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Earth-Shattering Events: Earthquakes, Nations, and Civilization
by Andrew Robinson"A truly welcome and refreshing study that puts earthquake impact on history into a proper perspective." --Amos Nur, Emeritus Professor of Geophysics, Stanford University, California, and author of Apocalypse: Earthquakes, Archaeology, and the Wrath of God Since antiquity, on every continent, human beings in search of attractive landscapes and economic prosperity have made a Faustian bargain with the risk of devastation by an earthquake. Today, around half of the world’s largest cities – as many as sixty – lie in areas of major seismic activity. Many, such as Lisbon, Naples, San Francisco, Teheran, and Tokyo, have been severely damaged or destroyed by earthquakes in the past. But throughout history, starting with ancient Jericho, Rome, and Sparta, cities have proved to be extraordinarily resilient: only one, Port Royal in the Caribbean, was abandoned after an earthquake. Earth-Shattering Events seeks to understand exactly how humans and earthquakes have interacted, not only in the short term but also in the long perspective of history. In some cases, physical devastation has been followed by decline. But in others, the political and economic reverberations of earthquake disasters have presented opportunities for renewal. After its wholesale destruction in 1906, San Francisco went on to flourish, eventually giving birth to the high-tech industrial area on the San Andreas fault known as Silicon Valley. An earthquake in Caracas in 1812 triggered the creation of new nations in the liberation of South America from Spanish rule. Another in Tangshan in 1976 catalysed the transformation of China into the world’s second largest economy. The growth of the scientific study of earthquakes is woven into this far-reaching history. It began with a series of earthquakes in England in 1750. Today, seismologists can monitor the vibration of the planet second by second and the movement of tectonic plates millimeter by millimeter. Yet, even in the 21st century, great earthquakes are still essentially "acts of God," striking with much less warning than volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, and even tornadoes and tsunamis.
Earth-Sheltered Houses
by Rob RoyAn earth-sheltered, earth-roofed home has the least impact upon the land of all housing styles, leaving almost zero footprint on the planet. Earth-Sheltered Houses is a practical guide for those who want to build their own underground home at moderate cost. It describes the benefits of sheltering a home with earth, including the added comfort and energy efficiency from the moderating influence of the earth on the home's temperature (keeping it warm in the winter and cool in the summer), along with the benefits of low maintenance and the protection against fire, sound, earthquake, and storm afforded by the earth. Extra benefits from adding an earth or other living roof option include greater longevity of the roof substrate, fine aesthetics, and environmental harmony.The book covers all of the various construction techniques involved, including details on planning, excavation, footings, floor, walls, framing, roofing, waterproofing, insulation, and drainage. Specific methods appropriate for the inexperienced owner/builder are a particular focus and include: Pouring one's own footings and/or floor The use of dry-stacked (surface-bonded) concrete block walls Post-and-beam framing Plank-and-beam roofing Drainage methods and self-adhesive waterproofing membranes The time-tested, easy-to-learn construction techniques described in Earth-Sheltered Houses will enable readers to embark upon their own building projects with confidence, backed up by a comprehensive resources section that lists all the latest products such as waterproofing membranes, types of rigid insulation, and drainage products that will protect the building against water damage and heat loss. Rob Roy is a former contractor with 27 years of experience and 12 previous books to his credit, including Cordwood Building and Timber Framing for the Rest of Us. An expert on underground building, he founded the Earthwood Building School in 1981 with his wife, Jaki, and is frequently a speaker at events throughout North America.
