E-Book Overview
About one-third of the Earth’s land surface experiences a desert climate, and this area supports approximately 15% of the planet’s population. This percentage continues to grow, and with this growth comes the need to acquire and apply an understanding of desert geomorphology. Such an understanding is vital in managing scarce and fragile resources and in mitigating natural hazards.This authoritative reference book is comprehensive in its coverage of the geomorphology of desert environments, and is arranged thematically. It begins with an overview of global deserts, proceeds through treatments of weathering, hillslopes, rivers, piedmonts, lake basins, and aeolian surfaces, and concludes with a discussion of the role of climatic change. Written by a team of international authors, all of whom are active in the field, the chapters cover the spectrum of desert geomorphology.
<EM>Geomorphology of Desert Environments – Second Edition is thoroughly revised and extended with six new chapters, many new illustrations and expanded and updated references in each chapter.
- The most comprehensive and up-to-date research-level treatment of desert geomorphology- Presented from a global perspective- Written by authoritative practitioners in the field
From the reviews of the previous edition:"Geomorphology of Desert Environments is a worthy and desirable newcomer" <EM>Nature
"... up-to-date expert reviews that together represent a comprehensive treatment of the state of knowledge in desert geomorphology." <EM>SciTech Book News
E-Book Information
-
Year: 2,009
-
Edition: 2
-
Pages: 834
-
Pages In File: 824
-
Language: English
-
Topic: 38
-
Identifier: 978-1-4020-5718-2,978-1-4020-5719-9
-
Doi: 10.1007/978-1-4020-5719-9
-
Cleaned: 1
-
Paginated: 1
-
Org File Size: 92,064,786
-
Extension: pdf
-
Tags: Physical Geography Geoecology/Natural Processes Hydrogeology
-
Toc: Front Matter....Pages I-XVIIIFront Matter....Pages 1-1Geomorphology of Desert Environments....Pages 3-7Global Deserts and Their Geomorphological Diversity....Pages 9-20Desert Ecogeomorphology....Pages 21-66Front Matter....Pages 67-67Weathering Processes and Forms....Pages 69-100Aridic Soils, Patterned Ground, and Desert Pavements....Pages 101-122Duricrusts....Pages 123-151Desert Rock Coatings....Pages 153-186Front Matter....Pages 187-187Rock Slopes....Pages 189-232Rock-Mantled Slopes....Pages 233-263Badlands and Gullying....Pages 265-299Front Matter....Pages 301-301Catchment and Channel Hydrology....Pages 303-332Dryland Rivers: Processes and Forms....Pages 333-373Front Matter....Pages 375-375Pediments in Arid Environments....Pages 377-411Processes and Forms of Alluvial Fans....Pages 413-467Front Matter....Pages 469-469Hemiarid Lake Basins: Hydrographic Patterns....Pages 471-487He