Book Description

This volume, derived from the 1999 International Tsunami Symposium, presents a unique look at the state of tsunami research at the end of the 20th century. It displays recent progress both in data recovery and reconstructions of historical tsunamis and in detail examination of recent disasters. It shows the tsunami community using both traditional methods of data gathering - searching archives and attempting to simulate past events - and integrating modern technologies - side-scan sonar, GPS, global communications, supercomputers - in the quest to understand tsunamis and improve mankind's ability to mitigate the disastrous consequences of these unpredictable and unstoppable events. It chronicles recent advances in mitigation efforts while illuminating the continuing need for increased efforts. The papers range from descriptive texts for the non-specialists to fairly technical discussions for those familiar with tsunami research.Audience: This book will be of interest to researchers and graduate students involved in natural hazards research, physical oceanography, seismology, environmental impact assessment and risk assessment. ... Read more

Book Description

An introductory guide to global magnetic field properties, Earth Magnetism addresses, in non-technical prose, many of the frequently asked questions about Earth's magnetic field. Magnetism surrounds and penetrates our Earth in ways basic science courses can rarely address. It affects navigation, communication, and even the growth of crystals. As we observe and experience an 11-year solar maximum, we may witness spectacular satellite-destroying solar storms as they interact with our magnetic field. Written by an acknowledged expert in the field, this book will enrich courses in earth science, atmospheric science, geology, meteorology, geomagnetism, and geophysics. Contains nearly 200 original illustrations and eight pages of full-color plates.

* Largely mathematics-free and with a wide breadth of material suitable for general readers
* Integrates material from geomagnetism, paleomagnetism, and solar-terrestrial space physics.
* Features nearly 200 original illustrations and 4 pages of colour plates ... Read more

Book Description

Even those who have not had the privilege of seeing auroras know that there is something magical about them. But few of us understand why or how they occur. What brings the night sky to life with these curtains of light? What makes them dance and swirl? Where do they come from, and what do they mean?

Since ancient times, people have pondered these questions. Could the polar lights be invoked as healing spirits for shamans? Could they rescue souls from death? Were they visions from God - a divine warning that foretold calamity and bloodshed on earth? Throughout the ages, the sheer magnificence and eerie grandeur of the aurora have evoked both fear and wonder.

As beguiling as the auroral legends are, however, the scientific explanation for the lights is no less awe-inspiring. In clear, intelligent text accompanied by dozens of archival illustrations, diagrams, and color photographs, Candace Savage explores the myth and science behind the aurora. She reveals the surprisingly common threads in the auroral traditions of distant cultures and follows the long, colorful and sometimes fractious path that led scientists to the contemporary theory about the lights.

Savage cuts through the morass of geophysical data and mathematical formulae to give us a lucid and fascinating account of how the lights happen. The modern explanation, only serves to increase our sense of awe and mystery about a phenomenon that is our link to vast, uncontrollable, and unseen forces that shape the universe. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A historical and scientific look at the Aurora
Ms Savage does a very credible job of introducing the Aurora Borealis to the average person. The book begins with historical interest in the aurora and how different peoples view the lights and works its way up to the modern day physics of the lights. Interspersed throughout the book are wonderful photos of the lights and pithy quotes. This book is a must for anyone who enjoys the aurora and wants to know more about it. The one short coming of the book was the tendancy of Ms. Savage to be a little long winded at times. Shorter explanations and more pictures would have really made this book perfect. As it stands, however, the book is well worth the purchase price, if only to adorn your coffee table. ... Read more

Book Description

Extensively revised and updated, this new edition of David A. Rothery's acclaimed geological guide to the outer solar system includes results and close-up color and black and white images from the 1995-1999 Galileo mission to Jupiter and from the Voyager space probe. Rothery, a noted planetary scientist, explains the geological aspects of the major satellites of the outer planets, from Jupiter to Neptune to the Pluto-Charon system. In particular he shows how tectonic and volcanic processes, driven by heat from within, have shaped the rigid outer layers of these planets. Rothery also discusses the similarities and differences among these planets, and reveals how they resemble Earth-like planets. This fascinating book is written in an introductory style ideal for first- or second-year college courses. Amateur geologists and astronomers will also find its insights rewarding. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Geological Processes that Shaped the Outer Planet's Moons
Though the number of pages in this book may seem a bit small to provide a good explanation the geological processes that shaped and are still shaping the moons of the outer planets, the author does an excellent job of doing just that. Excluding the Moon and the two small satellites of Mars, this book covers all the planetary satellites (moons) of our solar system. The book does include the latest findings (as of 1999) from the Galileo space probe.

