Geophysical Monograph Series - Böcker

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 100.Continental flood basalts, volcanic passive margins, and oceanic plateaus represent the largest known volcanic episodes on our planet, yet they are not easily explained by plate tectonics. Indeed, some are likely to record periods when the outward transfer of material and energy from the Earth's interior operated in a significantly different mode than at present. In recent years, interest in large-scale mafic magmatism has surged as high-precision geochronological, detailed geochemical, and increasingly sophisticated geophysical data have become available for many provinces. However, the sheer amount of recent material, often in the form of detailed collaborative research projects, can overwhelm newcomers to the field and experts alike as the literature continues to grow dramatically. The need for an up-to-date review volume on a sizable subset of the major continental and oceanic flood basalt provinces, termed large igneous provinces, was recognized by the Commission on Large-Volume Basaltic Provinces (International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior), and the co-editors were charged with organizing and implementing such a volume. We hope that this volume will be valuable to researchers and graduate students worldwide, particularly to petrologists, geochemists, geochronologists, geodynamicists, and plate-tectonics specialists; it may also interest planetologists, oceanographers, and atmospheric scientists.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 106.Seafloor spreading at mid-ocean ridges was recognized more than 30 years ago as the key which unlocked the plate tectonic revolution. Ridges are not only the locus of the most voluminous magmatic activity on Earth, but they are also the largest and most active extensional tectonic regime on the planet. The abyssal hills of the seafloor, formed at mid-ocean ridges, are the most widespread morphologic features on the planet. Beneath these ridges, oceanic lithosphere forms nearly 60% of the volume of the Earth's rigid outer shell. As impressive as this may be, it is worth recalling that similar volumes have been created repeatedly in the cycle of spreading and subduction of oceanic tracts that characterizes plate tectonics.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 107.Bedrock river channels are sites of primary erosion in the landscape, fixing the baselevel for all points upstream. This volume provides for the first time an integrated view of the characteristics and operation of this important, though hitherto neglected, class of channels. Examples are provided from several continents and cover a wide range of spatial scales from the large river basins (such as the Colorado River in the United States and the Indus River in Pakistan) down to reach scales and individual sites. Likewise the geologic timescales considered range from erosion and transportation during individual flows to accumulated effects over periods of tens of millions of years.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 113.This volume offers a sample of the diversity of research on faults and fluid flow in the late 1990s. It describes detailed surface and subsurface characterization of fault-zone structure and diagenesis with implications for hydrology and petroleum geology; the role of faults in geothermal systems; laboratory studies of rock mechanics, permeability, and geochemistry of faults and fault rocks; and mathematical modeling of fluid flow through faulted and fractured rocks.The most striking and appealing feature of the volume, as well as the general research topic of faults and subsurface fluid flow, is its interdiscplinary nature. The authors are drawn from the fields of structural geology, engineering geology, geohydrology and hydrogeology, sedimentology, petroleum geology, geothermal geology, rock mechanics, and geochemistry. Likewise, the emphasis on faults rather than simple open fractures raises issues not addressed in much of the literature on flow through fractured rocks. Although faults are a type of fracture and semantics can confuse the issue, faults are generally more complicated than the simple fractures that are the focus of most work in fractured rock hydrology. Most notably, faults can have very large displacements (up to many kilometers) and develop complicated tectonic fabrics, gouge zones, and juxtaposition of rocks or sediments of different types.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 114.Our understanding of biogeochemical cycles is directly related to the research and analyses we bring to them, and to our critical sense of the methods we use. Of primary importance here are the theories behind, and our use of, inverse methods and data assimilation techniques across a multidisciplinary context that includes atmosphere-biosphere and atmosphere-ocean interactions, atmospheric chemistry, physical oceanography, and ocean biogeochemistry. Certainly, researchers in many earth system science disciplines, whether novice or expert, will benefit from the breadth and depth we have brought to the topics discussed in this monograph. At the same time, we have provided readers with a unique opportunity to enhance their research acumen and their understanding of ways and means. Toward this end, this monograph consists of a tutorial section with problem sets for use by readers who wish to test and enhance their knowledge, and a research section that showcases some of the latest scientific results from use of the aforementioned methods in a variety of earth science disciplines.