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Assessment of the Risk of Amazon Dieback
by Sebastian M. Scholz Walter VergaraThe Amazon basin is a key component of the global carbon cycle. Not only is the old-growth rainforests in the basin huge carbon storage with about 120 billion metric tons of carbon in their biomass, but they also process annually twice the rate of global anthropogenic fossil fuel emissions through respiration and photosynthesis. In addition, the basin is the largest global repository of biodiversity and produces about 20 percent of the world's flow of fresh water into the oceans. Despite the large CO2 efflux from recent deforestation, the Amazon rainforest is still considered to be a net carbon sink or reservoir because vegetation growth on average exceeds mortality. However, current climate trends and human-induced deforestation may be transforming forest structure and behavior. Amazon forest dieback would be a massive event, affecting all life-forms that rely on this diverse ecosystem, including humans, and producing ramifications for the entire planet. Clearly, with changes at a global scale at stake, there is a need to better understand the risk, and dynamics of Amazon dieback. Therefore, the purpose of the book is to assist in understanding the risk, process and dynamics of potential Amazon dieback and its implications.
Asset Management Decision-Making For Infrastructure Systems
by Alireza Mohammadi Luis Amador JimenezThis textbook provides practical and concrete guidance for the step-by-step implementation of decision-making for infrastructure asset management. Examples are used to illustrate how data from condition assessment are used to develop performance models, to estimate the effectiveness of investments that are prioritized and scheduled to accomplish reliable and convenient infrastructure for the wellbeing of the public and regional economic competitiveness. Book illustrates numerous worked problems to clarify ambiguity in developing a decision-making platform to prioritize assets and distribute budgets effectively and efficiently.Ensures reader understanding of the benefits and challenges of infrastructure asset management; Provides a step-by-step guide for the development of each component of an asset management decision-making system;Includes worked examples to clarify decision-making and budget allocation process.
Asteroid Hunters (TED Books)
by Carrie NugentFor the first time, scientists could have the knowledge to prevent a natural disaster epic in scale—an asteroid hitting the earth and in this exciting, adventuresome book, Carrie Nugent explains how.What are asteroids, and where do they come from? And, most urgently: Are they going to hit the Earth? What would happen if one was on its way? Carrie Nugent is an asteroid hunter—part of a group of scientists working to map our cosmic neighborhood. For the first time ever, we are reaching the point where we may be able to prevent the horrible natural disaster that would result from an asteroid collision. In Asteroid Hunters, Nugent reveals what known impact asteroids have had: the extinction of the dinosaurs, the earth-sized hole Shoemaker Levy 9 left in Jupiter just a few decades ago, how the meteorite that bursted over Chelyabinsk in Russia could have started a war, and unlucky Ms. Anne Hodges—the only person (that we know of) in US history to be the victim of a direct hit. Nugent also introduces the telescope she uses to detect near-Earth asteroids. Ultimately, detection is the key to preventing asteroid impact, and these specialized scientists are working to prevent the unthinkable from happening. If successful, asteroid hunting will lead to the first natural disaster humans have the know-how and the technology to prevent. The successful hunt and mapping of asteroids could mean nothing less than saving life on earth.
The Asteroid Impact Connection of Planetary Evolution
by Andrew Y. GliksonWhen in 1981 Louis and Walter Alvarez, the father and son team, unearthed a tell-tale Iridium-rich sedimentary horizon at the 65 million years-old Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary at Gubbio, Italy, their find heralded a paradigm shift in the study of terrestrial evolution. Since the 1980s the discovery and study of asteroid impact ejecta in the oldest well-preserved terrains of Western Australia and South Africa, by Don Lowe, Gary Byerly, Bruce Simonson, Scott Hassler, the author and others, and the documentation of new exposed and buried impact structures in several continents, have led to a resurgence of the idea of the catastrophism theory of Cuvier, previously largely supplanted by the uniformitarian theory of Hutton and Lyell. Several mass extinction of species events are known to have occurred in temporal proximity to large asteroid impacts, global volcanic eruptions and continental splitting. Likely links are observed between asteroid clusters and the 580 Ma acritarch radiation, end-Devonian extinction, end-Triassic extinction and end-Jurassic extinction. New discoveries of ~3.5 - 3.2 Ga-old impact fallout units in South Africa have led Don Lowe and Gary Byerly to propose a protracted prolongation of the Late Heavy Bombardment (~3.95-3.85 Ga) in the Earth-Moon system. Given the difficulty in identifying asteroid impact ejecta units and buried impact structures, it is likely new discoveries of impact signatures are in store, which would further profoundly alter models of terrestrial evolution. .
