This book explores the factors and mechanisms that may have influenced the dynamic behaviors of earliest civilizations, focusing on both environmental (geographic) factors on which traditional historic analyses are based and human ...

Author: Rongxing Guo

Publisher:

ISBN: 981130548X

Category: Civilization

Page: 207

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This book explores the factors and mechanisms that may have influenced the dynamic behaviors of earliest civilizations, focusing on both environmental (geographic) factors on which traditional historic analyses are based and human (behavioral) factors on which anthropological analyses are usually based. It also resurrects a number of common ancestral terms to help readers understand the complicated process of human and cultural evolution around the globe. Specifically, in almost all indigenous languages, the words 'wa' and any variants of it were originally associated with the sound of crying of - and certainly were selected as the common ancestral word with the meanings of "house, home, homeland, motherland, and so on" by - early humans living in different parts of the world. This book provides many neglected but still crucial environmental and biological clues about the rise and fall of civilizations - ones that have largely resulted from mankind's long-lasting "Win-Stay Lose-Shift" games throughout the world. The narratives and findings presented at this book are unexpected but reasonable - and are what every student of anthropology or history needs to know and doesn't get in the usual text.

The Ecocosm Paradox is the detailed hypothesis for the whole Earth system that
includes closed-loop interactions between the natural mineral/living planetary
environment and the technology-based global human presence (Figure 1).

Author: Yaman Barlas

Publisher: EOLSS Publications

ISBN: 9781848261389

Category:

Page: 306

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System Dynamics is a component of Encyclopedia of Technology, Information, and Systems Management Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The world is facing a wide range of increasingly complex, dynamic problems in the public and private arenas alike. System dynamics discipline is an attempt to address such dynamic, long-term policy problems. Applications cover a very wide spectrum, including national economic problems, supply chains, project management, educational problems, energy systems, sustainable development, politics, psychology, medical sciences, health care, and many other areas. This theme provides a comprehensive overview of system dynamics methodology, including its conceptual / philosophical framework, as well as the technical aspects of modeling and analysis. System dynamics can address the fundamental structural causes of the long-term dynamic contemporary socio-economic problems. Its "systems" perspective challenges the barriers that separate disciplines. The interdisciplinary and systemic approach of system dynamics could be critical in dealing with the increasingly complex problems of our modern world in this new century. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

“Earth System dynamics are characterised by critical thresholds and abrupt
changes. Human activities could inadvertently trigger such changes with severe
consequences for Earth's environment and inhabitants. The Earth System has ...

Author: Eckart Ehlers

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9783540265900

Category: Science

Page: 268

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This work provides an in-depth perspective and update on special topics in Global Environmental Change in relation to Human Security. It offers an overview of new Joint Projects of the four International Global Change Programmmes and on research efforts in Germany. It is also an up-to-date report on emerging necessities in Global Environmental Change research, and a collection of suggestions for its future evolution.

Earth-System dynamics are characterized by critical thresholds and abrupt
changes. ... Human activities have the potential to switch the Earth System to
alternative modes of operation that may prove irreversible and less hospitable to
humans ...

Author:

Publisher: Elsevier

ISBN: 9780444634122

Category: Science

Page: 674

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Principles and Dynamics of the Critical Zone is an invaluable resource for undergraduate and graduate courses and an essential tool for researchers developing cutting-edge proposals. It provides a process-based description of the Critical Zone, a place that The National Research Council (2001) defines as the "heterogeneous, near surface environment in which complex interactions involving rock, soil, water, air, and living organisms regulate the natural habitat and determine the availability of life-sustaining resources." This text provides a summary of Critical Zone research and outcomes from the NSF funded Critical Zone Observatories, providing a process-based description of the Critical Zone in a wide range of environments with a specific focus on the important linkages that exist amongst the processes in each zone. This book will be useful to all scientists and students conducting research on the Critical Zone within and outside the Critical Zone Observatory Network, as well as scientists and students in the geosciences – atmosphere, geomorphology, geology and pedology. The first text to address the principles and concepts of the Critical Zone A comprehensive approach to the processes responsible for the development and structure of the Critical Zone in a number of environments An essential tool for undergraduate and graduate students, and researchers developing cutting-edge proposals

changes that are occurring in the functioning of the Earth System, owing at least
in part to human activities, have ... The earliest sections of the book examined
ways in which natural processes bring about change in Earth System dynamics
at ...