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 116.Remote sensing is an essential tool for many Earth and planetary scientists. When studying the atmosphere, the land, the ocean floor, or for that matter the surfaces of other planets, remote sensing has deepened and expanded our understanding in immediate and dramatic ways. This is especially true for volcanologists concerned with active volcanic processes. Technological advances in collecting data from a satellite or an aircraft, however, also require human skills specific to the medium, and nowhere more so than in processing and interpreting data in ways that are different from those skills needed with a field-oriented approach. In this volume on the remote sensing of active volcanoes, we clarify and address those differences. At the same time, we seek to stimulate greater interaction between remote sensing specialists and field volcanologists, aided by the tutorials and background information we have included.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 141. This monograph presents a state-of-the-art description of the most recent results on solar variability and its possible influence on the Earth's climate and atmosphere. Our primary goal in doing so is to review solar energy flux variations (both electromagnetic and particle) and understand their relations to solar magnetic field changes and global effects, their impact on different atmospheric layers, and—as a collaboration of scientists working on solar-terrestrial physics—to note unresolved questions on an important interdisciplinary area.One of the highest-level questions facing science today is whether the Earth's atmosphere and climate system changes in a way that we can understand and predict. The Earth's climate is the result of a complex and incompletely understood system of external inputs and interacting parts. Climate change can occur on various time scales as a consequence of natural variability—including solar variability—or anthropogenic causes, or both. The Sun's variability in the form of sunspots and related magnetic activity has been the subject of careful study ever since the earliest telescopic observations. High precision photometric observations of solar-type stars clearly show that year-to-year brightness variations connected with magnetic activity are a widespread phenomenon among such stars. As our nearest star, the Sun is the only star where we can observe and identify a variety of structures and processes which lead to variations in the solar energy output, in both radiative and particle fluxes. Studying event tiny changes in solar energy flux variations may teach us about internal processes taking place in the Sun's convective zone and below.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 143.For thousands of years man has marvelled at the gigantic structure that makes up Mt. Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, and has lived side by side with the mountain, which despite its intense eruptive activity has always been considered a “friendly giant.”After the Second World War, with its frequent but non life-threatening eruptions, Mt. Etna represented an ideal location for volcanological research for the national and international scientific community. Numerous scientists from Belgium, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America have taken part in volcanological research aimed at understanding the volcano.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 145.To mark the 70th birthday of Neil D. Opdyke, a Chapman Conference entitled "Timescales ofthe Internal Geomagnetic Field" was held at the University of Florida in Gainesville on March 9-11, 2003. This AGU Chapman Conference was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation, University of Florida, Florida Museum of Natural History, and 2G Enterprises. Forty-one talks and twenty-three posters were presented during the three-day meeting. This monograph contains twenty-four of those papers, and is a balanced subset ofthe papers presented at the conference. The monograph is divided into three parts. Part 1 deals with the geocentric axial dipole (GAD) hypothesis, continental reconstruction, and long-term geomagnetic field behavior. Part 2 comprises papers on magnetic polarity stratigraphy and the acquisition of sedimentary magnetization. Part 3 deals with secular variation, paleointensity, and short-term geomagnetic field behavior. These are all topics that have been substantially impacted by Neil's scientific work.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 149. The study of the complex interactions between continents and oceans has become a leading area for 21st century earth cience. In this volume, continent—ocean interactions in tectonics, arc-continent collision, sedimentology, and climatic volution within the East Asian Marginal Seas take precedence. Links between oceanic and continental climate, the sedimentology of coastal and shelf areas, and the links between deformation of continental and oceanic lithosphere are also discussed.As an introduction to the science presented throughout the volume, Wang discusses many of the possible interactions between the tectonic evolution of Asia and both regional and global climate. He speculates that uplift of central Asia in the Pliocene may have triggered the formation of many of the major rivers that drain north through Siberia into the Arctic Ocean. He also argues that it is the delivery of this fresh water that allows the formation of sea ice in that area and triggered the start of Northern Hemispheric glaciation. This may be one of the most dramatic ways in which Asia has shaped the Earth's climate and represents an alternative to the other competing models that have previously emphasized the role of oceanic gateway closure in Central America. Moreover, his proposal for major uplift of at least part of Tibet and Mongolia as late as the Pliocene, based on the history of drainage evolution in Siberia, supports recent data from the southern Tarim Basin and from the Qilian Shan and Qaidam and Jiuxi Basins in northeast Tibet that indicate surface uplift at that time. Constraining the timing and patterns of Tibetan surface uplift is crucial to testing competing models for strain accommodation in Asia following India—Asia collision.