Soils
Soils

Author: Randall J. Schaetzl

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2005-05-05

Total Pages: 840

ISBN-13: 9780521812016

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Soils: Genesis and Geomorphology is a comprehensive and accessible textbook on all aspects of soils. The book's introductory chapters on soil morphology, physics, mineralogy and organisms prepare the reader for the more advanced and thorough treatment that follows. Theory and processes of soil genesis and geomorphology form the backbone of the book, rather than the emphasis on soil classification that permeates other less imaginative soils textbooks. This refreshingly readable text takes a truly global perspective, with many examples from around the world sprinkled throughout. Replete with hundreds of high quality figures and a large glossary, this book will be invaluable for anyone studying soils, landforms and landscape change. Soils: Genesis and Geomorphology is an ideal textbook for mid- to upper-level undergraduate and graduate level courses in soils, pedology and geomorphology. It will also be an invaluable reference text for researchers.

Weathering, Soils & Paleosols
Weathering, Soils & Paleosols

Author: I.P. Martini

Publisher: Elsevier

Published: 2013-10-22

Total Pages: 641

ISBN-13: 1483291278

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For the past 200 years, geological scientists have used the present as a key to unlocking the past. This volume continues the tradition by exploring the processes of weathering and soil formation as indicators of the present environment of the Earth's land surface. Examined are the various ways in which this information can be used to interpret past environments which have produced the soils now preserved as paleosols. Because the surface environment of the earth may now be undergoing rapid change (the greenhouse effect), the book is a timely one for those researchers looking for evidence of analogous changes in the Earth's past. The work is divided into three major sections. The first deals with fundamental considerations of weathering, clay mineralogy and diagenesis. The second deals with the formation of soils from various starting materials and in various surficial environments. And the final section is an interpretation of paleosols. This volume provides valuable reading material for graduate and senior-undergraduate courses.

Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments
Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments

Author: Vivien Gornitz

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-10-31

Total Pages: 1062

ISBN-13: 1402045514

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One of Springer’s Major Reference Works, this book gives the reader a truly global perspective. It is the first major reference work in its field. Paleoclimate topics covered in the encyclopedia give the reader the capability to place the observations of recent global warming in the context of longer-term natural climate fluctuations. Significant elements of the encyclopedia include recent developments in paleoclimate modeling, paleo-ocean circulation, as well as the influence of geological processes and biological feedbacks on global climate change. The encyclopedia gives the reader an entry point into the literature on these and many other groundbreaking topics.

Soils of the Past
Soils of the Past

Author: Gregory J. Retallack

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 451

ISBN-13: 9401179026

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Landscapes viewed from afar have a timeless quality that is soothing to the human spirit. Yet a tranquil wilderness scene is but a snapshot in the steady stream of surficial change. Wind, water and human activities reshape the landscape by means of gradual to catastrophic and usually irreversible events. Much of this change destroys past landscapes, but at some times and places, landscapes are buried in the rock record. This work is dedicated to the discovery of past landscapes and their life through the fossil record of soils. A long history of surficial changes extending back almost to the origin of our planet can be deciphered from the study of these buried soils, or paleosols. Some rudiments of this history, and our place in it, are outlined in a final section of this book. But first it is necessary to learn something of the language of soils, of what happens to them when buried in the rock record and which of the forces of nature can be confidently reconstructed from their remains. Much of this preliminary material is borrowed from soil science, but throughout emphasis is laid on features that provide most reliable evidence of landscapes during the distant geological past. This book has evolved primarily as a text for senior level university courses in paleopedology: the study of fossil soils.

Ichnoentomology
Ichnoentomology

Author: Jorge Fernando Genise

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2016-10-31

Total Pages: 707

ISBN-13: 3319282107

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This book is devoted to the ichnology of insects, and associated trace fossils, in soils and paleosols. The traces described here, mostly nests and pupation chambers, include one of the most complex architectures produced by animals. Chapters explore the walls, shapes and fillings of trace fossils followed by their classifications and ichnotaxonomy. Detailed descriptions and interpretations for different groups of insects like bees, ants, termites, dung beetles and wasps are also provided. Chapters also highlight the the paleoenvironmental significance of insect trace fossils in paleosols for paleontological reconstructions, sedimentological interpretation, and ichnofabrics analysis. Readers will discover how insect trace fossils act as physical evidence for reconstructing the evolution of behavior, phylogenies, past geographical distributions, and to know how insects achieved some of the more complex architectures. The book will appeal to researchers and graduate students in ichnology, sedimentology, paleopedology, and entomology and readers interested in insect architecture.