ALBERT

Description / Table of Contents: This volume highlights some of the frontiers in the study of plastic deformation of minerals and rocks. The research into the plastic properties of minerals and rocks had a major peak in late 1960s to early 1970s, largely stimulated by research in the laboratory of D. T. Griggs and his students and associates. It is the same time when the theory of plate tectonics was established and provided a first quantitative theoretical framework for understanding geological processes. The theory of plate tectonics stimulated the study of deformation properties of Earth materials, both in the brittle and the ductile regimes. Many of the foundations of plastic deformation of minerals and rocks were established during this period. Also, new experimental techniques were developed, including deformation apparatus for high-pressure and high-temperature conditions, electron micros-copy study of defects in minerals, and the X-ray technique of deformation fabric analysis. The field benefited greatly from materials science concepts of deformation that were introduced, including the models of point defects and their interaction with dislocations. A summary of progress is given by the volume Flow and Fracture of Rocks: The Griggs Volume, published in 1972 by the American Geophysical Union. Since then, the scope of Earth sciences has greatly expanded. Geodynamics became concerned with the Earth's deep interior where seismologists discovered heterogeneities and anisotropy at all scales that were previously thought to be typical of the crust and the upper mantle. Investigations of the solar system documented new mineral phases and rocks far beyond the Earth. Both domains have received a lot of attention from mineralogists (e.g., summarized in MSA's Reviews in Mineralogy, Volume 36, Planetary Materials and Volume 37, Ultra-High Pressure Mineralogy). Most attention was directed towards crystal chemistry and phase relations, yet an understanding of the deformation behavior is essential for interpreting the dynamic geological processes from geological and geophysical observations. This was largely the reason for a rebirth of the study of rock plasticity, leading to new approaches that include experiments at extreme conditions and modeling of deformation behavior based on physical principles. A wide spectrum of communities emerged that need to use information about mineral plasticity, including mineralogy, petrology, structural geology, seismology, geodynamics and engineering. This was the motivation to organize a workshop, in December 2002 in Emeryville, California, to bridge the very diverse disciplines and facilitate communication. This volume written for this workshop should help one to become familiar with a notoriously difficult subject, and the various contributions represent some of the important progress that has been achieved. The spectrum is broad. High-resolution tomographic images of Earth's interior obtained from seismology need to be interpreted on the bases of materials properties to understand their geodynamic significance. Key issues include the influence of deformation on seismic signatures, such as attenuation and anisotropy, and a new generation of experimental and theoretical studies on rock plasticity has contributed to a better understanding. Extensive space exploration has revealed a variety of tectonic styles on planets and their satellites, underlining the uniqueness of the Earth. To understand why plate tectonics is unique to Earth, one needs to understand the physical mechanisms of localization of deformation at various scales and under different physical conditions. Also here important theoretical and experimental studies have been conducted. In both fields, studies on anisotropy and shear localization, large-strain deformation experiments and quantitative modeling are critical, and these have become available only recently. Complicated interplay among chemical reactions (including partial melting) is a key to understand the evolution of Earth. This book contains two chapters on the developments of new techniques of experimental studies: one is large-strain shear deformation (Chapter 1 by Mackwell and Paterson) and another is deformation experiments under ultrahigh pressures (Chapter 2 by Durham et al.). Both technical developments are the results of years of efforts that are opening up new avenues of research along which rich new results are expected to be obtained. Details of physical and chemical processes of deformation in the crust and the upper mantle are much better understood through the combination of well controlled laboratory experiments with observations on "real" rocks deformed in Earth. Chapter 3 by Tullis and Chapter 4 by Hirth address the issues of deformation of crustal rocks and the upper mantle, respectively. In Chapter 5 Kohlstedt reviews the interplay of partial melting and deformation, an important subject in understanding the chemical evolution of Earth. Cordier presents in Chapter 6 an overview of the new results of ultrahigh pressure deformation of deep