Earth Spirit Dreaming: Shamanic Ecotherapy Practices
by Elizabeth E. MeachamA guide to co-creating a healing vision for humanity and the Earth through nature-connected shamanic rituals • Explains the Earth Spirit Dreaming process for rebirthing inherent shamanic abilities with dozens of practices in three categories: Earth-connecting practices, Spirit-connecting practices, and Dream-connecting practices • Provides experiential exercises to foster interactions with the intelligences and elemental energies of nature and the Spirit realm, realign you with the rhythms and flow of life, and co-create a healing dream for humanity and all of life on our planet • Contains step-by-step directions for connecting with the light guides of the planet for guidance and healing Humanity has become profoundly disconnected from the web of life on Earth as well as from nature as a whole. In this practical guide, Elizabeth E. Meacham details her field-tested method of shamanic ecotherapy practices to resolve this centuries-long trend toward disconnection. Through these practices, you will learn how to reconnect to Earth&’s systems and help restore health and balance to people and the planet. Translating transformative ideas from visionary environmental thinkers into engaging shamanic rituals for profound spiritual growth, Meacham offers dozens of practices in three categories: Earth-connecting practices, Spirit-connecting practices, and Dream-connecting practices. Building on one another, the exercises open channels to allow you to directly experience the intelligences of the Earth and Spirit realms, rebirth your inherent shamanic abilities, realign you with the rhythms and flow of life, and reclaim your ancestral power for co-creating a healing dream for our species and all of life on our planetary home. Guiding the reader through a progressively deepening journey toward connection with ourselves, each other, and the consciousness of our biosphere, the practices also invite profound mindfulness, as we work to hold a vision of connection with the Earth and Spirit realms, while choosing consciously to focus on joy, beauty, gratitude, love, and healing. Illuminating a shamanic awakening within Western culture at the dawn of an ecological age, Earth Spirit Dreaming reveals how the birth of a global consciousness of healing depends upon our commitment to individual and collective spiritual evolution. Calling us back to our shamanic heritage of a living nature spirituality, this manual offers much needed guidance on the essential journey back to an intimate love of Earth.
Earth Spirit Living
by Ann Marie HolmesEarth Spirit Living is a revolutionary approach to lifestyle design and personal space. Author Ann Marie Holmes, an expert on earth energy systems, reveals that by picking up subtle cues from the natural world, we can create healthy, enjoyable, and sustainable living spaces. She shows how we can effectively incorporate principles of sacred geometry, human intuition, and the power of space, shape, and layout to become aware of -- and collaborate with -- the earth's energies. Perfect for homeowners, renters, business owners, professional designers, and builders, Earth Spirit Living illuminates the benefits of living in cooperation with our environment, including: * a more comfortable home * increased effectiveness in your work * healthier, calmer living conditions * enhanced work and personal relationships * improved prosperity * smoother construction or remodeling process Insightful illustrations, ceremonies, cures, attunements, and visualizations will help you hone your natural instincts and strengthen your connection to your physical space. With client stories and personal anecdotes, Holmes guides you on the journey toward a balanced life and living space that harnesses the energy and wisdom of nature.
Earth Stewardship
by Ricardo Rozzi F. Stuart Chapin III J. Baird Callicott S.T.A. Pickett Mary E. Power Juan J. Armesto Roy H. May Jr.This book advances Earth Stewardship toward a planetary scale, presenting a range of ecological worldviews, practices, and institutions in different parts of the world and to use them as the basis for considering what we could learn from one another, and what we could do together. Today, inter-hemispheric, intercultural, and transdisciplinary collaborations for Earth Stewardship are an imperative. Chapters document pathways that are being forged by socio-ecological research networks, religious alliances, policy actions, environmental citizenship and participation, and new forms of conservation, based on both traditional and contemporary ecological knowledge and values. "The Earth Stewardship Initiative of the Ecological Society of America fosters practices to provide a stable basis for civilization in the future. Biocultural ethic emphasizes that we are co-inhabitants in the natural world; no matter how complex our inventions may become" (Peter Raven).
Earth Surface Processes and Environmental Changes in East Asia
by Kenji Kashiwaya Ji Shen Ju Yong KimThis book examines relationships between climate-hydrological changes and other phenomena including land use and natural disasters during the Holocene and recent past. In particular, periods of rapid climatic shifts such as global warming and global cooling are examined through paleohydrological and other studies of various lake-catchment systems in East Asia, from Mongolia in the north to Taiwan in the south. A number of different research techniques are used in the work presented here, including sediment analysis and optically stimulated luminescence dating and the reader learns how the lake-catchment system functions as a "proxy observatory" for past and present environmental monitoring. The lake catchments studied by the authors of this volume are under similar climatic conditions, i. e. , under the East Asia monsoon, with some systematic difference in climatic factors. Both proxy and observation data are available for the surrounding countries' provisions against natural disasters that are related to climate-hydrological events and readers will see how present instrumental observation data can be connected to past proxy data (sediment information) in the system.