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 151.Ocean circulation and hence global climate are nowhere more strongly changed than through the opening or closing of gateways or seaways that link major oceans. The break-up of Gondwana, and the northward flight of its continental fragments from Antarctica, is a case in point. Profound climatic consequences resulted from shifts in ocean and atmospheric circulation due to drastic changes in global geography.During the Cenozoic, the northward flight of southern continents led to the opening of gateways at southern high latitudes while progressively restricting and closing gateways in the low latitudes. Considerable previous research has dealt with the opening and expansion of the two Cenozoic gateways—the Tasmanian Gateway south of Australia and the Drake Passage south of America—which allowed the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) to develop and progressively isolate Antarctica thermally. It is generally accepted that full opening of the Tasmanian Gateway occurred earlier than that of Drake Passage, although the time of opening of Drake Passage remains controversial. It has long been proposed that a climatic threshold leading to major initial Antarctic ice sheet accumulation occurred during the Eocene-Oligocene transition as the Tasmanian Gateway opened, triggering ACC formation and resultant thermal isolation of the Antarctic continent (Gateway Hypothesis). South of Australia, Paleogene rifting slowly opened the Australo-Antarctic Gulf, but the Indian and Pacific Oceans remained separated by the Tasmanian land bridge until the latest Eocene, preventing earlier development of the ACC; waters derived from low latitudes efficiently transported heat towards the Antarctic continent, contributing to the maintenance of global greenhouse conditions. Early ocean drilling in the Tasmanian Gateway between Australia and Antarctica provided a basic framework of paleoenvironmental changes associated with the opening, but stratigraphic resolution was too limited to fully test potential interrelationships of plate tectonics, circum-polar circulation and global climate. So, until recently, the timing of events has been inadequately constrained.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 152.Sea salt aerosol (SSA) exerts a major influence over a broad reach of geophysics. It is important to the physics and chemistry of the marine atmosphere and to marine geochemistry and biogeochemistry generally. It affects visibility, remote sensing, atmospheric chemistry, and air quality. Sea salt aerosol particles interact with other atmospheric gaseous and aerosol constituents by acting as sinks for condensable gases and suppressing new particle formation, thus influencing the size distribution of these other aerosols and more broadly influencing the geochemical cycles of substances with which they interact. As the key aerosol constituent over much of Earth's surface at present, and all the more so in pre-industrial times, SSA is central to description of Earth's aerosol burden.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 153.Land use is at the center of one of the most vexing challenges for the coming decades: to provide enough food, fiber and shelter for the world's population; raise the standard of living for the billion people currently below the poverty line; and simultaneously sustain the world's ecosystems for use by humans and other species. The intended consequence of cropland expansion, urban growth, and other land use changes is to satisfy demands from the increasing appetite of the world's population. Unintended consequences, however, can alter ecological processes and have far-reaching and long-term effects that potentially compromise the basic functioning of ecosystems. Recently, the scientific community has begun to confront such issues. Several national and international programs have been at the forefront of scientific enquiry on the causes and consequences of land use change, including: the Land Use and Land Cover Change Program of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Land Use program element in the interagency U.S. Climate Change Science Program, and the International Geosphere-Biosphere's Land Use and Cover Change (LUCC) core project. The result has been significant advances in understanding the complex socioeconomic, technological, and biophysical factors that drive land use change worldwide.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 154.The Rocky Mountains provide a key region for understanding the evolution of the western North American continent and processes that shape continents in general.As a result, the region has prompted intense and pioneering geologic investigations for over a century, offering scientists an exceptionally rich field laboratory in which to gather data and to make and test interpretations. The Continental Dynamics of the Rocky Mountain (CD-ROM) experiment (1995-2004), from which this book derives, follows in this tradition, motivated by three leading questions: how are continents initially formed and stabilized; how do old lithospheric structures and boundaries influence younger tectonic events; and how did processes related to the plate boundary affect the evolution of the Cenozoic Rocky Mountains? To successfully answer such questions requires integrated studies focused from the surface, through the crust, into the mantle, and with a four-dimensional approach that also encompasses the time dimension.