mantle minerals and discusses microscopic mechanisms controlling the variation of deformation mechanisms with minerals in the deep mantle. Green and Marone review in Chapter 7 the stability of deformation under deep mantle conditions with special reference to phase transformations and their relationship to the origin of intermediate depth and deep-focus earthquakes. In Chapter 8 Schulson provides a detailed description of fracture mechanisms of ice, including the critical brittle-ductile transition that is relevant not only for glaciology, planetology and engineering, but for structural geology as well. In Chapter 9 Cooper provides a review of experimental and theoretical studies on seismic wave attenuation, which is a critical element in interpreting distribution of seismic wave velocities and attenuation. Chapter 10 by Wenk reviews the relationship between crystal preferred orientation and macroscopic anisotropy, illustrating it with case studies. In Chapter 11 Dawson presents recent progress in poly-crystal plasticity to model the development of anisotropic fabrics both at the microscopic and macroscopic scale. Such studies form the basis for geodynamic interpretation of seismic anisotropy. Finally, in Chapter 12 Montagner and Guillot present a thorough review of seismic anisotropy of the upper mantle covering the vast regions of geodynamic interests, using a global surface wave data set. In Chapter 13 Bercovici and Karato summarize the theoretical aspects of shear localization. All chapters contain extensive reference lists to guide readers to the more specialized literature. Obviously this book does not cover all the areas related to plastic deformation of minerals and rocks. Important topics that are not fully covered in this book include mechanisms of semi-brittle deformation and the interplay between microstructure evolution and deformation at different levels, such as dislocation substructures and grain-size evolution ("self-organization"). However, we hope that this volume provides a good introduction for graduate students in Earth science or materials science as well as the researchers in these areas to enter this multidisciplinary field.

Description / Table of Contents: Until only a few years ago, I would never have imagined that a volume on the stable isotope geochemistry of elements like Mg, Fe or Cu would be written. In fact, a comic book of blank pages entitled The Stable Isotope Geochemistry of Fluorine would have been a more likely prospect. In volume 16 of this series, published in 1986, I wrote: Isotopic variations have been looked for but not found for heavy elements like Cu, Sn, and Fe .... Natural variations in isotopic ratios of terrestrial materials have been reported for other light elements like Mg and K, but such variations usually turn out to be laboratory artifacts. I am about ready to eat those words. We have known for many years that large isotopic fractionations of heavy elements like Pb develop in the source regions of TIMS machines. Nonetheless, most of us held fast to the conventional wisdom that no significant mass-dependent isotopic fractionations were likely to occur in natural or laboratory systems for elements that are either heavy or engaged in bonds with a dominant ionic character. With the relatively recent appearance of new instrumentation like MC-ICP-MS and heroic methods development in TIMS analyses, it became possible to make very precise measurements of the isotopic ratios of some of these non-traditional elements, particularly if they comprise three or more isotopes. It was eminently reasonable to reexamine these systems in this new light. Perhaps atomic weights could be refined, or maybe there were some unexpected isotopic variations to discover. There were around the turn of the present century, reports began appearing of biological fractionations of about 2-3 per mil for heavy elements like Fe and Cr and attempts were made to determine the magnitude of equilibrium isotope effects in these systems, both by experiment and semi-empirical calculations. Interest emerged in applying these effects to the study of environmental problems. Even the most recalcitrant skeptic now accepts the fact that measurable and meaningful variations in the isotopic ratios of heavy elements occur as a result of chemical, biological and physical processes. Most of the work discussed in this volume was published after the year 2000 and thus the chapters are more like progress reports rather than reviews. Skepticism now focuses on whether isotopic variations as small as 0.1 per mil are indeed as meaningful as some think, and the fact that measured isotopic fractionations of these non-traditional elements are frequently much smaller than predicted from theoretical considerations. In fact the large fractionations suggested by the calculations provide much of the stimulus for working in this discipline. Clearly some carefully designed experiments could shed light on some of the ambiguity. My optimism for the future of this burgeoning new field remains high because it is in very good hands indeed.