Author: Will Steffen

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9783540266075

Category: Science

Page: 336

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Global Change and the Earth System describes what is known about the Earth system and the impact of changes caused by humans. It considers the consequences of these changes with respect to the stability of the Earth system and the well-being of humankind; as well as exploring future paths towards Earth-system science in support of global sustainability. The results presented here are based on 10 years of research on global change by many of the world's most eminent scholars. This valuable volume achieves a new level of integration and interdisciplinarity in treating global change.

It also requires new integrated models of the two-way coupling between the
biophysical and human aspects of the Earth system. Only then will we be able to
approach all of the paleodata constraints on Earth system dynamics (which ...

Author: Dahlem Konferenzen

Publisher: MIT Press

ISBN: 0262195135

Category: Science

Page: 454

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This book presents the complete story of the inseparably intertwined evolution of life and matter on earth, focussing on four major topics. It analyzes the driving forces behind global change and uses this knowledge to propose principles for global stewardship.

Proceedings of the 1996 International System Dynamics Conference, Cambridge
, Mass., 21-25 July, 1996 ... The reality of the Kerala experience may add to our
understanding of the human impact on the whole Earth system through the 21st ...

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN: CORNELL:31924094694571

Category: Dynamics

Page: 644

View: 459

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Climate and Biogeochemical Ecological Earth System Human Solid Earth Solar
Hydrological Dynamics Systems and History Interactions Processes Influences
Systems Dynamics Role of Clouds ||Bio/Atm/Ocean || Long-Term Mea-| ...

Author: Joachim Hill

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9780585331737

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 336

View: 920

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The technique of imaging spectrometry has now passed its infancy and entered into a new phase of application oriented research. Advanced sensor systems (such as Nasa/JPL's AVIRIS) have become available for international research programmes (MAC Europe 1991), new imaging spectrometers are under development in several European countries or have already passed their acceptance tests, and first high spectral resolution imaging systems are already operated by private industry. On European level, the EARSEC programme of the Joint Research Centre has provided considerable financial investments for the development of an imaging spectrometer which covers the reflective and important parts of the emissive spectrum (DAIS-7915), and the European Space Agency has initiated an important airborne remote sensing campaign (EMAC 1994/95) in which imaging spectrometry will constitute one of the most important components. The increasing sensor capabilities also reflect the fact that imaging spectrometry has advanced in many application fields of earth remote sensing. Progress has been made in the development of data pre-proeessing methods, spectral signature modeling and semi-empirical approaches for retrieving surface parameters. It therefore appeared important to further disseminate information about new approaches in the application-oriented analysis of imaging spectrometry data. This volume presents the lectures of the second EUROCOURSE on imaging spectrometry which was held in November 1992 at the Joint Research Centre (a first course on "Fundamentals and Prospective Applications" of imaging spectrometry had been organised in October 1989, the lectures being published as EUROCOURSES in Remote Sensing, vol. 2).

Especially Earth science is confronted with two major human perspectives
concerning our natural environment: sustainability of resources and assessment
of risks. Both aspects are expressing urgent needs of the living society, but in the
same ...

Author: Horst J. Neugebauer

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9783540417965

Category: Science

Page: 357

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Today, earth and life scientists are increasingly confronted with the puzzling complexity of phenomena enmeshed in a seemingly boundless web of interrelations. To deal with this complexity and to further our ability to analyze and predict system behavior, science is learning to transcend reliance on averages and ‘permanence’ and to consider the fundamental multiple-scale character of phenomena. The contributions collected here detail techniques of multi-scale and fractal analysis that enhance the study of geo-complexity. They represent a multi-disciplinary approach to understanding the geological history of a section of the Lower Rhine River. They have in common the underlying question of how our qualitative modelling of natural phenomena do or do not prove the existence of representative averages.