Asteroids Impacts, Crustal Evolution and Related Mineral Systems with Special Reference to Australia (Modern Approaches in Solid Earth Sciences #14)
by Andrew Y. Glikson Franco PirajnoThis book presents a comprehensive overview of Australian impact structures and related mineralization, including a discussion of the significance of many of these structures for crustal evolution. The book focuses in particular on Archaean impact ejecta/fallout units in the Pilbara Craton of Western Australia, large exposed and buried impact structures, and on the geophysical evidence for possible to probable impact structures. Thanks to their long-term geological stability, Precambrian and younger terrains in the Australian continent contain 38 confirmed impact structures and 43 ring and dome structures, many of which constitute possible to probable asteroid impact structures. The impact structures have been the subject of more than half a century of studies and range from several tens of meter-large craters to buried structures larger than 100 km in diameter. Discoveries of impact fallout units in the Pilbara Craton have defined the Pilbara as one of the two best documented terrains where Archaean impact ejecta/fallout deposits are identified, the other terrain being the Kaapvaal Craton in southern Africa. A synthesis of evidence from both cratons indicates periods of large asteroid bombardments during ~3.47 – 2.48 billion years-ago, including peak bombardment about 3.25—3.22 billion years-ago. The latter period coincides with an abrupt transformation of an early Archaean granite-greenstone crust to mid to late Archaean semi-continental crustal regimes, underpinning the significance of heavy asteroid impact events for crustal evolution. Apart from proven impact structures, Australian terrains display a range of circular features, including morphological and drainage rings, circular lakes, volcanic craters, tectonic domes, oval granite bodies, mafic igneous plugs, salt diapirs, and magnetic, gravity and seismic anomalies, many of which are of a likely impact origin. Thermal and hydrothermal processes associated with impact cratering bear important consequences for the formation of mineral deposits, such as Ni at Sudbury, Pb-Zn at Siljan and Kentland. Impact structures may also provide sites for the accumulation of hydrocarbons, whereas in some instances fracturing associated with impact structures allows outward migration of oil and gas.
Asteroseismology of Stellar Populations in the Milky Way (Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings #39)
by Andrea Miglio Patrick Eggenberger Léo Girardi Josefina MontalbánThe detection of radial and non-radial solar-like oscillations in thousands of G-K giants with CoRoT and Kepler is paving the road for detailed studies of stellar populations in the Galaxy. The available average seismic constraints allow largely model-independent determination of stellar radii and masses, and can be used to determine the position and age of thousands of stars in different regions of the Milky Way, and of giants belonging to open clusters. Such a close connection between stellar evolution, Galactic evolution, and asteroseismology opens a new very promising gate in our understanding of stars and galaxies. This book represents a natural progression from the collection of review papers presented in the book 'Red Giants as Probes of the Structure and Evolution of the Milky Way', which appeared in the Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings series in 2012. This sequel volume contains review papers on spectroscopy, seismology of red giants, open questions in Galactic astrophysics, and discusses first results achieved by combining photometric/spectroscopic and seismic constraints on populations of stars observed by CoRoT and Kepler. The book also reports on discussions between expert researchers in Galactic evolution, specialists in stellar structure and asteroseismology, and key representatives of extensive ground-based spectroscopic surveys such as APOGEE and the ESO-GAIA Spectroscopic Survey, which would serve as a roadmap for future endeavours in this field of research.