Description / Table of Contents: Our understanding of rock forming geological processes and thereby of geodynamic processes depends largely on a sound basis of knowledge of minerals. Due to the application of new analytical techniques, the number of newly discovered minerals increases steadily, and what used to be a simple mineral may have turned into a complex group. A continuous update is necessary, and the Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry series excellently fulfills this requirement. The epidote minerals have not yet been covered and we felt that this gap should be filled. The epidote mineral group consists of important rock-forming minerals such as clinozoisite and epidote, geochemical important accessory minerals such as allanite, and minerals typical for rare bulk compositions such as hancockite. Zoisite, the orthorhombic polymorph of clinozoisite, is included here because of its strong structural and paragenetic similarity to the epidote minerals. Epidote minerals occur in a wide variety of rocks, from near-surface conditions up to high- and ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks and as liquidus phases in magmatic systems. They can be regarded as the low-temperature and high-pressure equivalent of Ca-rich plagioclase, and thus are equally important as this feldspar for petrogenetic purposes. In addition, they belong to the most important Fe3+ bearing minerals, and give important information about the oxygen fugacity and the oxidation state of a rock. Last but not least, they can incorporate geochemically relevant minor and trace elements such as Sr, Pb, REE, V, and Mn. The epidote minerals are undoubtedly very important from a petrogenetic and geochemical point of view, and have received a lot of attention in the last years from several working groups in the field of experimental studies and spectroscopic work. As a result, the thermodynamic database of epidote minerals has been significantly enlarged during the last decade. Recent studies have revealed the importance of zoisite in subduction zone processes as a carrier of H2O and suggested zoisite to be the main H2O source in the pressure interval between about 2.0 and 3.0 GPa. Many studies have shown that an understanding of trace element geochemical processes in high-pressure rocks is impossible without understanding the geochemical influence of the epidote minerals. Recent advances in microanalytical techniques have also shown that epidote minerals record detailed information on their geological environment. W. A. Deer, R. A. Howie and J. Zussmann edited the last comprehensive review on this mineral group almost 20 years ago in 1986. In 1990, on the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the discovery of the famous Knappenwand locality in the Tauern/Austria, an epidote conference was held in Neukirchen/Austria organized by the Austrian Mineralogical Society by V. Höck and F. Koller. In 1999, there was a special symposium at the EUG 10 in Strasbourg, convened by R. Gieré and F. Oberli, entitled Recent advances in studies of the epidote group that highlighted the relevance of the epidote minerals for Earth science. However, there are many open questions in the community regarding the epidote minerals and there is a need for a new overview that brings together the recent knowledge on this interesting group of minerals. The present volume of the Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry reviews the current state of knowledge on the epidote minerals with special emphasis on the advances that were made since the comprehensive review of Deer et al. (1986). We hope that it will serve to outline the open questions and direction of future research. In the Introduction, we review the structure, optical data and crystal chemistry of this mineral group, all of which form the basis for understanding much of the following material in the volume. In addition, we provide some information on special topics, such as morphology and growth, deformation behavior, and gemology. Thermodynamic properties (Chapter 2, Gottschalk), the spectroscopy of the epidote minerals (Chapter 3, Liebscher) and a review of the experimental studies (Chapter 4, Poli and Schmidt) constitute the first section of chapters. These fields are closely related, and all three chapters show the significant progress over the last years, but that some of the critical questions such as the problem of miscibility and miscibility gaps are still not completely solved. This section concludes with a review of fluid inclusion studies (Chapter 5, Klemd), a topic that turned out to be of large interest for petrogenetic interpretation, and leads to the description of natural epidote occurrences in the second section of the book. These following chapters review the geological environments of the epdiote minerals, from low temperature in geothermal fields (Chapter 6, Bird and Spieler), to common metamorphic rocks (Chapter 7, Grapes and Hoskin) and to high- and ultrahigh pressure (Chapter 8, Enami, Liou and Mattinson) and the magmatic regime (Chapter 9, Schmidt and Poli). Allanite (Chapter 10, Gieré and Sorensen) and piemontite (Chapter 11, Bonazzi and Menchetti), on which a large amount of information is now available, are reviewed in separate chapters. Finally trace element (Chapter 12, Frei, Liebscher, Franz and Dulski) and isotopic studies, both stable and radiogenic isotopes (Chapter 13, Morrison) are considered. We found it unavoidable that there is some overlap between individual chapters. This is an inherited problem in a mineral group such as the epidote minerals, which forms intensive solid solutions between the major components of rock forming minerals as well as with trace elements.

