Signatur:
AWI G10-21-94627
Materialart:
Monographie ausleihbar
Seiten:
xxv, 810 Seiten
,
Illustrationen, Karten
,
28 cm
Ausgabe:
Fourth edition
ISBN:
9781292083575
Sprache:
Englisch
Anmerkung:
Contents
Preface to the fourth edition
Contributors
Editor's acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
Part I: The role of physical geography
1 Approaching physical geography
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Historical development of physical geography
1.2.1 Physical geography before 1800
1.2.2 Physical geography between 1800 and 1950
1.2.3 Physical geography since 1950
1.3 Scientific methods
1.3.1 The positivist method
1.3.2 Critique of the positivist method
1.3.3 Realism as an alternative positivist approach
1.3.4 Benefits of multiple scientific methods in physical geography
1.4 The field, the laboratory and the model
1.4.1 Approaching data collection from the environment
1.4.2 Approaching laboratory work
1.4.3 Approaching numerical modelling
1.5 Using physical geography for managing the environment
1.6 Summary
Further reading
Part II: Continents and oceans
2 Earth geology and tectonics
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Earth's structure
2.2.1 The interior of the Earth
2.2.2 The outer layers of the Earth
2.3 Rock type and formation
2.3.1 Igneous rock
2.3.2 Sedimentary rock
2.3.3 Metamorphic rock
2.3.4 The rock cycle
2.4 History of plate tectonics
2.4.1 Early ideas of global tectonics
2.4.2 Evidence that led directly to plate tectonic theory
2.5 The theory of plate tectonics
2.5.1 Lithospheric plates
2.5.2 Rates of plate movement
2.6 Structural features related directly to motion of the plates
2.6.1 Divergent plate boundaries
2.6.2 Transform faults
2.6.3 Convergent plate boundaries
2.6.4 Hot spots
2.7 The history of the continents
2.8 Summary
Further reading
3 Oceans
3.1 Introduction
3.2 The ocean basins
3.2.1 The scale of the oceans
3.2.2 Geological structure of the ocean basins
3.2.3 The depth and shape of the ocean basins
3.3 Physical properties of the ocean
3.3.1 Salinity
3.3.2 Temperature structure of the oceans
3.4 Ocean circulation
3.4.1 Surface currents
3.4.2 The deep currents of the oceans
3.4.3 The weather of the ocean
3.5 Sediments in the ocean
3.6 Biological productivity
3.6.1 Photosynthesis in the ocean
3.6.2 Importance of nutrient supply to primary productivity
3.6.3 Animals of the sea
3.6.4 Pollution
3.7 Effect of global climate change on the oceans
3.8 Summary
Further reading
Part III: Past, present and future climate and weather
4 The Pleistocene
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Long-term cycles, astronomical forcing and feedback mechanisms