Earth System History (Fourth Edition)
by Steven M. Stanley John A. LuczajThe thoroughly updated new edition includes important new coverage on mass extinctions, climate change, and Proterozoic history, plus a range of interactive studying and teaching tools.
The Earth System: Investigating Water Shortages, Investigation Notebook
by The Lawrence Hall of ScienceNIMAC-sourced textbook
Earth System Modelling - Volume 1
by Reinhard Budich Kamal Puri René RedlerCollected articles in this series are dedicated to the development and use of software for earth system modelling and aims at bridging the gap between IT solutions and climate science. The particular topic covered in this volume addresses the usefulness of coupling infrastructures and data management, strategies and tools for pre- and post-processing, and coupling software and strategies in regional and global coupled climate models. This first part in the series of 6 books sets the scene for the following volumes.
Earth System Modelling - Volume 2
by Reinhard Budich René Redler Luca BonaventuraCollected articles in this series are dedicated to the development and use of software for earth system modelling and aims at bridging the gap between IT solutions and climate science. The particular topic covered in this volume addresses the historical development, state of the art and future perspectives of the mathematical techniques employed for numerical approximation of the equations describing atmospheric and oceanic motion. Furthermore, it describes the main computer science and software engineering strategies employed to turn these mathematical methods into effective tools for understanding earth's climate and forecasting its evolution. These methods and the resulting computer algorithms lie at the core of earth system models and are essential for their effectiveness and predictive skill.
Earth System Modelling - Volume 3
by Sophie Valcke Reinhard Budich René RedlerCollected articles in this series are dedicated to the development and use of software for earth system modelling and aims at bridging the gap between IT solutions and climate science. The particular topic covered in this volume addresses the major coupling software developed and used in the climate modelling community.
Earth System Modelling - Volume 4
by Reinhard Budich René Redler V. BalajiCollected articles in this series are dedicated to the development and use of software for earth system modelling and aims at bridging the gap between IT solutions and climate science. The particular topic covered in this volume addresses the issue of data input/output and post-processing in the context of Earth system modeling, with an emphasis on parallel I/O, storage management and analysis subsystems for very large scale data requirements.
Earth System Modelling - Volume 5
by Graham Riley Reinhard Budich Rupert Ford René RedlerCollected articles in this series are dedicated to the development and use of software for earth system modelling and aims at bridging the gap between IT solutions and climate science. The particular topic covered in this volume addresses the process of configuring, building, and running earth system models. Earth system models are typically a collection of interacting computer codes (often called components) which together simulate the earth system. Each code component is written to model some physical process which forms part of the earth system (such as the Ocean). This book is concerned with the source code version control of these code components, the configuration of these components into earth system models, the creation of executable(s) from the component source code and related libraries and the running and monitoring of the resultant executables on the available hardware.
Earth System Modelling - Volume 6: ESM Data Archives in the Times of the Grid
by Reinhard Budich Wolfgang Hiller René RedlerCollected articles in this series are dedicated to the development and use of software for earth system modelling and aims at bridging the gap between IT solutions and climate science. The particular topic covered in this volume addresses the Grid software which has become an important enabling technology for several national climate community Grids that led to a new dimension of distributed data access and pre- and post-processing capabilities worldwide.
Earth System Monitoring
by John OrcuttModern Earth System Monitoring represents a fundamental change in the way scientists study the Earth System. In Oceanography, for the past two centuries, ships have provided the platforms for observing. Expeditions on the continents and Earth's poles are land-based analogues. Fundamental understanding of current systems, climate, natural hazards, and ecosystems has been greatly advanced. While these approaches have been remarkably successful, the need to establish measurements over time can only be made using Earth observations and observatories with exacting standards and continuous data. The 19 peer-reviewed contributions in this volume provide early insights into this emerging view of Earth in both space and time in which change is a critical component of our growing understanding.