Description / Table of Contents: This book has been several years in the making, under the experienced and careful oversight of Ed Grew (University of Maine), who edited (with Larry Anovitz) a similar, even larger volume in 1996: Boron: Mineralogy, Petrology, and Geochemistry (RiMG Vol. 33, reprinted with updates and corrections, 2002). Many of the same reasons for inviting investigators to contribute to a volume on B apply equally to a volume on Be. Like B, Be poses analytical difficulties, and it has been neglected in many studies. However, with recent improvements in analytical technology, interest in Be and its cosmogenic isotopes has increased greatly. Chapter 1 (Grew) is an overview of Be studies in the earth sciences backed by an extensive reference list, and an annotated list of the 110 mineral species reported to contain essential Be as of 2002, together with commentary on their status. A systematic classification of Be minerals based on their crystal structure is presented in Chapter 9 (Hawthorne and Huminicki), while analysis of these minerals by the secondary ion mass spectroscopy is the subject of Chapter 8 (Hervig). Chapter 13 (Franz and Morteani) reviews experimental studies of systems involving Be. Chapter 2 (Shearer) reviews the behavior of Be in the Solar System, with an emphasis on meteorites, the Moon and Mars, and the implications of this behavior for the evolution of the solar system. Chapter 3 (Ryan) is an overview of the terrestrial geochemistry of Be, and Chapter 7 (Vesely, Norton, Skrivan, Majer, Krám, Navrátil, and Kaste) discusses the contamination of the environment by this anthropogenic toxin. The cosmogenic isotopes Be-7 and Be-10 have found increasing applications in the Earth sciences. Chapter 4 (Bierman, Caffee, Davis, Marsella, Pavich, Colgan and Mickelson) reports use of the longer lived Be-10 to assess erosion rates and other surficial processes, while Chapter 5 (Morris, Gosse, Brachfeld and Tera) considers how this isotope can yield independent temporal records of geomagnetic field variations for comparison with records obtained by measuring natural remnant magnetization, be a chemical tracer for processes in convergent margins, and can date events in Cenozoic tectonics. Chapter 6 (Kaste, Norton and Hess) reviews applications of the shorter lived isotope Be-7 in environmental studies. Beryllium is a lithophile element concentrated in the residual phases of magmatic systems. Residual phases include acidic plutonic and volcanic rocks, whose geochemistry and evolution are covered, respectively, in Chapters 11 (London and Evensen) and 14 (Barton and Young), while granitic pegmatites, which are well-known for their remarkable, if localized, Be enrichments and a wide variety of Be mineral assemblages, are reviewed in Chapter 10 (Cerny). Not all Be concentrations have obvious magmatic affinities; for example, one class of emerald deposits results from Be being introduced by heated brines (Chapters 13; 14). Pelitic rocks are an important reservoir of Be in the Earth's crust and their metamorphism plays a critical role in recycling of Be in subduction zones (Chapter 3), eventually, anatectic processes complete the cycle, providing a source of Be for granitic rocks (Chapters 11 and 12).

Description / Table of Contents: In the two decades since J. Alexander Speer's Zircon chapter in Orthosilicates (Reviews in Mineralogy, Vol. 5), much has been learned about the internal textures, trace-element and isotope geochemistry (both radiogenic and stable) and chemical and mechanical stability of zircon. The application of this knowledge and the use of zircon in geologic studies have become widespread. Today, the study of zircon exists as the pseudo-discipline of "zirconology" that involves materials scientists and geoscientists from across a range of sub-disciplines including stable and radiogenic isotopes, sedimentology, petrology, trace elements and experimental mineralogy. Zirconology has become an important field of research, so much so that coverage of the mineral zircon in a review volume that included zircon as one of many accessory minerals would not meet the needs or interests of the zirconology community in terms of depth or breadth of coverage. The sixteen chapters in this volume cover the most important aspects of zircon-related research over the past twenty-years