the Great Lakes. The journey is far more than the examination and cataloging of rocks. McPhee has elsewhere expressed his sense of history with peerless ability. Here, he extends history to deep time as he and Harris examine the formation of the Appalachian Mountain chains. The lithic record, as might be imagined, is hardly clear-cut. Rock formations are jumbled, twisted, folded over in a confusing testimony to the Earth's action in forming continents. McPhee, in the beginning, is as confused as the rocks - and the reader. Harris, with admirable patience, explains the rocks and what they express, helping McPhee, and us, to see their history. "I haven't worked at this level since I don't know when," she says of his novice status. Her knowledge and his prose skills manage to advance our knowledge painlessly. The rocks, however, daunt their efforts to paint a uncomplicated picture.

When the idea of plate tectonics emerged in the 1960s, McPhee explains, it was a revolutionary view of our planet. Replacing the older "drying, wrinkling apple" scenario, plate tectonics provided an elegant, sweeping picture of continental forming. Within a decade, the North American Plate, the Pacific Plate, the Eurasian Plate took places in the niches of our memories. Schools quickly adopted the new science, supported by expressively illustrated textbooks. "Continental drift" became a "buzzword" in jokes, advertising, and other memetic devices. To Anita Harris, this ready acceptance blinded even geologists to the truly complex record of the area she dubs "suspect terrain." Through McPhee she shows us that "a given place will have been at one time below fresh water, at another under brine, will have been mountainous country, a quiet plain, an equatorial desert, an arctic coast, a coal swamp, and a river delta - all in one ZIP Code." All this activity, no matter how anciently derived, requires explanation. Harris reminds him that "geology" is derived from Gaea, the daughter of Chaos. Recounting the source of Appalachian land forms remains an unfulfilled task.

Along with continental movement are the vagaries of weather. Mountain building is always associated with erosion, McPhee reminds us. He goes on to describe the effects of the greatest eroder of them all, the three kilometre thick ice sheets that pushed Canadian diamonds into Indiana. Along with gemstones, the glaciers bore a cargo of rocks and soil acquired in their journey southward. The "suspect terrain" this bears marks of ice, volcanic activity, unexplained mountain building and oceanic advances and retreats. It may not be a pretty picture, but in McPhee's descriptive hand, its fascination is endless. For learning geology or simply to bask in superior writing skills, this book is outdone by only one means - more John McPhee.

Superb naturalist
McPhee writes elegantly plain English. He finds awesome beauty under foot, in vistas, and in words. His fine and pleasing writing deftly evokes the prodigious forces that shaped the landscape along Interstate 80 from Brooklyn to Chicago. McPhee is a magician: he makes deep geological time come so alive you can almost feel the earth move under your feet as it responds to the titanic forces of shifting continents, water, and ice.

McPhee writes epitomes of geological processes: here glacial forms (and diamonds!) in Indiana, there the Delaware Water Gap, or fossil thermometry by his "tour guide" Anita Harris, frank embarrassments to plate tectonics, Appalachian mountain making, petroleum cooking, or again the Ice Ages. This paean to nature, without mysticism, is printed in an old fashioned typeface on quality paper. It has no maps, sections, or illustrations. If you indexed the somewhat non-linear text yourself, this would be an instructive companion to take along on your next trip on eastern Route 80 (or an entire traverse of America if you add the other three books in McPhee's impressive "cross-section" of North America: Rising from the Plain, Basin & Range, Assembling California). ... Read more

Book Description

Groundwater Science is a timely, current, and comprehensive presentation of groundwater hydrology that integrates chemistry, physics, geology and calculus. With the input of students and other hydrology instructors, the author has developed a text reference that will be appreciated by students and professors alike.

* Provides an accompanying Web site (http://www.academicpress.com/groundwater) with sample data sets for problems, and links to groundwater sites and public domain software
* Integrates up-to-date material on field methods and flow modeling methods
* Covers recent contamination topics including non-aqueous-phase liquids (NAPLs), complex solute transport processes, and remediation
* Presents clear explanations, two-color figures, case studies, and worked examples throughout
* Solutions manual for all end-of-chapter problems is available to faculty who adopt the text ... Read more