Proceedings of the 10th Latin American Conference on the Applications of the Mössbauer Effect (LACAME 2006) held in Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil, 5-9 November 2006. This volume demonstrates the way in which researchers, on a wide range of topics, many interdisciplinary, find the applications of the Mössbauer Effect an outstanding method whose results, sometimes unique, complements and improves the information obtained by other techniques to deepen the understanding of the matter under research. This volume comprises research papers recording original investigations on applications to diverse areas like archaeology, metallurgy, soil science, geology, industrial applications, new instrumentation, corrosion, and chemical applications. The papers present the latest scientific work of various regional investigators.

Coastal Zone Management: Global Perspectives, Regional Processes, Local Issues brings together a vast range of interdisciplinary data on coastal zones in a concise, yet exhaustive format that will be useful to students, researchers, and teachers. The book contains several focused sections, all of which include individual chapters written by subject experts with considerable experience in their fields of research. Each chapter presents the latest research and status of its focus, with a concluding endnote on future trends. Topics covered in the book include the sea level and climate changes, evolution of coastlines, land-use dynamics and coastal hazards mitigation and management. The global coast has faced the force of both climate hange and natural disasters, which continue to result in the loss of human life and degradation of quality of the coastal environment. Coastal Zone Management: Global Perspectives, Regional Processes, Local Issues provides the latest developments and key strategies to tackle this in a single comprehensive volume. It is an essential reference for scientists and researchers well-read on coastal zones, as well as those new to the subject. Presents a unique compilation of contributed chapters, including a focus on methodology, case studies, stategy, and policy, acting as a one-source reference for students, teachers, researchers and administrators. Discusses challenges at local levels in order to help interpret regional processes that have global ramifications. Provides a database for scientists working on research topics related to coastal zone management.

South American ecosystems suffered one of the greatest biogeographical events, after the establishment of the Panamian land bridge, called the “Great American Biotic Interchange” (GABI). This refers to the exchange, in several phases, of land mammals between the Americas; this event started during the late Miocene with the appearance of the Holartic Procyonidae (Huayquerian Age) in South America and continues today. The major phases of mammalian dispersal occurred from the Latest Pliocene (Marplatan Age) to the Late Pleistocene (Lujanian Age). The most important and richest localities of Late Miocene-Holocene fossil vertebrates of South America are those of the Pampean region of Argentina. There are also several Late Miocene and Pliocene localities in western Argentina and Bolivia. Other important fossils have been collected in localities of Pleistocene age outside Argentina: Tarija (Bolivia), karstic caves of Lagoa Santa and the recently explored caves of Tocantins (Brasil), Talara (Perú), La Carolina (Ecuador), Muaco (Venezuela), and Cueva del Milodon (Chile), among others. The book discusses basic information for interpreting the GABI such as taxonomic composition (incorporating the latest revisions) at classical and new localities for each stage addressing climate, environments, and time boundaries for each stage. It includes the chronology and dynamics of the GABI, the integration of South American mammalian faunas through time, the Quaternary mammalian extinctions and the composition of recent mammalian fauna of the continent.

This text deals with certain geological aspects of the extreme geographical locations of South America and the Antarctic Peninsula. Topics include: Brazil - geology and vertebrate paleontology; pleistocene wave-built terraces of Northern Rio de Janeiro state; and holocene coastal evolution.