Astrobiology: Understanding Life in the Universe
by Charles S. CockellAstrobiology is an interdisciplinary field that asks profound scientific questions. How did life originate on the Earth? How has life persisted on the Earth for over three billion years? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe? What is the future of life on Earth?Astrobiology: Understanding Life in the Universe is an introductory text which explores the structure of living things, the formation of the elements for life in the Universe, the biological and geological history of the Earth and the habitability of other planets in our own Solar System and beyond. The book is designed to convey some of the major conceptual foundations in astrobiology that cut across a diversity of traditional fields including chemistry, biology, geosciences, physics and astronomy. It can be used to complement existing courses in these fields or as a stand-alone text for astrobiology courses. Readership: Undergraduates studying for degrees in earth or life sciences, physics, astronomy and related disciplines, as well as anyone with an interest in grasping some of the major concepts and ideas in astrobiology.
Astrobiology: An Evolutionary Approach (Series in Astrobiology)
by Vera M. KolbAstrobiology: An Evolutionary Approach provides a full course in astrobiology with an emphasis on abiogenesis and evolution. The book presents astrobiology both as a developing science and as the science of the future.The origins of life and the possibility of life elsewhere continues to be a subject of scientific and philosophical examination. The
Astrobiology: An Introduction (Series in Astronomy and Astrophysics)
by Alan LongstaffAstrobiology is a multidisciplinary pursuit that in various guises encompasses astronomy, chemistry, planetary and Earth sciences, and biology. It relies on mathematical, statistical, and computer modeling for theory, and space science, engineering, and computing to implement observational and experimental work. Consequently, when studying astrobio
Astrobiology: From the Origins of Life to the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
by Akihiko Yamagishi Takeshi Kakegawa Tomohiro UsuiThis book provides concise and cutting-edge reviews in astrobiology, a young and still emerging multidisciplinary field of science that addresses the fundamental questions of how life originated and diversified on Earth, whether life exists beyond Earth, and what is the future for life on Earth. Readers will find coverage of the latest understanding of a wide range of fascinating topics, including, for example, solar system formation, the origins of life, the history of Earth as revealed by geology, the evolution of intelligence on Earth, the implications of genome data, insights from extremophile research, and the possible existence of life on other planets within and beyond the solar system. Each chapter contains a brief summary of the current status of the topic under discussion, sufficient references to enable more detailed study, and descriptions of recent findings and forthcoming missions or anticipated research. Written by leading experts in astronomy, planetary science, geoscience, chemistry, biology, and physics, this insightful and thought-provoking book will appeal to all students and scientists who are interested in life and space.
Astromineralogy (Lecture Notes in Physics #815)
by Thomas HenningAstromineralogy deals with the science of gathering mineralogical information from the astronomical spectroscopy of asteroids, comets and dust in the circumstellar environments in general. This field has received a tremendous boost with the reliable identification of minerals by the Infrared Space Observatory. The first edition of this book, published in 2003, was the first comprehensive and coherent account of this exciting field. Data obtained in the meantime with the Spitzer Infrared Space Telescope, the stardust mission to the comet 81P / Wild 2, and with the Cassini mission, together with progress in ground-based observations and laboratory astrophysics form the basis for this updated and widely extended second edition.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.
La astronomía en 100 preguntas (100 preguntas Esenciales)
by Vicent Martínez BadenésTodas las cuestiones esenciales de la ciencia del universo: Instrumentación astronómica, misiones espaciales, el sistema solar, física estelar, exoplanetas, física galáctica, extragaláctica y cosmología. Desde el origen de la astronomía hasta los experimentos más avanzados y la investigación científica de vanguardia.
