Links between geological processes, microbial activities & evolution of life : Microbes and geology
Microbial activities influence water-rock interaction processes and chemical transport between the major geochemical reservoirs and the formation/transformation of minerals and rocks, whereas geological processes and geochemical controls influence the microbial ecology in extreme environments. How biological activity influences geological processes and what role these processes played in the geological evolution of the Earth are fundamental questions.
Light, Water, Hydrogen : The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis
The development of a direct, inexpensive, and efficient method for converting solar energy into a portable, clean fuel would allow elimination of the growing problems associated with the ever increasing use of fossil fuels and the reality of their rapid depletion. As the title suggests, Light, Water, Hydrogen: The Solar Generation of Hydrogen by Water Photoelectrolysis, considers the combination of water and light with a suitable semiconductor to achieve a safe, renewable and therefore inexhaustable means for hydrogen generation via the splitting of the water molecule, or photoelectrolysis.
Light Absorption in Sea Water
Takes a fresh, holistic approach to the problems of light absorption and absorbers in seawaters, discussing the fundamentals of light absorption at various depths in seawaters of different trophicity by absorbers of diverse origin. The authors have drawn their information from a substantial body of contemporary research results published in the subject literature (over 700 references) as well as their own work during the last 30 years. No other book presently available examines the issues of light absorption and absorbers in seawaters in such a manner. The physical and chemical properties, as well as the optical constants, of organic and inorganic suspended particulate matter (SPM), are discussed in the context of their relationship to the light absorption properties of SPM. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the phytoplankton and the pigments it contains which are particularly strong and important absorbers of visible light in the sea.
Life in the Universe : Expectations and Constraints
Energy, chemistry, solvents, and habitats -- the basic elements of living systems - define the opportunities and limitations for life on other worlds. This class-tested text examines each of these parameters in crucial depth and makes the argument that life forms we would recognize may be more common in our solar system than many assume. It also considers, however, exotic forms of life that would not have to rely on carbon as basic chemical element, solar energy as a main energy source, or water as primary solvent. Finally the question of detecting bio- and geosignature of such life forms is discussed, ranging from Earth environments to deep space. While speculative considerations in this emerging field of science cannot be avoided, the authors have tried to present their study with the breadth and seriousness that a scientific approach to this issue requires. They seek an operational definition of life and investigate the realm of possibilities that nature offers to realize this very special state of matter and avoid scientific jargon wherever possible to make this intrinsically interdisciplinary subject understandable to a broad range of readers.
Leibnizs Metaphysics of Time and Space
Leibniz’s metaphysics of space and time stands at the centre of his philosophy and is one of the high-water marks in the history of the philosophy of science. In this work, Futch provides the first systematic and comprehensive examination of Leibniz’s thought on this subject. In addition to elucidating the nature of Leibniz’s relationalism, the book fills a lacuna in existing scholarship by examining his views on the topological structure of space and time, including the unity and unboundedness of space and time. It is shown that, like many of his more recent counterparts, Leibniz adopts a causal theory of time where temporal facts are grounded on causal facts, and that his approach to time represents a precursor to non-tensed theories of time.
Layered Double Hydroxides
Both experimental and theoretical studies of nearly every aspect of the LDH structure are discussed, including the range of metal cations and interlayer anions, M 3+ /M 2+ ratios, LDH polytypes, arrangement of the "interlayer" anions and water molecules, molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulations, and the long- and short-range order in both the layers and interlayer galleries. Of especial value is the treatment of the more detailed aspects of the LDH structure that are still unresolved.
Land Use and Soil Resources
Land-use change is one of the main drivers of many environmental change processes. It influences the basic resources of land use, including the soil. Its impact on soil often occurs so creepingly that land managers hardly contemplate initiating ameliorative or counterbalance measures. Poor land management has degraded vast amounts of land, reduced our ability to produce enough food, and is a major threat to rural livelihoods in many developing countries. To date, there has been no single unifying volume that addresses the multifaceted impacts of land use on soils. This book has responded to this challenge by bringing together renowned academics and policy experts to analyze the patterns, driving factors and proximate causes, and the socioeconomic impacts of soil degradation. Policy measures to prevent irreversible degradation and rehabilitate degraded soils are also identified.