4.2.1 Orbital forcing theory
4.2.2 Evidence that orbital forcing causes climate change
4.2.3 Problems with orbital forcing theory
4.2.4 Internal feedback mechanisms
4.3 Short-term cycles
4.3.1 Glacial instability
4.3.2 The Younger Dryas
4.4 Further evidence for environmental change
4.4.1 Landforms
4.4.2 Plants
4.4.3 Insects
4.4.4 Other animal remains
4.5 Dating methods
4.5.1 Age estimation techniques
4.5.2 Age equivalent labels
4.5.3 Relative chronology
4.6 Pleistocene stratigraphy and correlation
4.7 Palaeodimate modelling
4.8 Summary
Further reading
5 The Holocene
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Holocene climatic change
5.2.1 How the Holocene began
5.2.2 Drivers of climate change during the Holocene
5.2.3 The Little Ice Age
5.3 Holocene geomorphological change
5.3.1 Retreating ice sheets
5.3.2 Rising seas
5.4 Holocene ecosystem change
5.4.1 Responses of ecosystems to the end of the last glacial
5.4.2 Tropical Africa and the Sahara
5.4.3 European ecosystems
5.4.4 Island ecosystems
5.5 The rise of civilizations
5.5.1 Humans at the end of the last glacial
5.5.2 The beginnings of agriculture
5.5.3 Social and environmental consequences of agriculture
5.6 Human interaction with physical geography
5.6.1 Out of Eden?
5.6.2 Deforestation
5.6.3 Soil erosion and impoverishment
5.6.4 Irrigation and drainage
5.7 Summary
Further reading
6 Atmospheric processes
6.1 Introduction
6.2 The basics of climate
6.3 The global atmospheric circulation
6.4 Radiative and energy systems
6.4.1 The nature of energy
6.4.2 Distinguishing between temperature and heat
6.4.3 Radiation
6.4.4 Thermal inertia
6.4.5 The atmospheric energy balance
6.5 Moisture circulation systems
6.5.1 Moisture in the atmosphere and the hydrological cycle
6.5.2 Global distribution of precipitation and evaporation
6.5.3 The influence of vegetation on evaporation
6.5.4 Drought
6.6 Motion in the atmosphere
6.6.1 Convective overturning
6.6.2 The Earth's rotation and the winds
6.6.3 Long waves. Planetary Waves and Rossby Waves
6.6.4 Jet streams
6.7 The influence of oceans and ice on atmospheric processes
6.8 The Walker circulation
6.8.1 El Niño Southern Oscillation
6.8.2 North Atlantic Oscillation
6.9 Interactions between radiation, atmospheric trace gases and clouds
6.9.1 The greenhouse effect
6.9.2 A simple climate model of the enhanced greenhouse effect
6.9.3 Radiative interactions with clouds and sulfate aerosols
6.10 Ceoengineering
6.11 Summary
Further reading
7 Contemporary climate change
7.1 Introduction
7.2 Climate change
7.2.1 Long-term change
7.2.2 Recent climate change and its causes
7.2.3 Predictions from global climate models (GCMs)
7.2.4 Critical evaluation of the state-of-the-art in GCMs
7.3 The carbon cycle: interaction with the climate system
7.4 Mitigation
7.5 Destruction of the ozone layer by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
7.6 The future
7.7 Summary
Further reading
8 Global climate and weather
8.1 Introduction
8.2 General controls of global climates
8.3 The tropics and subtropics
8.3.1 Equatorial regions
8.3.2 The Sahel and desert margins
8.3.3 Subtropical deserts
8.3.4 Humid subtropics
8.4 Mid and high-latitude climates
8.4.1 Depressions, fronts and anticyclones
8.4.2 Mid-latitude western continental margins
8.4.3 Mid-latitude east continental margins and continental interiors
8.5 Polar climates
8.6 A global overview
8.7 Summary
Further reading
9 Regional and local climates
9.1 Introduction
9.2 Altitude and topography
9.2.1 Pressure
9.2.2 Temperature
9.2.3 Wind
9.2.4 Precipitation
9.2.5 Frost hollows
9.3 Influence of water bodies
9.4 Human influences
9.4.1 Shelter belts
9.4.2 Urban climates
9.4.3 Atmospheric pollution and haze
9.5 Summary
Further reading
Part IV: Biogeography and ecology
10 The biosphere
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Biological concepts
10.2.1 What is a species?
10.2.2 The naming of species
10.2.3 Levels of organization
10.2.4 Biodiversity
10.3 Patterns of distribution
10.3.1 Potential species distributions
10.3.2 Actual species distributions
10.3.3 Spatial patterns in biodiversity
10.4 Terrestrial biomes
10.4.1 Equatorial and tropical forests
10.4.2 Savanna
10.4.3 Hot Desert
10.4.4 Mediterranean-type biome
10.4.5 Temperate grassland
10.4.6 Temperate broadleaf forest
10.4.7 Taiga
10.4.8 Tundra
10.5 Aquatic biomes
10.5.1 Marine regions
10.5.2 Freshwater regions
10.6 Summary
Further reading
11 Ecosystem processes
11.1 Introduction
11.2 The flow of energy and resources
11.2.1 Energy entering an ecosystem
11.2.2 Ecological thermodynamics
11.2.3 Trophic levels and food webs
11.2.4 Biogeochemical cycles
11.3 Biotic interactions
11.3.1 Mutualism
11.3.2 Herbivory, prédation and parasitism
11.3.3 Commensalism
11.3.4 Amensalism
11.3.5 Competition
11.4 Temporal change in ecosystems
11.4.1 Short-term changes
11.4.2 Disturbance and resilience
11.4.3 Succession
11.5 Human impact
11.5.1 Degrading ecosystems
11.5.2 Urban ecology
11.5.3 Conservation
11.6 Summary
Further reading
12 Freshwater ecosystems
12.1 Introduction
12.2 Running waters: rivers and streams
12.2.1 River ecosystem geomorphological units
12.2.2 Spatial variability of river ecosystems
12.2.3 Temporal variability of river ecosystems
12.2.4 Human alterations to river ecosystems
12.3 Still waters: lakes and ponds
12.3.1 Classification of lake ecosystems
12.3.2 Spatial variability of lake ecosystems
12.3.3 Human influences on lake ecosystems
12.4 Summary
Further reading
13 Vegetation and env
Standort:
AWI Lesesaal
Zweigbibliothek:
AWI Bibliothek