Joseph Holden - Böcker

This second edition, enhanced with more than 30 new figures, provides an up-to-date overview of physical geography suitable for all those with a personal or professional interest in environmental processes, climate change and understanding of the Earth’s landforms and dynamics. The text provides explanations of processes, enabling the reader to understand the interconnected nature of the Earth’s system, and has been updated to include new developments and case studies with insights from satellite observations and data analysis using artificial intelligence.The book begins by outlining the nature of the Earth system, concepts around environmental thresholds and feedbacks, planetary boundaries for human survival, and humans as a dominant driver of environmental change. The second chapter examines features associated with plate tectonics, the role of weathering and erosion in shaping landscapes, and soil functions and management. Chapter 3 deals with the climate system, describing drivers of the major atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems, the natural greenhouse effect, and regional climate and weather experienced for different zones across the planet. The global carbon cycle and long-term climate change are considered in Chapter 4 before moving on to tackle the latest knowledge on contemporary and future climate change, its impacts, mitigation and adaptation. Chapter 5 facilitates key understanding of hydrology, river channel dynamics, water quality, coastal processes, glacier dynamics and cold region landforms while Chapter 6 deals with the distribution and patterns of life on Earth and of the underlying processes that result in these patterns. The book concludes with a brief overview of considerations for managing environmental change and hazards, and requirements for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.This reader-friendly text brings together wide-ranging subject areas from across physical geography, covering the basics of the subject at a level suitable for those about to embark on a university degree or for those who just want to get a solid basic understanding of the physical environment around them. The book, which contains box features with examples and a glossary to aid understanding, acts as a primer for further study, or in itself can be used as a basic aid to understanding fundamental principles and processes associated with physical geography.

This second edition, enhanced with more than 30 new figures, provides an up-to-date overview of physical geography suitable for all those with a personal or professional interest in environmental processes, climate change and understanding of the Earth’s landforms and dynamics. The text provides explanations of processes, enabling the reader to understand the interconnected nature of the Earth’s system, and has been updated to include new developments and case studies with insights from satellite observations and data analysis using artificial intelligence.The book begins by outlining the nature of the Earth system, concepts around environmental thresholds and feedbacks, planetary boundaries for human survival, and humans as a dominant driver of environmental change. The second chapter examines features associated with plate tectonics, the role of weathering and erosion in shaping landscapes, and soil functions and management. Chapter 3 deals with the climate system, describing drivers of the major atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems, the natural greenhouse effect, and regional climate and weather experienced for different zones across the planet. The global carbon cycle and long-term climate change are considered in Chapter 4 before moving on to tackle the latest knowledge on contemporary and future climate change, its impacts, mitigation and adaptation. Chapter 5 facilitates key understanding of hydrology, river channel dynamics, water quality, coastal processes, glacier dynamics and cold region landforms while Chapter 6 deals with the distribution and patterns of life on Earth and of the underlying processes that result in these patterns. The book concludes with a brief overview of considerations for managing environmental change and hazards, and requirements for achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.This reader-friendly text brings together wide-ranging subject areas from across physical geography, covering the basics of the subject at a level suitable for those about to embark on a university degree or for those who just want to get a solid basic understanding of the physical environment around them. The book, which contains box features with examples and a glossary to aid understanding, acts as a primer for further study, or in itself can be used as a basic aid to understanding fundamental principles and processes associated with physical geography.

Physical Geography: The Basics is a concise and engaging introduction to the interactions, systems and processes that have shaped, and continue to shape, the world around us. The book features diagrams, maps and a glossary to aid understanding of key ideas and suggestions for further reading to allow readers to develop their interest in the subject.

Now in its second edition, Water Resources: An Integrated Approach provides students with a comprehensive overview of natural processes associated with water and the modifications of these processes by humans through climate change and land management, water-related health issues, engineering approaches to water and socio-economic processes of huge importance to water resources. The book contains chapters written by 24 specialist contributors, providing expert depth of coverage to topics. The text introduces the basic properties of water and its importance to society and the nature of the different regional imbalances between water resource availability and demand. It guides the reader through the changing water cycle impacted by climate and land management, water flows in river basins, surface water quality, groundwater and aquatic ecosystems, and covers the role of water in human health and associated hazards before turning to engineering solutions to water and wastewater treatment and reuse. The book deals with physical and social management strategies required for water resource planning, the economics of water and treatment of issues associated with conflict over water. The concept of virtual water is covered before the text concludes with a chapter considering the challenges of predicting future water issues in a rapidly changing world and where environmental systems can behave in a non-linear way. The need to work across disciplines to address challenges that are connected at both local and global scales is highlighted. Water Resources also includes global examples from both the developing and developed world. There are 58 case study boxes. Each chapter is supplemented with these case studies and with reflective questions, project ideas and further reading, as well as links to a glossary of terms. The book is richly illustrated throughout with over 160 full-colour diagrams and photographs.The text provides a novel interdisciplinary approach to water in a changing world, from an environmental change perspective and interrelated social, political and economic dimensions. It will be an indispensable guide to undergraduates studying water resources and management, geography of water, and water in the environment.

Now in its second edition, Water Resources: An Integrated Approach provides students with a comprehensive overview of natural processes associated with water and the modifications of these processes by humans through climate change and land management, water-related health issues, engineering approaches to water and socio-economic processes of huge importance to water resources. The book contains chapters written by 24 specialist contributors, providing expert depth of coverage to topics. The text introduces the basic properties of water and its importance to society and the nature of the different regional imbalances between water resource availability and demand. It guides the reader through the changing water cycle impacted by climate and land management, water flows in river basins, surface water quality, groundwater and aquatic ecosystems, and covers the role of water in human health and associated hazards before turning to engineering solutions to water and wastewater treatment and reuse. The book deals with physical and social management strategies required for water resource planning, the economics of water and treatment of issues associated with conflict over water. The concept of virtual water is covered before the text concludes with a chapter considering the challenges of predicting future water issues in a rapidly changing world and where environmental systems can behave in a non-linear way. The need to work across disciplines to address challenges that are connected at both local and global scales is highlighted. Water Resources also includes global examples from both the developing and developed world. There are 58 case study boxes. Each chapter is supplemented with these case studies and with reflective questions, project ideas and further reading, as well as links to a glossary of terms. The book is richly illustrated throughout with over 160 full-colour diagrams and photographs.The text provides a novel interdisciplinary approach to water in a changing world, from an environmental change perspective and interrelated social, political and economic dimensions. It will be an indispensable guide to undergraduates studying water resources and management, geography of water, and water in the environment.