Lake Victoria : Ecology, Resources, Environment
Recently, there has been, and continues to be, a tremendous interest on Lake Victoria and its environs, both locally and internationally. A casual browsing on the Internet indicates that the entries on the Lake have been rising phenomenally. At the same time, the issues discussed are as diverse as they are varied in their treatment of the subject, both in terms of depth and comprehensiveness. The information on Lake Victoria and its environ is scattered, isolated, and sometimes confusing even though documentation on the subject are available. Despite this situation, the fact remains that various people (e. g. , secondary and universitystudents,researchers,practitioners,etc. ,)wouldliketoaccess and know more about the Lake and its environs. Aware of the existing information gap about this world’s second largest fresh water Lake, this book is intended to provide readers with up-to-date information pertaining the Lake. The book gives an in-depth coverage of environmental issues, - source endowment, poverty amidst plenty, development opportunities, challenges and other related issues facing the Lake and its environs. It aims at providing information on the above variables, which hopefully will address the needs of various users.
Kinetics of Water-Rock Interaction
Systems at the surface of the Earth are continually responding to energy inputs derived from solar radiation or from the radiogenic heat in the interior. These energy inputs drive plate movements and erosion, exposing metastable mineral phases at the Earth’s surface. In addition, these energy fluxes are harvested and transformed by living organisms. As long as these processes persist, chemical disequilibrium at the Earth’s surface will be perpetuated. Chemical disequilibrium is also driven by human activities related to production of food, extraction of water and energy resources, and burial of wastes. To understand how the surface of the Earth will change over time, we must understand the rates at which reactions occur and the chemical feedbacks that relate these reactions across extreme temporal and spatial scales. This book addresses fundamental and applied questions concerning the rates of water-rock interactions driven by tectonic, climatic, and anthropogenic forcings.
Jurisdiction of the Coastal State over Foreign Merchant Ships in Internal Waters and the Territorial Sea
Dr Yang's book deals with the port and coastal State's jurisdiction over foreign merchant ships as well as with the rights and duties of these ships in the internal waters and in the territorial sea. The international law is rather different in both situations. Despite the fact that it faces a number of issues such as, for example, a contested right of access to ports or conditions for port access requirements, the law of foreign merchant ships in internal waters has never been codified. On the other hand, already the League of Nations considered the law of the territorial sea as appropriate for codification in the 1930s. And the Geneva Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone of 1958 was indeed a codification of most rules of international law on the territorial sea known at that time.
Isotopes in the Water Cycle : Past, Present and Future of a Developing Science
This monograph presents state of the art applications and new developments of isotopes in hydrology, environmental disciplines and climate change studies. Coverage ranges from the assessment of groundwater resources in terms of recharge and flow regime to studies of the past and present global environmental and climate changes.
Isotopes in Palaeoenvironmental Research
This thorough reference shows how stable isotopes can be applied to understanding the palaeoenvironment, with chapters on the interpretation of isotopes in water, tree rings, bones and teeth, lake sediments, speleothems and marine sediments.
Climatic Changes and Water Resources in the Middle East and North Africa
The subject is described and discussed in three main chapters and different case studies.All topics in this book are complimentary and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the interactions between global climate change, world water cycle and water resources. A valuable and meaningful interdisciplinary mixture of topics is combined in this book.
Climate Change Impacts for the Conterminous USA : An Integrated Assessment
In this volume, an improved Integrated Assessment methodology is used to analyse climate change impacts on agriculture, water resources, unmanaged ecosystems, irrigation, and land use in the United States and the economic implications of these impacts. This book contains a series of papers documenting the methods, models, analysis and results of this integrated assessment for a wide ranging set of scenarios describing future climate change. Innovations described include the integration of water resource and agricultural modeling and the refinement of an agriculture and land-use economics model to incorporate results from process-level ecosystem models of agriculture, water and natural ecosystem resources. Scenarios selected for this study address a range of uncertainties associated with choice of climate model, presence or absence of a ‘CO2-fertilization effect’, impacts on international trade in agricultural commodities and their consequences for producers and consumers.
