Types and Properties of Water in two volumes is a component of Encyclopedia of Water Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. These volumes deal with different parts of the hydrosphere and features of water as substance in its three phases. Natural water is one of the most important substances for the maintenance of life on our planet. The main part of the Earth's water is concentrated in the hydrosphere (oceans, lakes, streams, underground water), and in the cryosphere (all the snow and ice). The atmosphere and living organisms also contain water, but in minor quantities as compared to the whole hydrosphere. Several types of water are in the Nature: atmospheric water, water in oceans, seas, coastal zones, and estuaries; in rivers, reservoirs, lakes and wetlands; groundwater including soil waters; glaciers, icebergs, and ground ice (permafrost). This set of volumes is designed to be a very authoritative reference for state-of-the-art knowledge on the various aspects such as: Characteristics of Water and Water Bodies in the Natural Environment; Properties of Atmospheric Water; Properties of Oceans, Inland Seas, Coastal Zones, and Estuaries; Properties of Rivers, Streams, Lakes and Wetlands; Properties of Soil Water and Groundwater; Properties Of Glacial, Iceberg And Permafrost Water. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

There is growing awareness that important environmental transformations are catalysed, mediated and influenced by microorganisms, and geomicrobiology can be defined as the influence of microorganisms on geologic processes. This is probably the most rapidly growing area of microbiology at present, combining environmental and molecular microbiology together with significant areas of mineralogy, geochemistry and hydrology. This volume focuses on the function of microorganisms in the environment and their influence on 'global' processes. It will include state-of-the art approaches to visualisation, culture and identification, community interactions and gene transfer, and diversity studies in relation to key processes. This overview for researchers and graduate students will represent environmental microbiology in its broadest sense and help to promote exciting collaborations between microbiologists and those in complementary physical and chemical disciplines.

Hydrogeology of Crystalline Rocks deals with deep groundwater in the granite and gneiss basement of the continents. It has become evident during the past years that highly mineralized water is present in an interconnected fracture network of the basement. Thus, the upper part of the crust of the continents can be viewed as an aquifer and investigated with tools common in hydrogeology. This book presents accounts on water-conducting features of crystalline rocks and summarizes the hydraulic properties of the basement. The volume includes reviews, new data and research on the often remarkable chemical composition of deep groundwater. Microbial processes in the deep basement aquifer are probably more important than previously thought. Two contributions focus on this recent extension of research of the biosphere to greater depth in the Earth. This book represents the first multidisciplinary and integrated account of deep groundwater hydrology in crystalline basement. It is of interest to hydrologists and hydrogeologists working with water in crystalline rocks, but also to solid earth geophysicists, geochemists and petrologists with an interest in fluids in the crust. Scientists involved in nuclear waste disposal programs and geothermal energy development will find a wealth of stimulating ideas in this volume.

Geomicrobiology is a combination of geology and microbiology, and includes the study of interaction of microorganisms with their environment, such as in sedimentary rocks. This is a new and rapidly-developing field that has led in the past decade to a radically-revised view of the diversity and activity of microbial life on Earth. Geomicrobiology e

The Space Studies Board of the National Research Council (NRC) serves as the primary adviser to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on planetary protection policy, the purpose of which is to preserve conditions for future biological and organic exploration of planets and other solar system objects and to protect Earth and its biosphere from potential extraterrestrial sources of contamination. In October 1995 the NRC received a letter from NASA requesting that the Space Studies Board examine and provide advice on planetary protection issues related to possible sample-return missions to near-Earth solar system bodies.