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 156.Space is dominated by plasma and a myriad of physical processes through which it has been evolving for billions of years. In our effort to understand what the universe has been and what it will become, we turn to the nature of matter, space, and the various interactions that change this environment. Our contact with the remote regions of the universe is dominated by the photons and high-energy particles produced there long ago, with light often the result of physical processes that involve particles accelerated to high energy. Developing our knowledge of particle acceleration across all spatial scales and energies is one of the keys to understanding the evolving universe. It is also the subject of this book.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 159.We regard the inner magnetosphere as the region surrounded by a geomagnetic shell with an equatorial radius of approximately eight Earth radii. Of much concern to scientists and researchers, and the focus of this monograph, are the interactions that occur in this region of geospace. We include here hot-cold plasma interactions, plasmasphere dynamics, direct effects of the interplanetary magnetic field on the inner magnetosphere, ring-current/ionosphere interactions, ring-current effects on global electric fields, and ring-current/radiation-belt interactions. With new satellite measurements, especially those from IMAGE (Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration), and associated observations from ground-based facilities, our understanding of the interactions that take place in the inner magnetosphere has developed rapidly.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 160. Understanding the inner workings of our planet and its relationship to processes closer to the surface remains a frontier in the geosciences. Manmade probes barely reach ˜10 km depth and volcanism rarely brings up samples from deeper than ˜150 km. These distances are dwarfed by Earth's dimensions, and our knowledge of the deeper realms is pieced together from a range of surface observables, meteorite and solar atmosphere analyses, experimental and theoretical mineral physics and rock mechanics, and computer simulations. A major unresolved issue concerns the nature of mantle convection, the slow (1-5 cm/year) solid-state stirring that helps cool the planet by transporting radiogenic and primordial heat from Earth's interior to its surface.Expanding our knowledge here requires input from a range of geoscience disciplines, including seismology, geodynamics, mineral physics, and mantle petrology and chemistry. At the same time, with better data sets and faster computers, seismologists are producing more detailed models of 3-D variations in the propagation speed of different types of seismic waves; new instrumentation and access to state-of-the-art community facilities such as synchrotrons have enabled mineral physicists to measure rock and mineral properties at ever larger pressures and temperatures; new generations of mass spectrometers are allowing geo-chemists to quantify minute concentrations of diagnostic isotopes; and with supercomputers geodynamicists are making increasingly realistic simulations of dynamic processes at conditions not attainable in analogue experiments. But many questions persist. What causes the lateral variations in seismic wavespeed that we can image with mounting accuracy? How reliable are extrapolations of laboratory measurements on simple materials over many orders of magnitude of pressure and temperature? What are the effects of volatiles and minor elements on rock and mineral properties under extreme physical conditions? Can ab initio calculations help us understand material behavior in conditions that are still out of reach of laboratory measurement? What was the early evolution of our planet and to what extent does it still influence present-day dynamics? And how well do we know such first-order issues as the average bulk composition of Earth?

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 161.In this book, we describe our current state of knowledge on circulation in the Gulf of Mexico through 22 papers at the forefront of research. The view is selective rather than all-inclusive, with primary focus on circulation at the sea surface and at depth, including nearshore flow. In choosing topics, we have attempted to avoid the distinction between observations and models, as both are essential to advance our understanding of this exceptional body of water. We have also written for specialists and non-specialists alike in both science and industry: for those who work directly on the science associated with the Gulf, and for those whose work depends on the Gulf. And we refer here to physical oceanography, marine geology, sedimentology, coastal and estuarine science, as well as to the petrochemical and fishing industries.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 163.The North, with its vast and varied landscapes, sparse population, and cold climate has always challenged its explorers: physically, mentally, logistically, and technically. The scientific community in particular has known such challenges in the past and does so today, especially in light of the projected intensification of climate change at high latitudes. Indeed, there are clear signs that change is already ongoing in many environmental variables: Air temperature and annual precipitation (including snowfall) are increasing in many regions; spring snow cover extent is decreasing; lake and river ice freeze-up dates are occurring later and breakup dates earlier; glaciers are retreating rapidly; permafrost temperatures are increasing and, in many cases, the permafrost is thawing; and sea-ice extent is at record minimums and thinning.