1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910958487403321

Autore

Goudie Andrew

Titolo

The nature of the environment / / Andrew Goudie

Pubbl/distr/stampa

Oxford ; ; Malden, MA, : Blackwell Publishers, 2001

ISBN

9781444312348

1444312340

Edizione

[4th ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (xv, 544 pages) : illustrations (some color), maps

Classificazione

450.9

910/.02

Disciplina

910/.02

Soggetti

Geography

Physical geography

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Previous ed.: 1993

Includes index

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Nota di contenuto

The Nature of the Environment: Fourth Edition -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- Part I: The Global Framework -- 1: Global Geological Background -- 1.1 The Ancient Earth -- 1.2 Core, Mantle and Crust -- 1.3 The Nature of the Ocean Floors -- 1.4 The Surface of the Land -- 1.5 Earthquakes -- 1.6 The Shape of the Continents -- 1.7 The Question of Plates -- 1.8 Microplates and Exotic Terranes -- 1.9 The Earth's Rock Types -- 1.10 The Subdivisions of the Earth's History -- 1.11 Conclusions -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 2: Global Climatic Background -- 2.1 A Vertical Profile through the Atmosphere -- 2.2 Global Climate -- 2.3 World Patterns of Precipitation -- 2.4 World Patterns of Temperature -- 2.5 The Major Climatic Zones -- 2.6 The Hydrological Cycle -- 2.7 Ocean Currents -- 2.8 Ocean-atmosphere Interactions -- 2.9 Climatic Change -- 2.10 Causes of Long-term Climatic Change -- 2.11 Sea-level Changes -- 2.12 Future Climates -- 2.13 Conclusions -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 3: The Organic World -- 3.1 Major Vegetation Types -- 3.2 Human Modification of Major Vegetation Types -- 3.3 Floral Realms -- 3.4 Faunal Realms -- 3.5 The World's Great Soil Orders -- 3.6 Human Modifications of Soil -- 3.7 Climatic Geomorphology: The Influence of



Climate, Soil and Vegetation -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- Part II: Major World Zones -- 4: Cold Environments -- 4.1 Polar Climates -- 4.2 Vegetation and Wildlife -- 4.3 Glacier Types -- 4.4 The Formation of Glacier Ice -- 4.5 How Glaciers Move -- 4.6 Glacial Erosion -- 4.7 Glacial Deposits -- 4.8 Glacier Ice and Sea-level Change -- 4.9 Permafrost -- 4.10 Ground Ice -- 4.11 Thermokarst -- 4.12 Ice Segregation and Frost Heaving -- 4.13 Frost Shattering and Soil Formation.

4.14 Slope Processes, Avalanches and River Regimes -- 4.15 Environmental Problems and Hazards for Tundra Development -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 5: The Mid-latitudes -- 5.1 The Westerlies -- 5.2 Cyclones and Anticyclones -- 5.3 Air Masses -- 5.4 Cool Temperate Climates -- 5.5 Western Margin Warm Temperate Climates (the Mediterranean Type) -- 5.6 Eastern Margin Warm Temperate Climates -- 5.7 Boreal Forest -- 5.8 Deciduous Forest -- 5.9 Mid-latitude Grassland -- 5.10 Mediterranean Evergreen Woodland -- 5.11 Soils of Cool Temperate Climates -- 5.12 Soils of Warm Temperate Climates -- 5.13 The Impact of Climatic Change on the Landscape -- 5.14 Loess Sheets -- 5.15 Dry Valleys and Mis-fit Streams -- 5.16 Tors -- 5.17 Natural Hazards in Western Europe -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 6: Deserts -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 What Causes Aridity? -- 6.3 Desert Rainfall -- 6.4 Desert Temperatures -- 6.5 Past Climates in Deserts -- 6.6 Desert Vegetation and Animals -- 6.7 Soils and Surface Materials -- 6.8 Insolation and Salt Weathering -- 6.9 Wind Action In Deserts -- 6.10 Sand Deposition - Dunes -- 6.11 The Work of Rivers -- 6.12 Desert Slopes -- 6.13 Groundwater -- 6.14 Dams, Reservoirs and Inter-basin Water Transfer -- 6.15 Land Degradation -- 6.16 Problems of the Desert Realm -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 7: The Tropics -- 7.1 The General Atmospheric Circulation -- 7.2 The Wet Tropics -- 7.3 Tropical Seasonal Climates -- 7.4 Monsoons -- 7.5 Tropical Disturbances -- 7.6 Tropical Rainforest -- 7.7 Secondary Forest -- 7.8 Tropical Seasonal Forest and Savanna -- 7.9 Mangrove Swamps -- 7.10 Coral Reefs -- 7.11 Weathering of Rocks -- 7.12 Slope Movements -- 7.13 Some Problems of the Humid Tropics -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review.

