Geovidenskab

The term "weed" is rather subjective, as we are the ones who decide what plants are called weeds, and the term usually carries a negative connotation. However, there is a reason why weeds grow in some places and behave in their particular manner. Today, certain groups of weeds have become extremely rare, and some species have even gone extinct where they were once abundant. Climate change also creates a huge challenge, and weeds often act as indicators of this change.This Special Issue discusses the ecology and diversity of weeds in natural and human-impacted agroecosystems on different continents. The focus is on the weeds' distribution, abundance, and diversity and how anthropogenic factors, pedoclimatic conditions, and genetics create, alter, and destroy specific weed communities.

Sustainability is the overall goal in the management of grassland resources; it further determines the institutional framework within each grassland use is planned and implemented. Recent developments emphasize the need to include ecosystem services (supporting, provisioning, regulating and cultural) provided by grasslands into this framework. This reprint focuses on research advantages related to the ecology and management of grasslands and to the safeguarding of related ecosystem services, and provides an outline for future directions for sustainability. The reprint contains experimental studies and systematic reviews regarding grassland biodiversity, issues and threats related to grasslands, sustainable use of grasslands, ecosystem services they provide and other topics.

The Special Issue "Feature Papers for Land Innovations-Data and Machine Learning" makes valuable contributions relating to spatial data science for obtaining, processing, analyzing, harnessing, and visualizing social, economic, environmental, and other data related to land. In particular, this Special Issue welcame geospatial artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques for dealing with spatial big data, including remotely sensed data and social media data. Manuscripts can be theoretical, applied, or review articles. Interdisciplinary manuscripts were particularly welcome as well.

A comparison between Earth's cyclical and balanced processes before and after the introduction of humans is made. An analysis of the attempts of the civilized to understand Nature and their eventual turning away from it to construct a reality of their own. This alternate reality is examined through economics, culture, and scientific lenses and their effects on the Earth and its inhabitants.The future is contemplated for humanity and the planet in light of current climatic and other worldwide events such as global warming and depletion of water resources to name just two of many. "The Only Alternative" pleads for a change in our attitude toward Nature because it is the final authority on how things work on our planet. "The Only Alternative" to our current way of life is introduced in five action steps achievable in our lifetime.

A comparison between Earth's cyclical and balanced processes before and after the introduction of humans is made. An analysis of the attempts of the civilized to understand Nature and their eventual turning away from it to construct a reality of their own. This alternate reality is examined through economics, culture, and scientific lenses and their effects on the Earth and its inhabitants. The future is contemplated for humanity and the planet in light of current climatic and other worldwide events such as global warming and depletion of water resources to name just two of many. "How to Avoid Going Down the Toilet" pleads for a change in our attitude toward Nature because it is the final authority on how things work on our planet. The Only Alternative to our current way of life is introduced in Five action steps achievable in our lifetime.

The aim of this reprint is to immerse the reader in the latest biotechnological approaches employed in forestry. From rejuvenation through clonal propagation to somatic embryogenesis, the cryopreservation of germplasm, and the use of molecular techniques and genetic engineering, we aim to unravel the potential and promise of these cutting-edge technologies. In this reprint, leading experts in the field share their insights, research findings, and visions for the future. Together, we embark on a journey to unlock the full potential of biotechnology in forestry, seeking sustainable solutions that balance our insatiable need for forest resources with our responsibility to preserve the harmony of our planet's ecosystems. We pave the way towards a greener, more sustainable future where forests thrive and humanity prospers in harmony with nature.

Lakes are among the most extensive freshwater aquatic ecosystems in the world. Their evolution results from the interactions of numerous natural and anthropogenic factors. This book includes 12 chapters and presents case studies on the impacts of changes and tectonic movements on the evolution of lake water levels (Section 1), the interactions between anthropogenic activities and the physicochemical characteristics of lakes (Section 2), and the limnological characteristics and their interactions with other components of the environment (Section 3).

"Environmental Footprints of Drought: Focusing on Emerging Issues and Their Underlying Mechanisms" features studies on understanding the climate system's vulnerability, droughts relationships with large-scale climate patterns, underlying effects of droughts and land-atmosphere feedback using observations or modeling studies, targeted field campaigns, or long-term measurements ranging from local to regional spatial scales. The papers published in the Special Issue offer a comprehensive exploration, ranging from hydro-meteorological, atmospheric feedbacks and socio-economic implications. Notably, publications pivot around forecasting drought events using data-driven approaches and provide applications on how earth observation datasets can used for drought monitoring, comprehensive evaluations of drought characteristics and associated drivers, watershed warmings, drought vulnerability for agricultural systems, and groundwater droughts.