Earth System Processes and Disaster Management
by Rajiv Sinha Rasik RavindraOne of the fundamental goals of earth system science research is to adopt a more holistic view of the earth as a 'system' comprising different domains. The Society of Earth Scientists has brought out this multidisciplinary publication to emphasize the need of an integrated approach to understand the Earth system. It focuses on natural disasters and, in particular, on climate change and its effects in Asia and understanding the significance of these developments within the context of the paleo-climatic record. The later sections of the book then focus on other types of natural disasters as well as those induced by human interaction with our environment.
Earth System Science: Bridging the Gaps between Disciplines
by Klaus Grosfeld Anna Wegner Vikram Unnithan Dieter Wolf-Gladrow Justus Notholt Gerrit LohmannEarth system science is traditionally split into various disciplines (Geology, Physics, Meteorology, Oceanography, Biology etc.) and several sub-disciplines. Overall, the diversity of expertise provides a solid base for interdisciplinary research. However, gaining holistic insights into the Earth system requires the integration of observations, paleoclimate data, analysis tools and modeling. These different approaches of Earth system science are rooted in various disciplines that cut across a broad range of timescales. It is, therefore, necessary to link these disciplines at a relatively early stage in PhD programs. The linking of 'data and modeling', as it is the special emphasis in our graduate school, enables graduate students from a variety of disciplines to cooperate and exchange views on the common theme of Earth system science, which leads to a better understanding of processes within a global context.
Earth Systems, an Earth Science Course
by CurrikiThe Open Source Earth Science course has been organized to meet the CA Science Standards for Earth Sciences in grades 9 - 10, as adopted by the California State Board of Education. This course is part of a set of collections that contain additional Earth Science resources on Curriki that can be accessed at www.curriki.org.
Earth Systems Protection and Sustainability: Volume 2
by James N. Furze Saeid Eslamian Safanah M. Raafat Kelly SwingEarth Systems Protection and Sustainability authorises imperatives to achieve sustainability and protect our threatened and vulnerable Earth. Mathematical advances in context incorporate operational and Boolean, as well as linguistic, logic-based Bayesian, and generative methods for scenario formation. Functional areas and deeper learning enable the use of searching algorithms, proffering optimal solutions for the circular nature of sustainability in natural ecosystems and human dominated settings. Key informative nodes are provided in the hope that we may moderate the very real dangers facing planet Earth and its biodiversity. An arena of insightful chapters is blended with social resilience and socio-economic development coverage, accentuating integrity, protection and sustainability within divergent climatic forces and species dynamics on Earth. Volume 2 focuses on bioaccumulation; climate change and resilience for co-operative socio-economic and ecosystem management via policy frameworks across sectors; mathematical modelling of freshwater in coastal regions in arid and semi-arid zones; decision making in natural disasters; peat solidification for environmentally sustainable geotechnical engineering; green energy conversion; flood risk mapping; rainfall analysis; exposure, safety, and security amidst increasing environmental contamination; remote handling vehicles; wind turbines; and deep learning and its environmental applications. Earth Systems Protection and Sustainability is addressed globally to communities, schools and researchers in professional, governmental and unit operations; descriptive and illustrative sections include all sectors to ensure Earth Systems Protection as our capacity reaches an unsustainable climax.