FURTHER READING -- Part III: Mountain and Maritime Environments -- 8: Mountains -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Mountain Climates -- 8.3 Snow and the Snow-line -- 8.4 Mountain Vegetation -- 8.5 The Timber-line -- 8.6 Alpine Tundra -- 8.7 Mountain Hazards -- 8.8 Changing Climates -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 9: Coasts -- 9.1 Coastlines -- 9.2 Waves -- 9.3 Barrier Beaches and Related Forms -- 9.4 Tides -- 9.5 Stonn Surges -- 9.6 Estuaries -- 9.7 Coastal Dunes -- 9.8 Salt Marshes -- 9.9 Coast Erosion -- 9.10 The Human Impact on the Coastline -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- Part IV: Landscapes and Ecosystems -- 10: Plants and Animals -- 10.1 Ecology and Ecosystems -- 10.2 Plants and their Habitats -- 10.3 Life in the Oceans -- 10.4 Community -- 10.5 Succession -- 10.6 Dispersal and Migration of Plants -- 10.7 Dispersal and Migration of Animals -- 10.8 The Importance of Area -- 10.9 Human Impact on Plants and Animals -- 10.10 Domestication -- 10.11 Introductions -- 10.12 Pollution -- 10.13 Habitat Change -- 10.14 Extinction -- 10.15 Conservation -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 11: Tectonic Features -- 11.1 Introduction -- 11.2 Volcanoes -- 11.3 Intrusive Igneous Rocks -- 11.4 Earthquakes -- 11.5 Man-made Seismic Activity -- 11.6 Faults -- 11.7 Folding -- Key Terms and



Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 12: Slopes -- 12.1 Mass Movements -- 12.2 Slope Instability -- 12.3 Other Processes Operating on Slopes -- 12.4 Slope Forms -- 12.5 Slope Development through Time -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 13: Soils and Weathering -- 13.1 Factors of Soil Formation -- 13.2 Soil Profiles -- 13.3 Types of Weathering -- 13.4 Mechanical Weathering -- 13.5 Chemical Weathering -- 13.6 Accelerated Soil Erosion.

Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 14: The Hydrological Cycle -- 14.1 Introduction -- 14.2 Precipitation -- 14.3 Interception -- 14.4 Evapotranspiration -- 14.5 Infiltration -- 14.6 Surface Runoff -- 14.7 Groundwater -- 14.8 Streamflow and the Hydrograph -- 14.9 Annual River Regimes -- 14.10 Lakes -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 15: Rivers -- 15.1 Introduction -- 15.2 Morphometry of Drainage Basins -- 15.3 Drainage Basin Patterns -- 15.4 Concave Long Profiles -- 15.5 Channel Cross-section and Hydraulic Geometry -- 15.6 Channel Patterns -- 15.7 Floodplains -- 15.8 Terraces -- 15.9 Deltas -- 15.10 Stream Transport -- 15.11 Rates of Fluvial Denudation -- 15.12 Floods -- 15.13 The Human Impact on Rivers -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- 16: Cities -- 16.1 Introduction -- 16.2 The Climate of Cities -- 16.3 Air Pollution and its Problems -- 16.4 Urbanisation and River Flow -- 16.5 Thermal Pollution of River Water -- 16.6 Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield Associated with Construction and Urbanisation -- 16.7 Animals in Cities -- Key Terms and Concepts -- Points for Review -- FURTHER READING -- Part V: Conclusion -- 17: Nature, Humans and the Environment -- 17.1 Introduction -- 17.2 Environmental Complexity -- 17.3 Environmental lnteractions -- 17.4 The Importance of Scale -- 17.5 The Influence of Environment on Humans -- 17.6 The Human Impact -- 17.7 The Ever-changing Environment -- 17.8 Humans or Nature? -- 17.9 Equifinality -- 17.10 The Relevance and Application of Physical Geography -- 17.11 Global Environmental Change -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

The fourth edition of this highly acclaimed text on the natural environment of the earth has now been thoroughly revised and updated and includes a new chapter on The Organic World, more "windows", new illustrations, and a range of other features. Please visit the accompanying website at: http://www.blackwellpublishers.co.uk/goudie to view sample material from both the new edition and forthcoming instructor's manual online. Fully updated with an entirely new chapter, and new features throughout. Now features a list of key concepts and points for review. Includes increased number of windows, updated and expanded reading guides, and new plates and diagrams. Well illustrated with updated examples and case studies. Puts more stress on the importance of hazards, natural environmental changes, and human impacts.