IUSS Alert 52 (August 2009)
Information for and from the global soil science community
Earth Science Week 11-17 October
Since October 1998, the American Geological Institute has organized this national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth Sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth. This year's Earth Science Week will be held from October 11-17 and will celebrate the theme "Understanding Climate." The objectives of the week are: To engage students in discovering the Earth sciences. ; To remind people that Earth science is all around us; To encourage Earth stewardship through understanding; To motivate geoscientists to share their knowledge and enthusiasm about the Earth. For more details see: http://www.earthsciweek.org
African Science Network
The African Science Network is a growing online network of scientists and science enthusiasts of African descent and other nationalities who have an interest in the development and application of science in Africa . If you have not registered yet, we encourage scientists to go to the website and register for free, and also encourage your friends or colleagues to register. Every service that we provide is free. There are great incentives to being a registered member, all registered members will be able to post and publish articles, get automatic email notification when new rex_article_contents are submitted by members, we also have discussion forum where members discuss and share ideas on related field of work. The website allows users to post jobs, search for jobs, post conferences, grants, study programs and collaboration opportunities in. The site will soon have added features for members to invite friends and make new friends.
Workshop
6th International phosphorus workshop. 27 Sept-1 Oct, 2010. Spain. The International Phosphorus Workshop constitutes an important forum for discussion of the main issues related to the loss of phosphorus from soil and its impact on the environment, especially the surface waters. The workshop is held every three years, the present one following those held in 1995 (Wexford, Ireland), 1998 (Antrim, Northern Ireland), 2001 Plymouth (UK), 2004 (Wageningen, The Netherlands) and 2007 (Silkeborg, Denmark). Most of attendees in this last workshop were in favour of holding the next one in Seville, the ad hoc organizing committee being presently formed by Antonio Delgado (University of Seville), Jos-Torrent (University of Cordoba) and Fernando Gil (University of Santiago de Compostela). Further details are here: http://www.ipw6.us.es/
Couple of New Publications
Electrochemical Remediation Technologies for Polluted Soils, Sediments and Groundwater. By: Krishna R. Reddy, Claudio Cameselle. ISBN: 978-0-470-38343-8. Wiley, 2009. Electrochemical technologies are emerging as important approaches for effective and efficient pollution remediation, both on their own and in concert with other remediation techniques. Electrochemical Remediation Technologies for Polluted Soils, Sediments and Groundwater provides a systematic and clear explanation of fundamentals, field applications, as well as opportunities and challenges in developing and implementing electrochemical remediation technologies. Written by leading authorities in their various areas, the text summarizes the latest research and offers case studies that illustrate equipment, installation, and methods employed in real-world remediations. Divided into nine sections, the coverage includes: Introduction and fundamental principles; Remediation of heavy metals and other inorganic pollutants; Remediation of organic pollutants; Remediation of mixed contaminants; Electrokinetic barriers; Integrated (coupled) technologies; Mathematical modeling; Economic and regulatory considerations; Field applications and performance assessment.
Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics for Sedimentary and Residual Soils. By: Laurence D. Wesley. ISBN: 978-0-470-37626-3. Wiley, 2009. Despite its prevalence in under-developed parts of the United States and most tropical and sub-tropical countries, residual soil is often characterized as a mere extension of conventional soil mechanics in many textbooks. Now, with the rapid growth of construction in these regions, it is essential to gain a fuller understanding of residual soils and their properties, one that's based on an integrated approach to the study of residual and sedimentary soils. One text puts this understanding well within reach: Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics for Sedimentary and Residual Soils. The first resource to provide equal treatment of both residual and sedimentary soils and their unique engineering properties, this skill-building guide offers: A concise introduction to basic soil mechanics, stress-strain behavior, testing, and design; In-depth coverage that spans the full scope of soil engineering, from bearing capacity and foundation design to the stability of slopes; A focus on concepts and principles rather than methods, helping you avoid idealized versions of soil behavior and maintain a design approach that is consistent with real soils of the natural world; An abundance of worked problems throughout, demonstrating in some cases that conventional design techniques applicable to sedimentary soils are not valid for residual soils; Numerous end-of-chapter exercises supported by an online solutions manual.
Water Scarcity, Land Degradation and Desertification in the Mediterranean Region.Environmental and Security Aspects. Proceedings of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series . Rubio, J.L.; Safriel, U.; Daussa, R.; Blum, W.E.H.; Pedrazzini, F. (Eds.). Springer 2009. ISBN: 978-90-481-2525. This book is the outcome of an international workshop promoted and organised by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and by the Science for Peace and Security Programme of NATO. Its focus is the emerging issue of environment and security aspects in terms of water scarcity, land degradation and desertification in the Mediterranean Region. This region has been identified as one of the most vulnerable areas with respect to environmental security threats. Conversely, due to its climatic and topographic features, the cross-boundary dimension of the Mediterranean Basin, and its mix of cultural, political and economic diversity, the region also represents an area that poses the potential for social and political instability. The Euro-Mediterranean Region is affected by frequent severe environmental events, such as forest fires, floods and landslides, droughts, torrential rains, heat waves and water scarcity. The Southern and Eastern shores of the Mediterranean undergo even more harsh environmental impacts affecting the availability of water resources and the soil quality & productivity. These environmental conditions contribute to the development of negative processes, like social marginalization, conflicts and migrations.
Holistic approach to biodiversity and bioindication in soil. By Cenci, R.M. and Jones , R.J.A. (Eds). Office for the Official Publications of the European Communities, 2009. To study and investigate soil biodiversity is a difficult task because of the complex interactions that exist in soil and the need for considerable expertise to undertake the necessary investigations. The factors that influence biodiversity are diverse: some are natural, for example soil acidity, water retention, temperature and organic matter content, others are anthropogenic, for example human population pressure. This report summarises the results of the multidisciplinary BIO-BIO study of biodiversity.
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