The first quarter of the book describes in quite some detail, at least for the non-geologist, the different theories that have been used to classify these planetary bodies. The remainder of the book, excluding the conclusion section, is divided into three parts: dead worlds, recently active worlds and active worlds. Each of the moons falls into one of these categories and a detailed description of each moon is provided in its corresponding section. Each section also includes high resolution Voyager and Galileo photographs and shade relief maps.

After finishing this book, I came away with the idea the solar system is a very geologically diverse place and there is a lot we don't know. Even the author, in several places was willing to admit to that. ... Read more

Book Description

There is hardly a field of science or engineering that does not have some interest in light scattering by small particles. For example, this subject is important to climatology because the energy budget for the Earth's atmosphere is strongly affected by scattering of solar radiation by cloud and aerosol particles, and the whole discipline of remote sensing relies largely on analyzing the parameters of radiation scattered by aerosols, clouds, and precipitation. The scattering of light by spherical particles can be easily computed using the conventional Mie theory. However, most small solid particles encountered in natural and laboratory conditions have nonspherical shapes. Examples are soot and mineral aerosols, cirrus cloud particles, snow and frost crystals, ocean hydrosols, interplanetary and cometary dust grains, and microorganisms. It is now well known that scattering properties of nonspherical particles can differ dramatically from those of "equivalent" (e.g., equal-volume or equal-surface-area) spheres. Therefore, the ability to accurately compute or measure light scattering by nonspherical particles in order to clearly understand the effects of particle nonsphericity on light scattering is very important.
The rapid improvement of computers and experimental techniques over the past 20 years and the development of efficient numerical approaches have resulted in major advances in this field which have not been systematically summarized. Because of the universal importance of electromagnetic scattering by nonspherical particles, papers on different aspects of this subject are scattered over dozens of diverse research and engineering journals. Often experts in one discipline (e.g., biology) are unaware of potentially useful results obtained in another discipline (e.g., antennas and propagation). This leads to an inefficient use of the accumulated knowledge and unnecessary redundancy in research activities.
This book offers the first systematic and unified discussion of light scattering by nonspherical particles and its practical applications and represents the state-of-the-art of this important
research field. Individual chapters are written by leading experts in respective areas and cover three major disciplines: theoretical and numerical techniques, laboratory measurements, and practical applications. An overview chapter provides a concise general introduction to the subject of nonspherical scattering and should be especially useful to beginners and those interested in fast practical applications. The audience for this book will include graduate students, scientists, and engineers working on specific aspects of electromagnetic scattering by small particles and its applications in remote sensing, geophysics, astrophysics, biomedical optics, and optical engineering.

* The first systematic and comprehensive treatment of electromagnetic scattering by nonspherical particles and its applications
* Individual chapters are written by leading experts in respective areas
* Includes a survey of all the relevant literature scattered over dozens of basic and applied research journals
* Consistent use of unified definitions and notation makes the book a coherent volume
* An overview chapter provides a concise general introduction to the subject of light scattering by nonspherical particles
* Theoretical chapters describe specific easy-to-use computer codes publicly available on the World Wide Web
* Extensively illustrated with over 200 figures, 4 in color ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive and Unified volume
This is THE first systematic volume on light scattering by nonspherical particles and their practical applications. The historical foreword by van de Hulst, a legend in this area, was appreciated.

Its is up-to-date and very practical -- especially like the applications to geophysics, remote sensing, and planetary and space physics. ... Read more

Book Description

This radical revision of Professor Bullen's acclaimed and widely used text provides an introduction to modern seismological theory, with emphasis on both the physical models and the mathematical descriptions of earthquakes and their sources. The essential core of the earlier editions has been retained, particularly the tensor treatment of elasticity, seismic wave travel-time analysis and density in the Earth, although these parts of the text have been brought up to date and expanded. The new part of the book reflects on how the study of earthquakes, seismic waves and seismic risk has been broadened in the past two decades. Thus, this edition includes introductory theory of earthquake sources, seismic wave travel through complex geological zones and viscous and anisotropic media, vibrations of the whole Earth, strong-motion seismology and earthquake prediction and risk. There is an emphasis on statistical and numerical procedures and problems of resolution in inverse theory. Modern class exercises are to be found throughout. The book assumes some background in classical physics and mathematics, including simple differential equations, linear algebra and probability theory. It will be suitable for use in undergraduate courses in geophysics, applied mechanics and geotechnology and for graduate courses in seismology and earthquake engineering. In addition, it will serve as a reference text on seismological problems for professionals concerned with earthquakes, Earth structure and wave motion. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The best summary of Seismology since Richter
Bullen and Bolt write a book which is small, but packed with information. This is a good reference book to carry with you in the field or to stock on your overcrowded shelf. ... Read more