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 164. The Archean Eon represents 1.3 Gyr of Earth's distant past, from about 3.8 Ga to 2.5 Ga—nearly one third of our planet's history. It was during the Archean that a regime of global geodynamics was established, resulting in the formation and recycling of the first lithosphere, as well as the formation, growth, deformation, differentiation, emergence, and erosion of continents. By the end of the Archean, Earth had reached a geodynamic regime dominated by plate tectonic processes. The consequent environments, at and near Earth's surface, included the different niches within which early life forms evolved. It is to the Archean evolution of Earth that we now look to better understand many of the processes that shaped the planet, as we know it.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 165.Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are the most energetic events in the heliosphere. During solar cycle 23, the close connection between CMEs and solar energetic particles (SEPs) was studied in much greater detail than was previously possible, including effects on space weather. This book reviews extensive observations of solar eruptions and SEPs from orbiting and ground-based systems. From SOHO and ACE to RHESSI and TRACE, we now have measurements of unprecedented sensitivity by which to test assumptions and refine models.Discussion and analysis of: Coronal mass ejections and energetic particles over one solar cycleImplications of solar eruptions for space weather and human space explorationThe elemental, isotopic, and ionic charge state composition of accelerated particlesComplex interconnections among CMEs, flares, shocks, and energetic particles will make this book an indispensable resource for scientists working on the Sun-Earth connection, including space physicists, magnetospheric physicists, atmospheric physicists, astrophysicists, and aeronomists.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 166.New ocean crust is continuously created where tectonic plates diverge. A distinctive type of oceanic crust is formed by back-arc spreading systems that parallel oceanic island arcs on the side away from the subducting plate. Volatile-rich and spatially variable, back-arc spreading systems are a natural laboratory for multi-disciplinary studies of seafloor creation, the flow of magma from the deep earth, and the hydrothermal ecosystems that this flow sustains. Derived from the prestigious Ridge 2000 InterRidge Theoretical Institute held in 2004, Back-Arc Spreading Systems: Geological, Biological, Chemical, and Physical Interactions reviews the state of the science, with select case studies.Experienced researchers in, and students of, marine geology, biological oceanography, marine geochemistry, volcanology, petrology, and geo- and paleomagnetism will find this volume a significant resource now and for the near future.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 168.The distribution of H2O in the Earth is under debate. Although liquid water covers 70% of the surface, the oceans represent only about 0.025% of the planet's mass-far less water than thought to have been present during Earth's formation. If our planet is "missing" most of its original water, could it reside in the mantle? Can we detect it seismically?Recognition of the capacity of some deep-mantle minerals to absorb water has propelled an interdisciplinary field of research addressing these two questions, and more. Earth's Deep Water Cycle advances the field with experimental, modeling, and seismic studies that focus on the physical characteristics of "hydrated" minerals, the potentially H2O-rich transition zone (410-660 km depth), and our detection abilities.Integrated perspectives from four fields of research are featured: Mineral physics and geochemistrySeismology and electrical conductivityProperties of deep hydrous mantleGlobal models and consequences of a deep-Earth water cycleFrom experimental synthesis and physical properties measurements to geophysical observations and geodynamic modeling, we are beginning to understand what parameters and data are needed to detect or refute the possibility of water in the deep Earth.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 169.Ultra-Low-Frequency (ULF) waves pervade the magnetosphere, a region shaped by the Earth's magnetic fieid and filled with an ionized gas known as plasma. As a mechanism for interaction of particles with fields and as a diagnostic tool for probing the structure of the magnetosphere, ULF waves are a rich medium for research and discovery. With new spacecraft and computer simulations, and ground-based magnetometers and radar networks, we have recently expanded our capacity to analyze ULF waves on a global scale with unprecedented precision. Magnetospheric ULF Waves: Synthesis and New Directions presents state-of-the-art information on ULF waves, and their effect on space weather, from three vantage points: Excitation and propagationInteraction with plasma and energetic particlesMagnetospheric diagnosticsScientists, researchers, and students working in space physics, magnetospheric physics, atmospheric physics, climatoiogy and aeronomy will find this book an important resource for current and near-future investigations of the Sun-Earth relationship.