The oceans play a pivotal role in regulating the Earth's climate, absorbing excess heat with far-reaching consequences such as rising sea levels and shifts in ocean circulation. To address these complex challenges, there is a growing interest in using advanced statistical, machine learning, and AI techniques to observe and model these ocean processes from space. This approach holds immense potential for identifying and predicting these intricate mechanisms, providing valuable insights into the impacts of climate change. This Special Issue reprint is dedicated to advancing climate science by integrating machine learning, remote sensing, and oceanography. It explores the application of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial neural networks and data-driven algorithms to skillfully analyze and forecast ocean-related processes. These cutting-edge techniques are essential for the challenges posed by ocean warming and its effects, emphasizing the urgent need for interdisciplinary research that combines expertise in AI, machine learning, and earth sciences. By fostering innovation and knowledge exchange, this Special Issue compiles recent advancements in ocean and climate sciences. It offers a wide array of methodological perspectives and tools to enhance our understanding of global and regional climate change monitoring, elevate forecasting capabilities, and clarify sources of uncertainty in predictive models. This effort signifies a crucial step in addressing the challenges arising from technological gaps and the impacts of climate change on our oceans and the planet.

This book is the fourth volume of the ¿Marine Algal Flora of China-Rhodophyta.¿ The series has seven volumes covering about 20 orders, 45 families, 173 genera, and 560 species including over 150 species firstly described from China,  indicating significant importance to the knowledge of North-Western Pacific marine algal flora. The fourth volume covers coralline algae, including Sporolithales, Corallinales, and Hapalidiales.Almost all species involved are illustrated in detail on morphology, inner structure, habitats, and geographical distribution, based upon herbarium specimens collected along the China coast, and a lot of elaborate pictures are attached inside. This flora will gain our understanding of current Chinese marine red algae, but much research is still necessary to reflect the whole picture of the red algal diversity along the China coast.

This book is based on the papers accepted for presentation during the 3rd Springer Conference of the Arabian Journal of Geosciences (CAJG-3). The book is of interest to all researchers in the fields of geomorphology, sedimentology, and geochemistry. Papers in the field of geomorphology deal with topics related to fault slip and incision rates, soil science, landslides and debris flows, coastal processes, and geoarcheology and geoheritage. Papers in the field of sedimentology cover research studies in stratigraphy and environmental, tectonic, and diagenetic processes, together with studies focusing on the evolutionary, biostratigraphic, and paleo-environmental significance of paleontology. This section also contains papers on marine geosciences, from molecular proxies related to climate to geophysical surveys. The third set of papers focuses on studies related to geochemistry that are focused on sedimentary geochemistry and mineralogical characterization, magmatic and metamorphic processes and products, and the origin and exploration of mineral deposits. This book resumes the current situation related to the abovementioned topics mainly in the Mediterranean realm and its surroundings. The book is of interest to all researchers, practitioners, and students in the fields of geomorphology, sedimentology, and geochemistry.

Nowadays, the newest technologies, devices, and techniques related to IoT, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are constantly developing. Therefore, they have a significant impact on our sustainable lifestyle. Accordingly, the application domain of these technologies and tools involves agriculture, water management, healthcare, bioinformatics, smart grid, smart cities, security, and so on. In addition, the IoT has brought an innovative perspective that is totally distinct from the usual approaches: the former consists of a device that can communicate with the network and is capable of implementing intelligent solutions. The goal of this Special Issue is to create a common gateway between researchers, allowing them to exchange and share their results related to the application of IoT, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in various domains.

This book offers background material, reviews, and researched findings into the realms of minerals, mining, metallurgy, and engineering. Firstly, it elucidates fundamental mineral concepts, mining techniques, and mineral processing methods; secondly, it unveils cutting-edge insights on fine and coarse particle flotation, unveiling breakthrough technologies for enhanced efficiency; and thirdly, it explores the innovative applications of ultrasound and thermoluminescence in mineral processing, offering a holistic view of the latest advancements. This book sheds light on the versatile uses of silicones, the intricacies of bentonite clay, and the production pathways, properties, and applications of hydroxyapatite. Furthermore, the book provides invaluable insights into biomimetic biomineralization, the synthesis of low-carbon bio-cements, and the pioneering strides in mineral-based phase change materials.

This book explores the topic of gyrolite and calcium silicate hydrates, focusing on their potential applications in wastewater purification and as additives in ordinary Portland cement. Divided into five chapters, the book provides a comprehensive description of calcium silicate hydrates and addresses challenges in reusing solid waste. It also covers the synthesis and application of gyrolite, offering technological recommendations for future studies. The results presented are supported by instrumental analysis techniques and thermodynamic calculations, allowing readers to delve into inorganic chemistry and materials characterization. The book is suitable for both researchers and students interested in chemistry and materials characterization, offering valuable insights and guidance in the field.