and highlight possible future research avenues. Finch and Hanchar (Chapter 1) review the structure of zircon and other mineral (and synthetic) phases with the zircon structure. In most rock types where zircon occurs it is a significant host of the rare-earth elements, Th and U. The abundances of these elements and the form of chondrite-normalized rare-earth element patterns may provide significant information on the processes that generate igneous and metamorphic rocks. The minor and trace element compositions of igneous, metamorphic and hydrothermal zircons are reviewed by Hoskin and Schaltegger in Chapter 2. The investigation of melt inclusions in zircon is an exciting line of new research. Trapped melt inclusions can provide direct information of the trace element and isotopic composition of the melt from which the crystal formed as a function of time throughout the growth of the crystal. Thomas et a!. (Chapter 3) review the study of melt inclusions in zircon. Hanchar and Watson (Chapter 4) review experimental and natural studies of zircon saturation and the use of zircon saturation thermometry for natural rocks. Cation diffusion and oxygen diffusion in zircon is discussed by Cherniak and Watson (Chapter 5). Diffusion studies are essential for providing constraints on the quality of trace element and isotope data and for providing estimates of temperature exposure in geological environments. Zircon remains the most widely utilized accessory mineral for U- Th-Pb isotope geochronology. Significant instrumental and analytical developments over the past thirty years mean that zircon has an essential role in early Achaean studies, magma genesis, and astrobiology. Four chapters are devoted to different aspects of zircon geochronology. The first of these four, Chapter 6 by Davis et a!., reviews the historical development of zircon geochronology from the mid-1950s to the present; the following three chapters focus on particular techniques for zircon geochronology, namely ID-TIMS (Parrish and Noble, Chapter 7), SIMS (Ireland and Williams, Chapter 8) and ICP-MS (Kosier and Sylvester, Chapter 9). The application of zircon chronology in constraining sediment provenance.and the calibration ofthe geologic time-scale are reviewed by Fedo et al. (Chapter 10) and Bowring and Schmitz (Chapter 11), respectively. Other isotopic systematics are reviewed for zircon by Kinny and Maas (Chapter 12), who discuss the application of Nd-Sm and Lu-Hf isotopes in zircon to petrogenetic studies, and by Valley (Chapter 13), who discusses the importance of oxygen isotopic studies in traditional and emerging fields of geologic study. As a host of U and Th, zircon is subject to radiation damage. Radiation damage is likely responsible for isotopic disturbance and promotes mechanical instability. There is increasing interest in both the effect of radiation damage on the zircon crystal structure and mechanisms of damage and recrystallization, as well as the structure of the damaged phase. These studies contribute to an overall understanding of how zircon may behave as a waste-form for safe disposal of radioactive waste and are discussed by Ewing et a!. (Chapter 14). The spectroscopy of zircon, both crystalline and metamict is reviewed by Nadsala et a!. (Chapter 15). The final chapter, by Corfu et al. (Chapter 16), is an atlas of internal textures of zircon. The imaging of internal textures in zircon is essential for directing the acquisition of geochemical data and to the integrity of conclusions reached once data has been collected and interpreted. This chapter, for the first time, brings into one place textural images that represent common and not so common textures reported in the literature, along with brief interpretations of their significance. There is presently no comparable atlas. It is intended that this chapter will become a reference point for future workers to compare and contrast their own images against. The chapters in this volume of Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry were prepared for presentation at a Short Course, sponsored by the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA) in Freiburg, Germany, April 3-4, 2003. This preceded a joint meeting of the European Union of Geology, the American Geophysical Union and the European Geophysical Society held in Nice, France, April 6-11, 2003.

