Prepared by some of the world's leading experts in the field, this book is the first summarizing work on the origin, importance and exploitation of paleokarst. It offers an extensive regional survey, mainly concerning the Northern Hemisphere, as well as a thorough analysis of the problems of research into paleokarst phenomena, with particular emphasis on theoretical contributions and practical exploitation. By concentrating on phenomena which have appeared in the course of geological history, the book represents a substantial development in the general theory of paleokarst and demonstrates the advantages of a comprehensive approach to the problem. Considerable emphasis is put on the economic importance of paleokarst phenomena, from the point of view of exploiting significant deposits of mineral raw materials, as well as from a civil engineering and hydrological point of view.Since the publication deals with a boundary scientific discipline, it is intended for specialists from various branches of science: geologists, paleontologists, economic geologists, geographers, mining engineers and hydrogeologists.

Professor George Patrick Leonard Walker was one of the fathers of modern quantitative volcanology and arguably the foremost volcanologist of the twentieth century. In his long career, George studied a wide spectrum of volcanological problems and in doing so influenced almost every branch of the field. This volume, which honours his memory and his contributions to the field of volcanology, contains a collection of papers inspired by, and building upon, many of the ideas previously developed by George. Many of the contributors either directly studied under and worked with George, or were profoundly influenced by his ideas. The topics broadly fall under the three themes of lava flows and effusion, explosive volcanism, and volcanoes and their infrastructure.

This book covers optical chemical sensing by means of optical waveguides, from the fundamentals to the most recent applications. The book includes a historical review of the development of these sensors, from the earliest laboratory prototypes to the first commercial instrumentations. The book reprints a lecture by the Nobel Laureate Charles Townes on the birth of maser and laser, which lucidly illustrates the development of new science and new technology.

This first procedural guide to RUS, Resonant Ultrasound Spectroscopy offers a clear step-by-step tutorial, from developing a preliminary set of resonances to final determination of moduli. The book also contains intermediate computer outputs showing where mistakes are made, how to spot them, and how to remeasure to correct problems. Also a complete reference to the language of RUS, this book is full of clear explanations of every variable, concept, and hard-to-find term currently in use.

This publication provides new information on public research institutions (PRIs) and government strategies, showing how they have evolved.