Earth Systems Protection and Sustainability: Volume 1
by James N. Furze Kelly Swing Saeid Eslamian Safanah M. RaafatEarth Systems Protection and Sustainability qualifies imperatives and discusses the use of mathematical approaches to assess and achieve sustainability in threatened and vulnerable Earth systems globally. Mathematical advances in this context include both operational and Boolean methods, as well as linguistic, logic-based Bayesian approaches and generative mathematics relevant to scenario formation. The mathematic methods are refined into functional areas and deeper learning, which enable the use of searching algorithms to achieve optimal solutions for the circular nature and application of sustainability. Pertinent sections and synergistic elements are covered in order to synthesize key informative nodes, advising of the very real dangers facing planet Earth and its biodiversity. Each volume stands in its own right. Analytical and scientific chapters are blended with social resilience and socio-economic development consideration, thus enabling the settings of sustainability within varying scenarios of climatic forces and species dynamics.Volume 1 focuses on ground-breaking evolutionary expansion assisting with life’s continuation on Earth, sustainable management of pathogens and halophyte uses in agroecology, bioremediation methods in drilling waste management, conservation and sustainability of diversity, climate change mitigation strategies, displacement management in a large scale ongoing crisis, risk reduction and management policy, sustainably intelligent-driven markets, sustainability consensus in an uncertain environment and path planning in static and dynamic environments. Pictorial contributions made from across the world refine particularly urgent problems for attention, and provide solutions and methods of environmental sustainability operated in communities, complementing the descriptive chapter sections. Both volumes are targeted for a global audience of academic, professional, classroom, governmental, unit and community members, and seek to include all sectors to ensure ongoing and comprehensive Earth Systems Protection.
Earth, the Sapphire Planet
by Url LanhamWith some 70 percent of its surface covered by water, the Earth presents a picture of a gemlike blue planet when viewed from outer space. This sapphire jewel -- the only planet in our solar system to sustain intelligent life -- is the subject of this remarkably engaging and concise book by biologist, teacher, and popular science writer Url Lanham. Focusing on the Earth and the life forms that have evolved on it, Mr. Lanham's captivating study covers a wide range of subjects -- from the work of Galileo, Copernicus, Herschel, and other scientists who contributed to our knowledge of Earth's position in the universe, to the Earth's internal physiology, intricacies of the biosphere, creation of continents, origins of plant and animal life, the diversity of physical habitats in which these life forms thrive, and much more. Well written and highly readable, this absorbing and optimistic natural history of the planet will take readers on a fantastic journey through time, offering up a host of facts and provocative insights. Easily accessible to advanced high school science students and college undergraduates, Earth, the Sapphire Planet will be warmly received as well by teachers and ecologically aware general readers.
The Earth Through Time
by Harold L. Levin David T. King Jr.The Earth Through Time, 11th Edition, by Harold L. Levin and David T. King chronicles the Earth's story from the time the Sun began to radiate its light, to the beginning of civilization. <p><p> The goal of The Earth Through Time is to present the history of the Earth, and the science behind that hsitory, as simply and clearly as possible. The authors strived to make the narrative more engaging, to convey the unique perspective and value of historical geology, and to improve the presentation so as to stimulate interest and enhance the reader's ability to retain essential concepts, long after the final exam.
The Earth Through Time, Tenth Edition
by Harold L. LevinThis new edition offers many new and enhanced features, including more than a hundred new figures, 75 new questions at end of chapter "Questions for Review and Discussion", and additional "Enrichment Boxes." Furthermore, new sections have been added, including: A Variety of Paleozoic Living Strategies and What Lies Ahead for Humanity. The revised Geological Time Scale is also included to conform to the most recent recommendation of the International Congress on Stratigraphic Nomenclature.
The Earth Transformed: An Untold History
by Peter FrankopanA NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • A revolutionary new history that reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development—and demise—of civilizations across time*The ebook edition now includes endnotes. Anyone who purchased the book previously can re-download this updated edition and access the notes.* Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us. Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in eleventh-century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, The Earth Transformed will radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.
The Earth Transformed: An Introduction to Human Impacts on the Environment
by Andrew S. Goudie Heather A. VilesThe Earth Transformed answers the need for a concise, non-technical introduction to the ways in which the natural environment has been and is being affected by human activities. It is simply and engagingly written, and illustrated with maps, diagrams, figures and photographs. Among the subjects described and considered by the authors are desertification, deforestation, wetland management, biodiversity, climatic change, air pollution, the impact of cities on climate and hydrology, erosion, salinization, waste disposal, sea level rise, marine pollution, coral reef degradation and aquaculture. The book is organized around 45 case studies taken from all parts of the globe and chosen for their intrinsic interest and representative nature. Further features of the book include guides to further reading, suggestions for debate and study, and a glossary of terms. The book is aimed to meet the needs of students beginning courses on environmental science and geography.