Climate Change and Technological Options : Basic facts, Evaluation and Practical Solutions
climate change focussing on technical solutions for the most important and climate relevant economic sectors is presented. It is intended for key decision makers, and administrators within industry, agricultural and energy sectors, as well as masters students and post graduates. The first of three sections covers the scientific basis of climate change and the instruments to prevent or reduce negative climate effects. It includes a survey covering current practices at different levels.It discusses evaluation methods for climate impacts from industrial processes. Climate relevant processes and measures to reduce their impact such as sequestration are defined in the final section, with the main focus being on renewable resources. Details are given on climate impacts of waste prevention, recycling and waste management as well as are proposals for every day solutions.
Chernobyl - What Have We Learned? : The Successes and Failures to Mitigate Water Contamination Over 20 Years
Twenty million people have been exposed to Chernobyl radionuclides through the Dnieper River aquatic pathways. This book presents a 20-year historical overview and comprehensive study results of the aquatic environment affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident. During this time, many water quality management practices and countermeasures were enacted. The book presents in-depth analyses of these water remediation actions, using current science and mathematical modeling, and discusses why some were successful, but many others failed. The chapter entitled Where Do We Go From Here? incorporates a comprehensive discussion of the planned New Safe Confinement (NSC) structure to cover the Chernobyl plant. The book closes with a summary and conclusions drawn from these analyses, making it a valuable reference tool for the future. This book will be of interest to engineers, scientists, decision-makers, and those involved in radiation protection and radioecology, environmental protection and risk assessment, water remediation and mitigation measures, and radioactive waste disposal. In addition, the detailed, almost day-to-day, emergency responses to the Chernobyl accident described in this book will also be useful to people developing emergency and long-term responses to accidental or intentional (by terrorists) releases of radionuclides, toxic chemicals and biological agents.
Cell Motility
Cell motility is a fascinating example of cell behavior which is fundamentally important to a number of biological and pathological processes. It is based on a complex self-organized mechano-chemical machine consisting of cytoskeletal filaments and molecular motors. In general, the cytoskeleton is responsible for the movement of the entire cell and for movements within the cell. The main challenge in the field of cell motility is to develop a complete physical description on how and why cells move. For this purpose new ways of modeling the properties of biological cells have to be found. This long term goal can only be achieved if new experimental techniques are developed to extract physical information from these living systems and if theoretical models are found which bridge the gap between molecular and mesoscopic length scales. Cell Motility gives an authoritative overview of the fundamental biological facts, theoretical models, and current experimental developments in this fascinating area.
Catalyst separation, recovery and recycling : Chemistry and process design
This book looks at new ways of tackling the problem of separating reaction products from homogeneous catalytic solutions. The new processes involve low leaching supported catalysts, soluble supports such as polymers and dendrimers and unusual solvents such as water, fluorinated organics, ionic liquids and supercritical fluids. The advantages of the different possibilities are discussed alongside suggestions for further research that will be required for commercialisation.
Carbon in the Geobiosphere : Earth's outer shell
Carbon and carbon dioxide always played an important role in the geobiosphere that is part of the Earth’s outer shell and surface environment. The book’s eleven chapters cover the fundamentals of the biogeochemical behavior of carbon near the Earth’s surface, in the atmosphere, minerals, waters, air-sea exchange, and inorganic and biological processes fractionating the carbon isotopes, and its role in the evolution of inorganic and biogenic sediments, ocean water, the coupling to nutrient nitrogen and phosphorus cycles, and the future of the carbon cycle in the Anthropocene. This book is mainly a reference text for Earth and environmental scientists; it presents an overview of the origins and behavior of the carbon cycle and atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the human effects on them. The book can also be used for a one-semester course at an intermediate to advanced level addressing the behavior of the carbon and related cycles.
Biotechnology for Odor and Air Pollution Control
An international board of authors from universities, research institutes, and industries describe various biotechnological methods ranging from laboratory, to pilot evaluation and to full-scale process implementation. Topics include bioprocesses for the treatment of odors and air pollutants in wastewater treatment plants, rendering plants, chemical production facilities, and food and flavor manufacturing facilities. In addition to the basic microbiological and engineering aspects, the design, modeling and control of bioreactors are also presented.



