Book Description

In the third edition of The Physics of Atmospheres, John Houghton has revised his acclaimed textbook to bring it completely up-to-date. The book provides a comprehensive concise description of the physical processes governing the structure and the circulation of the atmosphere. New chapters have been introduced on topics of strong contemporary interest such as chaos and predictability and climate change. The chapters on global observations (especially through remote sensing) and numerical modeling have also been substantially extended. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A well balanced book on Atmospheres
This book starts off with some basic principles, such as lapse rates and black-body radiation on up to atmoshperic waves, turbulance, and making short term predictions. It does well by trying to focus not just on Earth, but all the other planets in solar system. ... Read more

Book Description

Astromineralogy deals with the science of gathering mineralogical information from the astronomical spectroscopy of asteroids, comets and dust in the circumstellar environments in general. It is only recently, however, that this field has received a tremendous boost with the reliable identification of minerals by the Infrared Space Observatory. This book is the first comprehensive and coherent account of this exciting field. Beyond addressing the specialist in the field, the book is intended as a high-level but readable introduction to astromineralogy for both the nonspecialist researcher and the advanced student. ... Read more

Book Description

Boundary layer meteorology is the study of the physical processes that take place in the layer of air that is most influenced by the earth's underlying surface. This text/reference gives an uncomplicated view of the structure of the boundary layer, the instruments available for measuring its mean and turbulent properties, how best to make the measurements, and ways to process and analyze the data. The main applications of the book are in atmospheric modelling, wind engineering, air pollution, and agricultural meteorology.The authors have pioneered research on atmospheric turbulence and flow, and are noted for their contributions to the study of the boundary layer. This important work will interest atmospheric scientists, meteorologists, and students and faculty in these fields. ... Read more

Book Description

Paleomagnetism is the study of the fossil magnetism in rocks. It has been paramount in determining that the continents have drifted over the surface of the Earth throughout geological time. The fossil magnetism preserved in the ocean floor has demonstrated how continental drift takes place through the process of sea-floor spreading. The methods and techniques used in paleomagnetic studies of continental rocks and of the ocean floor are described and then applied to determining horizontal movements of the Earth's crust over geological time. An up-to-date review of global paleomagnetic data enables 1000 million
years of Earth history to be summarized in terms of the drift of the major crustal blocks over the surface of the Earth.
The first edition of McElhinny's book was heralded as a "classic and definitive text." It thoroughly discussed the theory of geomagnetism, the geologic
reversals of the Earth's magnetic field, and the shifting of magnetic poles. In the 25 years since the highly successful first edition of Palaeomagnetism and Plate Tectonics (Cambridge, 1973) the many advances in the concepts, methodology, and insights into paleomagnetism warrant this new treatment. This completely updated and revised edition of Paleomagnetism: Continents and Oceans will be a welcome resource for a broad audience of earth scientists as well as laypeople curious about magnetism, paleogeography, geology, and plate tectonics.
Because the book is intended for a wide audience of geologists, geophysicists, and oceanographers, it balances the mathematical and descriptive aspects of each topic.

* Details the theory and methodology of rock magnetism, with particular emphasis on intrepreting crustal movements from continental and oceanic measurements
* Outlines Earth history for the past 1000 million years, from the Rodinia super-continent through its breakup and the formation of Gondwana to the formation and breakup of Pangea and the amalgamation of Eurasia
* Provides a comprehensive treatment of oceanic paleomagnetism
* Provides a set of color pateogeographic maps covering the past 250 million years
* Written by two internationally recognized experts in the field ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Written by 2 internationally recognized experts.
There was a desparate need for a book pitched at the general audience -- until now.