Astronomy
by OpenStaxDesigned to meet the scope and sequence of your course, Astronomy 2e is written in clear non-technical language, with the occasional touch of humor and a wide range of clarifying illustrations. It has many analogies drawn from everyday life to help non-science majors appreciate, on their own terms, what our modern exploration of the universe is revealing. The book can be used for either a one-semester or two-semester introductory course. <p><p>The second edition has been updated according to new exploration and discoveries. The second edition also includes a significant amount of new art and images. The first edition of Astronomy by OpenStax is also available. <p><p>This is the official print version of this OpenStax textbook. OpenStax makes full-color hardcover and B&W paperback print copies available for students who prefer a hardcopy textbook to go with the free digital version of this OpenStax title. The textbook content is exactly the same as the OpenStax digital book. This textbook is available for free download at the OpenStax dot org website, but as many students prefer to study with hardcopy books, we offer affordable OpenStax textbooks for sale through Amazon as well as most campus bookstores.
Astronomy and the Climate Crisis (Astronomers' Universe)
by Antony CookeClimate change is acknowledged as being one of the most important areas of research today. Increasing global temperatures will impact all of us to a greater or lesser extent. From the point of view of research it is an enormously important and complex subject. However, little attention is paid to its relationship to astronomy, the sun in particular but not exclusively. Though directed at an astronomically inclined readership, and providing some less well-known astronomically related information, studies and concepts, this book will also appeal to a broader public, who need to understand the subject of climate change and learn of all the various theories and possible solutions.
Astronomy Through the Ages: The Story Of The Human Attempt To Understand The Universe (Princeton Legacy Library #5215)
by Sir Robert WilsonFrom an historical perspective, this text presents an entirely non- mathematical introduction to astronomy from the first endeavours of the ancients to the current developments in research enabled by cutting edge technological advances. Free of mathematics and complex graphs, the book nevertheless explains deep concepts of space and time, of relativity and quantum mechanics, and of origin and nature of the universe. It conveys not only the intrinsic fascination of the subject, but also the human side and the scientific method as practised by Kepler, defined and elucidated by Galileo, and then demonstrated by Newton.
Astroparticle Physics: Theory and Phenomenology (Atlantis Studies in Astroparticle Physics and Cosmology #1)
by Günter SiglThis books aims at giving an overview over theoretical and phenomenological aspects of particle astrophysics and particle cosmology. To be of interest for both students and researchers in neighboring fields of physics, it keeps a balance between well established foundations that will not significantly change in the future and a more in-depth treatment of selected subfields in which significant new developments have been taking place recently. These include high energy particle astrophysics, such as cosmic high energy neutrinos, the interplay between detection techniques of dark matter in the laboratory and in high energy cosmic radiation, axion-like particles, and relics of the early Universe such as primordial magnetic fields and gravitational waves. It also contains exercises and thus will be suitable for both introductory and advanced courses in astroparticle physics.
Astrophysics of Exoplanetary Atmospheres: 2nd Advanced School on Exoplanetary Science (Astrophysics and Space Science Library #450)
by Valerio Bozza Luigi Mancini Alessandro SozzettiIn this book, renowned scientists describe the complexity of exoplanetary atmospheres and all of the observational techniques that are employed to probe them. Readers will also find a panoramic description of the atmospheres of the planets within the Solar System, with explanation of considerations especially relevant to exoplanets. Over the past few years, thousands of exoplanets have been discovered orbiting around stars relatively close to the Solar System. Astronomers have revealed how varied these exoplanets are (rocky, icy, giant) and how diverse their architecture can be, confirming science fiction images in several cases and extending beyond the human imagination in others. The natural next step is to study their atmospheres and to understand their chemical composition and the physical processes taking place in their interiors, with the aim of detecting biomarkers. This book will appeal to all who seek a comprehensive, state-of-the-art account of the latest knowledge in the rapidly developing and highly interdisciplinary field of exoplanet research.