This book has been written to be a self help book so that the public in general can protect themselves from the worst effects of the next Icelandic volcanic eruptions. We have already seen in March & April of 2010 what a small volcanic eruption did when Eyjafjallajokull blew up and caused chaos over the skies of Europe and North America. This was the least harmful perhaps of all 18 - 25 massive strato volcanoes some of which I believe could erupt in the next 5 years. Ones like Katla which are linked to EJ (short version of Eyjafjallajokull) are about 10 times bigger than EJ.Then there is Laki which erupted in 1783 and 1784 and caused a huge cloud of yellow poison mustard gas to spread over Europe potentially killing about 1 million people and yet no one today knows about this volcano, this is one of the biggest killers the world has ever known possibly killing up to 6 million people worldwide due to its effects upon the Jet stream and Monsoon rains and yet only a handful of Nordic Volcanologists and scientists seem to know about it. My book will educate the public to the dangerous relationship between human civilizations and volcanic eruptions which have profoundly changed the way previous civilizations and historical eras progressed or collapsed as the case may be.

This Reprint is designed to serve as a platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to disseminate their most recent findings, innovative ideas, and effective strategies to address the critical issue of water security. This volume encompasses sixteen chapters, organized into four principal thematic areas: Hydrochemical Characteristics and Water Quality, Impact of Human Activities on Water Resources, Water Management Strategies, and Technological Applications for Water Resource Management. By amalgamating a diverse range of studies across various geographical and contextual backgrounds, this Reprint provides a sweeping overview of the current state of water resource management and its pivotal role in sustainable development.

This book will provide a comprehensive discussion of groundwater sustainability, including what it is, how its definition has changed over time, why traditional assessments of it are wrong, how assessments of it are ideally multidisciplinary efforts recognizing that policy is more controlling of outcomes than science, and why achieving it is difficult once pumping exceeds sustainable levels of pumping. The book will provide a nontechnical background of hydrogeology relevant to groundwater sustainability and present several case studies from around the United States and the world. The book has been designed to appeal to academics, students, and practitioners. Academics, particularly those just getting into the subject, will find the book a useful entry in terms of management concepts and political realities of attempting to achieve groundwater sustainability. It will also be useful to academics in that the book will include discussions on the history and development of groundwater sustainability and the practical aspects of aspiring to and achieving sustainable production. Although not a textbook, the book could be used as the basis for teaching a course or as a supplement to a hydrogeology or groundwater management class. Accordingly, the book will include questions and additional reading materials at the end of each chapter. This book will also be useful to practitioners through non-technical explanations of the sciences, discussions of the nuances of defining sustainability in aquifers, and the presentation of case studies where sustainable management has failed and succeeded.

This book is about the technology of using fluid production or injection and pressure measurement signals from wellbores and relating those signals to the subsurface geology and subterranean reservoir properties. It is aimed at students of well-testing and practicing petroleum engineers or geoscience professionals for subsurface characterization and modeling.The topics include the art and science of well-test analysis, pattern recognition of rate and pressure signals, and a quantitative approach for estimating important subsurface geological parameters for subsurface aquifers and reservoirs containing oil, gas, and geothermal resources. The book is also particularly of value as a guide to asset managers actively developing unconventional reservoirs and CCUS.

The book offers novel petrophysical methods for obtaining and characterizing physical properties of sandstone and fractured carbonate rocks. The proposed experimental petrophysical test for the determination of permeability tensor ellipses in fractured rocks at a laboratory scale is a methodology of easy application and does not require complicated equipment. Such a test can be extended with 3D digital petrophysics. The estimation of principal permeability directions is useful in the realization of immiscible or miscible displacements in the rock. This book is of interest for professionals and researchers in the field of petrophysics and oil and gas exploration.   

Climate and Anthropogenic Impacts on Earth Surface Processes in the Anthropocene outlines our current understanding of the effects of ongoing and accelerated environmental changes on Earth surface processes and details the systematic and quantitative methodology on the actual drivers of these processes. This book covers various geomorphological process domains and a wide range of terrestrial surface environments on Earth. It provides a broad spectrum of advanced techniques and methods of data collection and generation, together with various approaches and methods of data analysis and geomorphologic modelling. This book is a valuable resource for upper-level undergraduates, graduates, and academics studying Earth surface processes, as well as researchers and professionals in needing a comprehensive overview of Earth surface process change and influence during the Anthropocene