"This volume addresses the impact of the geological sciences, from 1963-2013, in such areas as geologic hazards, mineral resources, energy resources, water resources, soil resources, geology and health, geologic education, and the informing of general public policy. The chapters focus on how earth science informs and benefits society"--Provided by publisher.

Introduces methods of data analysis in geosciences using MATLAB such as basic statistics for univariate, bivariate and multivariate datasets, jackknife and bootstrap resampling schemes, processing of digital elevation models, gridding and contouring, geostatistics and kriging, processing and georeferencing of satellite images, digitizing from the screen, linear and nonlinear time-series analysis and the application of linear time-invariant and adaptive filters. Includes a brief description of each method and numerous examples demonstrating how MATLAB can be used on data sets from earth sciences.

This book showcases powerful new hybrid methods that combine numerical and symbolic algorithms. Hybrid algorithm research is currently one of the most promising directions in the context of geosciences mathematics and computer mathematics in general. One important topic addressed here with a broad range of applications is the solution of multivariate polynomial systems by means of resultants and Groebner bases. But that’s barely the beginning, as the authors proceed to discuss genetic algorithms, integer programming, symbolic regression, parallel computing, and many other topics. The book is strictly goal-oriented, focusing on the solution of fundamental problems in the geosciences, such as positioning and point cloud problems. As such, at no point does it discuss purely theoretical mathematics. "The book delivers hybrid symbolic-numeric solutions, which are a large and growing area at the boundary of mathematics and computer science." Dr. Daniel Li chtbau

Volume 36 of Reviews in Mineralogy presents a comprehensive coverage of the mineralogy and petrology of planetary materials. The book is organized with an introductory chapter that introduces the reader to the nature of the planetary sample suite and provides some insights into the diverse environments from which they come. Chapter 2 on Interplanetary Dust Particles (IDPs) and Chapter 3 on Chondritic Meteorites deal with the most primitive and unevolved materials we have to work with. It is these materials that hold the clues to the nature of the solar nebula and the processes that led to the initial stages of planetary formation. Chapter 4, 5, and 6 consider samples from evolved asteroids, the Moon and Mars respectively. Chapter 7 is a brief summary chapter that compares aspects of melt-derived minerals from differing planetary environments.

Mechanical and hydraulic soil properties are strongly affected by the degree of saturation, with important consequences for earthen embankments, soil-vegetation-atmosphere interactions, geoenvironmental applications, and risk mitigation. The presence of sloping ground surfaces is common. In slightly inclined natural slopes, susceptible to deep landslides, the unsaturated condition of shallow soil horizons affects deep pore water pressures and, therefore, global stability. The stability of steep mountains covered by shallow deposits is often guaranteed by a shear strength contribution related to the unsaturated condition. In this case, the degree of saturation plays a key role in determining which rainfall events can act as landslide triggers, consequently controlling the post-failure evolution. Partial saturation is the basic characteristic of soils used as construction materials of geo-structures such as levees, dikes, and dams. It governs the structure behavior during construction phases, in serviceability, and in extreme scenarios. Hoping to provide a bridge between theoretical research and practical applications, this Special Issue collects quality contributions related to natural and artificial slopes under unsaturated conditions, focusing on aspects such as: water retention and transport properties, mechanical behavior, advances in experimental methods, laboratory and in situ characterization, field monitoring, geotechnical and geophysical field tests, landslide investigation and prevention, the design and maintenance of engineered slopes, and the constitutive and numerical modeling of hydro-mechanical behavior.

"Comprises articles stemming from the March 2013 international conference at London's Natural History Museum. Researchers across geological, geophysical, and biological disciplines present key results from research concerning the causes of mass extinction events"--

The devastating effects caused by the recent catastrophic earthquakes that took place all over the world from Japan, New Zealand, to Chile, as well as those occurring in the Mediterranean basin, have once again shown that ground motion, although a serious source of direct damage, is not the only parameter to be considered, with most damage being the result of coseismic geological effects that are directly connected to the earthquake source or caused by ground shaking. The primary environmental effects induced by earthquakes as well as the secondary effects (sensu Environmental Seismic Intensity - ESI 2007 scale) must be considered for a more correct and complete evaluation of seismic hazards, at both regional and local scales. This Special Issue aims to collect all contributions that, using different methodologies, integrate new data produced with multi-disciplinary and innovative methods. These methodologies are essential for the identification and characterization of seismically active areas, and for the development of new hazard models, obtained using different survey techniques. The topic attracted a lot of interest, 19 peer-reviewed articles were collected; moreover, different areas of the world have been analyzed through these methodologies: Italy, USA, Spain, Australia, Ecuador, Guatemala, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russia, China, Japan, and Nepal.