ASVAB Test Prep Flash Cards: Earth Science (Exambusters ASVAB Workbook #2 of 8)
by Ace Inc.<P><P><i>Advisory: Bookshare has learned that this book offers only partial accessibility. We have kept it in the collection because it is useful for some of our members. Benetech is actively working on projects to improve accessibility issues such as these.</i><P><P> 600 questions and answers. Essential earth science and geology facts. <P><P>Topics: Earth's Origin, Minerals, Rocks, Weathering, Wind and Glaciers, Oceans, Maps, Atmosphere, Astronomy <P>EXAMBUSTERS ASVAB Prep Workbooks provide comprehensive, fundamental ASVAB review--one fact at a time--to prepare students to take practice ASVAB tests. Each ASVAB study guide focuses on one specific subject area covered on the ASVAB exam. From 300 to 600 questions and answers, each volume in the ASVAB series is a quick and easy, focused read. Reviewing ASVAB flash cards is the first step toward more confident ASVAB preparation and ultimately, higher ASVAB exam scores!
Aswan High Dam Resettlement of Egyptian Nubians (SpringerBriefs on Case Studies of Sustainable Development)
by Thayer ScudderThis book highlights the long-term resettlement process of the Egyptian Nubian people along the Aswan High Dam. Assessing the resettlement of 48,000 Egyptian Nubians in connection with the High Dam is especially important for three main reasons: firstly, this resettlement process is one of the rare cases in which research begun before the dam was built has continued for over forty years. Secondly, the resettlement of the Egyptian Nubian people is one of the few cases in which the living standards of the large majority improved because of the initial political will of the government, combined with Nubian initiatives. Thirdly, given the complexity of the resettlement process, weaknesses in government planning, implementation, and in the weakening of government political provide valuable lessons for future dam-induced resettlement efforts.
Asymmetry in Plants: Biology of Handedness
by Bir Bahadur K. V. Krishnamurthy Monoranjan Ghose S. John AdamsPlants exhibit forms of asymmetry analogous to "handedness" in bilaterally symmetrical animals. This book explores the evolutionary significance and development of asymmetry. Examples of genetic control include the direction of tendril or stem coiling of many climbing plants; the so-called spiral phyllotaxy and floral taxy; and contorted petal arrangement is another kind of left- right symmetry in plants; the direction of contortion is fixed in some but not in other plants. The book will underscore tha all phenomena related to handedness start during embryogenesis itself, with the occurrence of embryo rotation. Key selling features: First consolidated book on Plant Handedness Relates handedness, asymmetry and chirality to the evolution of different organizational levels in plant biology Emphasizes handedness as a vital governing force in plant functional evolution Provides a new perspective, hitherto ignored, into plant developemtn and evolution Describes how an age-old phenomenon can give scope for investigation from a very modern interdisciplinary approach
Asymptotic Expansions and Summability: Application to Partial Differential Equations (Lecture Notes in Mathematics #2351)
by Pascal RemyThis book provides a comprehensive exploration of the theory of summability of formal power series with analytic coefficients at the origin of Cn, aiming to apply it to formal solutions of partial differential equations (PDEs). It offers three characterizations of summability and discusses their applications to PDEs, which play a pivotal role in understanding physical, chemical, biological, and ecological phenomena. Determining exact solutions and analyzing properties such as dynamic and asymptotic behavior are major challenges in this field. The book compares various summability approaches and presents simple applications to PDEs, introducing theoretical tools such as Nagumo norms, Newton polygon, and combinatorial methods. Additionally, it presents moment PDEs, offering a broad class of functional equations including classical, fractional, and q-difference equations. With detailed examples and references, the book caters to readers familiar with the topics seeking proofs or deeper understanding, as well as newcomers looking for comprehensive tools to grasp the subject matter. Whether readers are seeking precise references or aiming to deepen their knowledge, this book provides the necessary tools to understand the complexities of summability theory and its applications to PDEs.