Description / Table of Contents: All living organisms are composed of major, minor, and trace elements, given by nature and supplied by geology. Medical geology is a rapidly growing discipline dealing with the influence of natural geological and environmental risk factors on the distribution of health problems in humans and animals. As a multi-disciplinary scientific field, medical geology has the potential of helping medical and public health communities all over the world in the pursuit of solutions to a wide range of environmental and naturally induced health issues. The natural environment can impact health in a variety of ways. The composition of rocks and minerals are imprinted on the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the food that we eat. For many people this transference of minerals and the trace elements they contain is beneficial as it is the primary source of nutrients (such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and about a dozen other elements) that are essential for a healthy life. However, sometimes the local geology can cause significant health problems because there is an insufficient amount of an essential element or an excess of a potentially toxic element (such as arsenic, mercury, lead, fluorine, etc.), or a harmful substance such as methane gas, dust-sized particles of asbestos, quartz or pyrite, or certain naturally occurring organic compounds. Current and future medical geology concerns include: dangerous levels of arsenic in drinking water in dozens of countries including the USA; mercury emissions from coal combustion and its bioaccumulation in the environment; the impacts of mercury and lead mobilizations in regions were artisanal gold mining is conducted; the residual health impacts of geologic processes such as volcanic emissions, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and geogenic dust; exposure to fibrous minerals such as asbestos and erionite; and the health impacts of global climate change. Billions of people, most in developing countries, are afflicted by these and other environmental health issues that can be avoided, prevented, mitigated or minimized through research and educational outreach. This Special Issue of Geosciences discusses recent advances in medical geology, providing examples from research conducted all over the world. Among the topics to be discussed are: - Health effects from trace elements, metals and metalloids - Regional and global impacts of natural dust (including the study of nanoparticles) - Chemical and environmental pathology of diseases associated with natural environment - Novel analytical approaches to the study of natural geochemical and environmental agents - Research on beneficial health aspects of natural geological materials - Risk management, risk communication and risk mitigation on medical geology - Remote sensing and GIS applications on medical geology - Epidemiology and public health studies on medical geology - Climate change and medical geology - Clinical and toxicological research on biomarkers of exposure - Veterinary medical geology - Biosurveillance and biomonitoring studies on medical geology

Description / Table of Contents: Falcinelli, S.; Pirani, F.; Vecchiocattivi, F. The Possible Role of Penning Ionization Processes in Planetary Atmospheres. Atmosphere 2015, 6(3), 299-317; doi:10.3390/atmos6030299 --- Park, S.; Seo, B.; Lee, G.; Kahng, S.; Jang, Y. Chemical Composition of Water Soluble Inorganic Species in Precipitation at Shihwa Basin, Korea. Atmosphere 2015, 6(6), 732-750; doi:10.3390/atmos6060732 --- Kassianov, E.; Berg, L.; Pekour, M.; Barnard, J.; Chand, D.; Flynn, C.; Ovchinnikov, M.; Sedlacek, A.; Schmid, B.; Shilling, J.; Tomlinson, J.; Fast, J. Airborne Aerosol in Situ Measurements during TCAP: A Closure Study of Total Scattering. Atmosphere 2015, 6(8), 1069-1101; doi:10.3390/atmos6081069 --- Majewski, G.; Rogula-Kozłowska, W.; Czechowski, P.; Badyda, A.; Brandyk, A. The Impact of Selected Parameters on Visibility: First Results from a Long-Term Campaign in Warsaw, Poland. Atmosphere 2015, 6(8), 1154-1174; doi:10.3390/atmos6081154 --- Khwaja, H.; Aburizaiza, O.; Hershey, D.; Siddique, A.; E., D.; Zeb, J.; Abbass, M.; Blake, D.; Hussain, M.; Aburiziza, A.; Kramer, M.; Simpson, I. Study of Black Sand Particles from Sand Dunes in Badr, Saudi Arabia Using Electron Microscopy. Atmosphere 2015, 6(8), 1175-1194; doi:10.3390/atmos6081175 --- Wu, Z.; Liu, F.; Fan, W. Characteristics of PM10 and PM2.5 at Mount Wutai Buddhism Scenic Spot, Shanxi, China. Atmosphere 2015, 6(8), 1195-1210; doi:10.3390/atmos6081195 --- Saldarriaga-Noreña, H.; López-Márquez, R.; Murillo-Tovar, M.; Hernández-Mena, L.; Ospina-Noreña, E.; Sánchez-Salinas, E.; Waliszewski, S.; Montiel-Palma, S. Analysis