The 1st edition of McElhinny's book was heralded as a "classic and definitive text". It thoroughly discussed the theory of geomagnetism, the geologic reversals of the Earth's magnetic field, and the shifting of magnetic poles. In the 26 years since the highly successful first edition of Palaeomagnetism and Plate Tectonics (Cambridge, 1973) the many advances in the concepts, methodology, and insights into paleomagnetism warrant this new treatment. This completely updated and revised edition will be a welcome resource for a broad audience of earth scientists as well as laypeople curious about magnetism, paleogeography, geology, and plate tectonics.

I particularly enjoyed the set of Chris Scotese's color paleogeographic maps covering the past 250 million years. ... Read more

Book Description

IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration)is the first NASA MIDEX mission and the first mission dedicated toimaging the Earth's magnetosphere. This volume offers detaileddescriptions of the IMAGE instrumentation and of the image inversiontechniques used to interpret the data. Also included are chapters onthe IMAGE science objectives, the spacecraft design and capabilities,science and mission operations, and the processing and distribution ofIMAGE's nonproprietary data products. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is intended as a textbook for courses in micrometeorology for undergraduate students (juniors or seniors) in meteorology or environmental science, as well as for an introductory graduate-level course in boundary-layer meteorology.It will also serve as agood reference for professional meteorologists, environmental scientists and engineers, particularly those interested in problems of air pollution, atmospheric-biospheric interactions, wind-engineering and engineering meteorology.

The book outlines basic laws and concepts, before using qualitative descriptions to introduce more complex theories. This new edition is updated and expanded, as are the references. Each chapter features worked-through problems and exercises. ... Read more

Book Description

Seismic waves--generated both by natural earthquakes and by man-made sources--have produced an enormous amount of information about the Earth's interior. In classical seismology, the earth is modeled as a sequence of uniform horizontal layers (or spherical shells) having different elastic properties and one determines these properties from travel times and dispersion of seismic waves. The Earth, however, is not made of horizontally uniform layers, and classic seismic methods can take large-scale inhomogeneities into account. Smaller-scale hetereogeneities, on the other hand, require other methods. Observations of continuous wave trains, known as coda waves, that follow direct S waves have shown that there are heterogeneities having random sizes scattered randomly throughout the Earth's lithosphere. This book focuses on recent developments in the area of seismic wave propagation and scattering through the randomly heterogeneous structure of the Earth, with emphasis on the lithosphere. The presentation combines information from many sources to present a coherent introduction to the theory of scattering in acoustic and elastic materials and includes analyses of observations using the theoretical methods developed.Written for advanced undergraduates or graduate students of geophysics or planetary sciences, this book should also be of interest to civil engineers, seismologists, acoustical engineers, and others interested in wave propagation through inhomogeneous elastic media. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Lucid and readable update on the Earth
Reading Shawna Vogel's Naked Earth reawakened my interest in geophysics - it's a great read, and the best overview I've seen on both the huge changes in the field recently and the arguments that have occurred. My only criticism is that some diagrams would have helped a lot, but Vogel's writing is clear enough to carry the story.

An fascinating overview of the field of Geophysics
I knew virtually nothing about Geophysics before I read this book. Having just finished the last page just a few minutes ago, I can now say I know the basis for perhaps even an introductory course in Geophysics. From this book I learned that the Earth is a living "heat engine", carefully dispensing heat through "plumes", supercontinental rifting and shifting, volcanic eruptions, hydrothermal venting, and lots more really cool stuff happening below our feet. The Earth may also be considered a "dynamo", creating a magnetic field that reverses quite mysteriously every some million years. Vogel's comprehensive overview also makes the point that it is often not possible to attribute events or features to a single cause, that not only is the Earth itself a system of amazing interior, exterior and atmospheric exchanges, but it is also part of the larger system of space...! It's a fun and easy to read, well-informed, well-researched and objective survey of the field of Geophysics today. Journalism at its best. I thank Shawna Vogel for my new understanding of this planet and its mysterious and awesome workings.