Asymptotic Formulae in Spectral Geometry
by null Peter B. GilkeyA great deal of progress has been made recently in the field of asymptotic formulas that arise in the theory of Dirac and Laplace type operators. Asymptotic Formulae in Spectral Geometry collects these results and computations into one book. Written by a leading pioneer in the field, it focuses on the functorial and special cases methods of computing asymptotic heat trace and heat content coefficients in the heat equation. It incorporates the work of many authors into the presentation, and includes a complete bibliography that serves as a roadmap to the literature on the subject. Geometers, mathematical physicists, and analysts alike will undoubtedly find this to be the definitive book on the subject.
Asymptotic Methods in Equations of Mathematical Physics
by null B VainbergThis book provides a single source for both students and advanced researchers on asymptotic methods employed in the linear problems of mathematical physics. It opens with a section based on material from special courses given by the author, which gives detailed coverage of classical material on the equations of mathematical physics and their applications, and includes a simple explanation of the Maslov Canonical Operator method. The book goes on to present more advanced material from the author's own research. Topics range from radiation conditions and the principle of limiting absorption for general exterior problems, to complete asymptotic expansion of spectral function of equations over all of space. This book serves both as a manual and teaching aid for students of mathematics and physics and, in summarizing for the first time in a monograph problems previously investigated in journal articles, as a comprehensive reference for advanced researchers.
Asymptotic methods in mechanics of solids (International Series of Numerical Mathematics #167)
by Svetlana M. Bauer Sergei B. Filippov Andrei L. Smirnov Petr E. Tovstik Rémi VaillancourtThe construction of solutions of singularly perturbed systems of equations and boundary value problems that are characteristic for the mechanics of thin-walled structures are the main focus of the book. The theoretical results are supplemented by the analysis of problems and exercises. Some of the topics are rarely discussed in the textbooks, for example, the Newton polyhedron, which is a generalization of the Newton polygon for equations with two or more parameters. After introducing the important concept of the index of variation for functions special attention is devoted to eigenvalue problems containing a small parameter. The main part of the book deals with methods of asymptotic solutions of linear singularly perturbed boundary and boundary value problems without or with turning points, respectively. As examples, one-dimensional equilibrium, dynamics and stability problems for rigid bodies and solids are presented in detail. Numerous exercises and examples as well as vast references to the relevant Russian literature not well known for an English speaking reader makes this a indispensable textbook on the topic.
Asymptotic Perturbation Methods: For Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics
by Attilio MaccariAsymptotic Perturbation Methods Cohesive overview of powerful mathematical methods to solve differential equations in physics Asymptotic Perturbation Methods for Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics addresses nonlinearity in various fields of physics from the vantage point of its mathematical description in the form of nonlinear partial differential equations and presents a unified view on nonlinear systems in physics by providing a common framework to obtain approximate solutions to the respective nonlinear partial differential equations based on the asymptotic perturbation method. Aside from its complete coverage of a complicated topic, a noteworthy feature of the book is the emphasis on applications. There are several examples included throughout the text, and, crucially, the scientific background is explained at an elementary level and closely integrated with the mathematical theory to enable seamless reader comprehension. To fully understand the concepts within this book, the prerequisites are multivariable calculus and introductory physics. Written by a highly qualified author with significant accomplishments in the field, Asymptotic Perturbation Methods for Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics covers sample topics such as: Application of the various flavors of the asymptotic perturbation method, such as the Maccari method to the governing equations of nonlinear system Nonlinear oscillators, limit cycles, and their bifurcations, iterated nonlinear maps, continuous systems, and nonlinear partial differential equations (NPDEs) Nonlinear systems, such as the van der Pol oscillator, with advanced coverage of plasma physics, quantum mechanics, elementary particle physics, cosmology, and chaotic systems Infinite-period bifurcation in the nonlinear Schrodinger equation and fractal and chaotic solutions in NPDEs Asymptotic Perturbation Methods for Nonlinear Differential Equations in Physics is ideal for an introductory course at the senior or first year graduate level. It is also a highly valuable reference for any professional scientist who does not possess deep knowledge about nonlinear physics.