of PAHs Associated with Particulate Matter PM2.5 in Two Places at the City of Cuernavaca, Morelos, México. Atmosphere 2015, 6(9), 1259-1270; doi:10.3390/atmos6091259 --- Faxon, C.; Bean, J.; Ruiz, L. Inland Concentrations of Cl2 and ClNO2 in Southeast Texas Suggest Chlorine Chemistry Significantly Contributes to Atmospheric Reactivity. Atmosphere 2015, 6(10), 1487-1506; doi:10.3390/atmos6101487 --- Asa-Awuku, A.; Sorooshian, A.; Flagan, R.; Seinfeld, J.; Nenes, A. CCN Properties of Organic Aerosol Collected Below and within Marine Stratocumulus Clouds near Monterey, California. Atmosphere 2015, 6(11), 1590-1607; doi:10.3390/atmos6111590 --- Yang, M.; Wang, Y.; Liu, Q.; Ding, A.; Li, Y. The Influence of Sandstorms and Long-Range Transport on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM2.5 in the High-Altitude Atmosphere of Southern China. Atmosphere 2015, 6(11), 1633-1651; doi:10.3390/atmos6111633 --- Rubio, M.; Lissi, E.; Gramsch, E.; Garreaud, R. Effect of Nearby Forest Fires on Ground Level Ozone Concentrations in Santiago, Chile. Atmosphere 2015, 6(12), 1926-1938; doi:10.3390/atmos6121838 --- Lopez, D.; Rabbani, M.; Crosbie, E.; Raman, A.; Arellano, A.; Sorooshian, A. Frequency and Character of Extreme Aerosol Events in the Southwestern United States: A Case Study Analysis in Arizona. Atmosphere 2016, 7(1), 1; doi:10.3390/atmos7010001 --- Stovern, M.; Guzmán, H.; Rine, K.; Felix, O.; King, M.; Ela, W.; Betterton, E.; Sáez, A. Windblown Dust Deposition Forecasting and Spread of Contamination around Mine Tailings. Atmosphere 2016, 7(2), 16; doi:10.3390/atmos7020016 --- Raman, A.; Arellano, A.; Sorooshian, A. Decreasing Aerosol Loading in the North American Monsoon Region. Atmosphere 2016, 7(2), 24; doi:10.3390/atmos7020024 --- Hetem, I.; Andrade, M. Characterization of Fine Particulate Matter Emitted from the Resuspension of Road and Pavement Dust in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, Brazil. Atmosphere 2016, 7(3), 31; doi:10.3390/atmos7030031

Description / Table of Contents: Taravat, A.; Rajaei, M.; Emadodin, I.; Hasheminejad, H.; Mousavian, R.; Biniyaz, E. A Spaceborne Multisensory, Multitemporal Approach to Monitor Water Level and Storage Variations of Lakes. Water 2016, 8(11), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110478 --- Paillou, P. Mapping Palaeohydrography in Deserts: Contribution from Space-Borne Imaging Radar. Water 2017, 9(3), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9030194 --- Jiang, L.; Schneider, R.; Andersen, O.; Bauer-Gottwein, P. CryoSat-2 Altimetry Applications over Rivers and Lakes. Water 2017, 9(3), 211; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9030211 --- Polishchuk, Y.; Bogdanov, A.; Polishchuk, V.; Manasypov, R.; Shirokova, L.; Kirpotin, S.; Pokrovsky, O. Size Distribution, Surface Coverage, Water, Carbon, and Metal Storage of Thermokarst Lakes in the Permafrost Zone of the Western Siberia Lowland. Water 2017, 9(3), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9030228 --- Salameh, E.; Frappart, F.; Papa, F.; Güntner, A.; Venugopal, V.; Getirana, A.; Prigent, C.; Aires, F.; Labat, D.; Laignel, B. Fifteen Years (1993–2007) of Surface Freshwater Storage Variability in the Ganges-Brahmaputra River Basin Using Multi-Satellite Observations. Water 2017, 9(4), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9040245 --- Springer, A.; Eicker, A.; Bettge, A.; Kusche, J.; Hense, A. Evaluation of the Water Cycle in the European COSMO-REA6 Reanalysis Using GRACE. Water 2017, 9(4), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9040289 --- Parrens, M.; Al Bitar, A.; Frappart, F.; Papa, F.; Calmant, S.; Crétaux, J.; Wigneron, J.; Kerr, Y. Mapping Dynamic Water Fraction under the Tropical Rain Forests of the Amazonian Basin from SMOS Brightness Temperatures. Water 2017, 9(5), 350; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9050350 --- Pham-Duc, B.; Prigent, C.; Aires, F. Surface Water Monitoring within Cambodia and the Vietnamese Mekong Delta over a Year, with Sentinel-1 SAR Observations. Water 2017, 9(6), 366; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060366 --- Nielsen, K.; Stenseng, L.; Andersen, O.; Knudsen, P. The Performance and Potentials of the CryoSat-2 SAR and SARIn Modes for Lake Level Estimation. Water 2017, 9(6), 374; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060374 --- Nguyen, D.; Wagner, W. European Rice Cropland Mapping with Sentinel-1 Data: The Mediterranean Region Case Study. Water 2017, 9(6), 392; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060392 --- Ferrara, C.; Lega, M.; Fusco, G.; Bishop, P.; Endreny, T. Characterization of Terrestrial Discharges into