I liked this book a lot
As an explanation of geophysics Naked Earth succeeds. Ms. Vogel brings the history, theories, personalities, conflicts and politics of geophysical science in to focus. It allows those unfamiliar with the world of science to observe the give and take, the wars, the collaborations and the pure luck required in the advancement toward the truth. She shows how the merging of traditional geologic principals along with more recent theories and discoveries reveals a violent past and predicts a future of certain geologic and atmospheric upheaval. However, I must add that the last few pages of the final chapter Ms. Vogal reveals herself as a typical contemporary journalist. Ms. Vogel couldn't resist commenting on that theory that human activity could lead to climatic catastrophe due to global warming. I was enjoying the book immensely until she threw that one in. I know we've all become desensitized to blatant editorializing from the media, but in a book on geophysics? If you want an enjoyable read on geophysics in general and about some of the latest discoveries, theories and personalities in that field definitely read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This book can be used as a reference by both specialists (e.g., seismologists, earthquake engineers, and physicists) and related professionals (e.g., government officials, land use planners). Scientific issues (the physics of earthquake occurrence and implications for predictability), applications (procedures for time-independent hazard estimates, and time-dependent forecasts solidly grounded on recent progress in earthquake physics, as well as unresolved scientific questions pertaining to such estimates), and policy issues (practical measures for seismic risk reduction in Greece and Turkey, and how governments should view earthquake prediction) are comprehensively covered. Each of the eight chapters is followed by a thorough set of references to recent literature.CD-ROM with color figures is included. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Review from Natural Hazards March 2004
"This book provides a comprehensive one-volume summary of the state-of-the-art in both the basic and applied aspects of earthquake occurrence and seismic risk reduction. It can be used as a reference by both specialists (e.g., seismologists, earthquake engineers, and physicists)and related professionals (e.g., government officials, land-use planners). The volume covers scientific issues, their applications, and policy issues. Each of the eight chapters is followed by a thorough set of reference to recent literature." ... Read more

Book Description

This volume documents the contributions of the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical laboratory over a century of research dedicated to learning about the Earth. Areas of interest range from studying mineral formation beneath the surface to searching for the origins of life, and exploring space to study the chemical evolution of the interstellar medium. Field work has taken researchers from active volcanoes to ocean floors in the course of global mapping expeditions. ... Read more

Book Description

The material in this volume provides the basic theory necessary to understand the principles behind imaging the subsurface of the Earth using reflection and refraction seismology. For reflection seismology, the end product is a "record section" from a collection of "wiggly traces" that are recorded in the field from which information about the properties of subsurface structure and rock can be derived. For the most part, the principles of imaging are the same regardless of the depth to the target; the same mathematical background is necessary for targeting a shallow water table as for investigating the base of the earth's continental "crust" at a depth of 30-50 km. ... Read more

Book Description

Created by an experienced educator in the field of cartography, this lab manual was developed to train undergraduate and graduate students and professionals to extract information from images efficiently so that their interpretations are useful in their particular field. The aerial photographs and satellite images appear in color on an accompanying CD. This format allows students to zoom in on a photo up to the limit of the resolution. Each chapter contains exercises for learning how to interpret aerial photographs and other remotely sensed imagery. The exercises at the beginning of the book deal with fundamental concepts involved in working with maps and aerial images and gradually increase in level of difficulty and sophistication. Students are aided by a variety of pedagogical features, including a glossary of selected terminology, conversion tables, reproducible tools of interpretation, and land use and land cover classifications. Includes accompanying CD. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Review by Author
If you are interested in this book, please purchase the 2nd printing of the 1st edition. The quality of paper used for the black & white photos is much better than was the case in the initial printing.
The paper used for the 12 color plates was very good in both the 1st and 2nd printings. I believe the book would have sold many more copies had the paper quality been addressed properly from the outset.
Bob Arnold, PhD

Excellent lab manual for aerial photo-interpretation
Sometimes it gets a little too detailed (like mentioning the brand of pens commonly used) and the book would be easier to manage if the photos and plates were all in a separate binding (so you can read the text and look at the photos). Some computer based exercises would be good to see what direction the science is moving in. But all in all, a good introduction to aerial photograph interpretation. ... Read more

Book Description

Petroleum Geoscience is a comprehensive introduction to the application of geology and geophysics to the search for and production of oil and gas.

Uniquely, this book is structured to reflect the sequential and cyclical processes of exploration, appraisal, development, and production. Chapters dedicated to each of these aspects are further illustrated by case histories drawn from the authors' experiences. Petroleum Geoscience has a global and "geotemporal" backdrop, drawing examples and case histories from around the world and from petroleum systems ranging in age from late Precambrian to Pliocene.

In order to show how geoscience is integrated at all levels within the industry, the authors stress throughout the links between geology and geophysics on the one hand, and drilling, reservoir engineering, petrophysics, petroleum engineering, facilities design, and health, safety, and the environment on the other. ... Read more