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 172.The Kamchatka Peninsula and contiguous North Pacific Rim is among the most active regions in the world. Kamchatka itself contains 29 active volcanoes, 4 now in a state of semi-continuous eruption, and I has experienced 14 magnitude 7 or greater earthquakes since accurate recording began in 1962. At its heart is the uniquely acute subduction cusp where the Kamchatka and Aleutian Arcs and Emperor Seamount Chain meet. Volcanism and Subduction covers coupled magmatism and tectonics in this spectacular region, where the torn North Pacific slab dives into hot mantle. Senior Russian and American authors grapple with the dynamics of the cusp with perspectives from the west and east of it, respectively, while careful tephrostratigraphy yields a remarkably precise record of behavior of storied volcanoes such as Kliuchevskoi and Shiveluch. Towards the south, Japanese researchers elucidate subduction earthquake processes with unprecedented geodetic resolution. Looking eastward, new insights on caldera formation, monitoring, and magma ascent are presented for the Aleutians.This is one of the first books of its kind printed in the English language. Students and scientists beginning research in the region will find in this book a useful context and introduction to the region's scientific leaders. Others who wish to apply lessons learned in the North Pacific to their areas of interest will find the volume a valuable reference.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 171.Groundwater is a critical resource and the PrinciPal source of drinking water for over 1.5 billion people. In 2001, the National Research Council cited as a "grand challenge" our need to understand the processes that control water movement in the subsurface. This volume faces that challenge in terms of data integration between complex, multi-scale hydrologie processes, and their links to other physical, chemical, and biological processes at multiple scales. Subsurface Hydrology: Data Integration for Properties and Processes presents the current state of the science in four aspects: Approaches to hydrologie data integrationData integration for characterization of hydrologie propertiesData integration for understanding hydrologie processesMeta-analysis of current interpretationsScientists and researchers in the field, the laboratory, and the classroom will find this work an important resource in advancing our understanding of subsurface water movement.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 173.The ocean's meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is a key factor in climate change. The Atlantic MOC, in particular, is believed to play an active role in the regional and global climate variability. It is associated with the recent debate on rapid climate change, the Atlantic Multi-Decadal Oscillation (AMO), global warming, and Atlantic hurricanes.This is the first book to deal with all aspects of the ocean's large-scale meridional overturning circulation, and is a coherent presentation, from a mechanistic point of view, of our current understanding of paleo, present-day, and future variability and change. It presents the current state of the science by bringing together the world's leading experts in physical, chemical, and biological oceanography, marine geology, geochemistry, paleoceanography, and climate modeling. A mix of overview and research papers makes this volume suitable not only for experts in the field, but also for students and anyone interested in climate change and the oceans.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 174. Discovery of the perovskite to post-perovskite phase transition in MgSiO3, expected to occur for deep mantle conditions, was first announced in April 2004. This immediately stimulated numerous studies in experimental and theoretical mineral physics, seismology, and geodynamics evaluating the implications of a major lower mantle phase change. A resulting revolution in our understanding of the D″ region in the lowermost mantle is well underway. This monograph presents the multidisciplinary advances to date ensuing from interpreting deep mantle seismological structures and dynamical processes in the context of the experimentally and theoretically determined properties of the post-perovskite phase change; the last silicate phase change likely to occur with increasing pressure in lowermost mantle rocks.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Geophysical Monograph Series, Volume 175.A Continental Plate Boundary offers in one place the most comprehensive, up-to-date knowledge for researchers and students to learn about the tectonics and plate dynamics of the Pacific-Australian continental plate boundary in South Island and about the application of modern geological and geophysical methods. It examines what happens when convergence and translation occur at a plate boundary by Describing the geological and geophysical signature of a continental transform fault;Identifying the diverse vertical and lateral patterns of deformation at the plate boundary;Assessing an apparent seismicity gap on the plate boundary fault and fast-moving plate motions;Comparing this plate boundary to other global convergent continental strike-slip plate boundaries;Documenting the utility of the double-sided, onshore-offshore seismic method for exploration of a narrow continental island; andProviding additional papers presenting previously unpublished results.This volume will prove invaluable for seismologists, tectonophysicists, geodesists and potential-field geophysicists, geologists, geodynamicists, and students of the deformation of tectonic plates.