Coastal Waters with Thermal Imagery from a Hierarchical Monitoring Program. Water 2017, 9(7), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9070500 --- Shen, H.; Leblanc, M.; Frappart, F.; Seoane, L.; O’Grady, D.; Olioso, A.; Tweed, S. A Comparative Study of GRACE with Continental Evapotranspiration Estimates in Australian Semi-Arid and Arid Basins: Sensitivity to Climate Variability and Extremes. Water 2017, 9(9), 614; https://doi.org/10.3390/w9090614 --- Erazo, B.; Bourrel, L.; Frappart, F.; Chimborazo, O.; Labat, D.; Dominguez-Granda, L.; Matamoros, D.; Mejia, R. Validation of Satellite Estimates (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, TRMM) for Rainfall Variability over the Pacific Slope and Coast of Ecuador. Water 2018, 10(2), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/w10020213

Description / Table of Contents: Dostal, J. Rare Earth Element Deposits of Alkaline Igneous Rocks. Resources 2017, 6(3), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030034 --- Catlos, E.; Miller, N. Speculations Linking Monazite Compositions to Origin: Llallagua Tin Ore Deposit (Bolivia). Resources 2017, 6(3), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030036 --- Smith, Y.; Kumar, P.; McLennan, J. On the Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Geothermal Brines. Resources 2017, 6(3), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030039 --- McLeod, C.; Krekeler, M. Sources of Extraterrestrial Rare Earth Elements: To the Moon and Beyond. Resources 2017, 6(3), 40; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6030040 --- Chen, W.; Honghui, H.; Bai, T.; Jiang, S. Geochemistry of Monazite within Carbonatite Related REE Deposits. Resources 2017, 6(4), 51; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6040051 --- Machacek, E.; Richter, J.; Lane, R. Governance and Risk–Value Constructions in Closing Loops of Rare Earth Elements in Global Value Chains. Resources 2017, 6(4), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources6040059 --- McLemore, V. Rare Earth Elements (REE) Deposits Associated with Great Plain Margin Deposits (Alkaline-Related), Southwestern United States and Eastern Mexico. Resources 2018, 7(1), 8; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources7010008 --- Jowitt, S. Introduction to a Resources Special Issue on Criticality of the Rare Earth Elements: Current and Future Sources and Recycling. Resources 2018, 7(2), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources7020035

Description / Table of Contents: PREFACE Phase transformations occur in most types of materials, including ceramics, metals, polymers, diverse organic and inorganic compounds, minerals, and even crystalline viruses. They have been studied in almost all branches of science, but particularly in physics, chemistry, engineering, materials science and earth sciences. In some cases the objective has been to produce materials in which phase transformations are suppressed, to preserve the structural integrity of some engineering product, for example, while in other cases the objective is to maximise the effects of a transformation, so as to enhance properties such as superconductivity, for example. A long tradition of studying transformation processes in minerals has evolved from the need to understand the physical and thermodynamic properties of minerals in the bulk earth and in the natural environment at its surface. The processes of interest have included magnetism, ferroelasticity, ferroelectricity, atomic ordering, radiation damage, polymorphism, amorphisation and many others—in fact there are very few minerals which show no influence of transformation processes in the critical range of pressures and temperatures relevant to the earth. As in all other areas of science, an intense effort has been made to turn qualitative under-standing into quantitative description and prediction via the simultaneous development of theory, experiments and simulations. In the last few years rather fast progress has been made in this context, largely through an inter-disciplinary effort, and it seemed to us to be timely to produce a review volume for the benefit of the wider scientific community which summarises the current state of the art. The selection of transformation processes covered here is by no means comprehensive, but represents a coherent view of some of the most important processes which occur specifically in minerals. A number of the contributors have been involved in a European Union funded research network with the same theme, under the Training and Mobility of Researchers programme, which has stimulated much of the most recent progress in some of the areas covered. This support is gratefully acknowledged.