(2) interactions between subsystems (atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere,
biosphere, humans), particularly near the earth's surface environment; (3)
dynamics of the earth system (plate tectonics, plume tectonics, global
geochemical cycles ...

Author: Naotatsu Shikazono

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9784431540571

Category: Science

Page: 177

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This book presents basic information on material science (geochemistry, geophysics, geology, mineralogy, etc.), interaction between subsystem consisting earth system (atmosphere, hydrosphere, litho (geo) sphere, biosphere, humans) and in earth-planet system and evolution of earth-planetary system. The nature-humans interactions are described and new view on earth, planets and humans (integration of anthropocentrism and naturecentrism) are presented.

... producing wastes and “greenhouse” gases – disturbing the planet's dynamic
equilibrium. Protecting the present biosphere for the advancement of human
society is a responsibility of us all. Therefore, understanding the Earth's system
and its ...

Author: Rajiv Sinha

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9783642288456

Category: Science

Page: 244

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One of the fundamental goals of earth system science research is to adopt a more holistic view of the earth as a ‘system’ comprising different domains. The Society of Earth Scientists has brought out this multidisciplinary publication to emphasize the need of an integrated approach to understand the Earth system. It focuses on natural disasters and, in particular, on climate change and its effects in Asia and understanding the significance of these developments within the context of the paleo-climatic record. The later sections of the book then focus on other types of natural disasters as well as those induced by human interaction with our environment.

The book used the system dynamics method to simulate the consequences of
interactions between the Earth's natural and human systems. The goal was to
explore the possibility of a sustainable feedback pattern that would be achieved
by ...

Author: Kampeng Lei

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9783642451706

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 196

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This book builds on the analyses of Eugene and Howard Odum and introduces the concept of systems ecology. Ecological emergy accounting represents a breakthrough because it allows researchers to integrate man-made capital and natural capital so that human and natural concerns can be addressed using a consistent system of units. This book develops an emergy accounting model that is suitable for describing urban systems, thereby providing a comprehensive picture of those systems. To make the theory concrete, the authors use China’s Macao Special Administrative Region as a case study, and compare the results for Macao with those of other urban ecosystems around the world in the fields of ecological economy, tourism, waste treatment, gambling industry, land reclamation and resource consumption etc. Dr. Kampeng Lei is an advisory senior technician at the Environmental Protection Bureau, Government of Macao, China; Shaoqi Zhou is a professor at the College of Environment and Energy, the South China University of Technology, and the Guizhou Academy of Sciences, China; Zhishi Wang is a professor at the Faculty of Science and Technology, the University of Macau, China.

The key to understanding this book and this field is to first realize that the Earth is
materially a closed, dynamic system. ... Humans have modified the natural
cycling of these elements in a variety of ways, which has lead to chemical and ...

Author: Michael Jacobson

Publisher: Academic Press

ISBN: 9780080530642

Category: Science

Page: 527

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Over the last decade, the study of cycles as a model for the earth's changing climate has become a new science. Earth Systems Science is the basis for understanding all aspects of anthropogenic global change, such as chemically forced global climate change. The work is aimed at those students interested in the emerging scientific discipline. Earth Systems Science is an integrated discipline that has been rapidly developing over the last two decades. New information is included in this updated edition so that the text remains relevant. This volume contains five new chapters, but of special importance is the inclusion of an expanded set of student exercises. The two senior authors are leading scientists in their fields and have been awarded numerous prizes for their research efforts. * First edition was widely adopted * Authors are highly respected in their field * Global climate change, integral to the book, is now one of the most important issues in atmospheric sciences and oceanography

The book's future scenarios show how closely linked human societies and the
Earth System are. ... the past Several ten to hundred millennia, and to determine
how human and biophysical changes have contributed to Earth System dynamics
.

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN: UCSD:31822009559287

Category: Climatic changes

Page:

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A study of global change (IGBP).

... that govern the Earth system and to determine whether recent human-induced
changes could ultimately de-stabilise its dynamics, both natural system variability
and the consequences of human activities have to be observed and quantified.

Author: Diego Fernández-Prieto

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 9783642325212

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 103

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To better understand the various processes and interactions that govern the Earth system and to determine whether recent human-induced changes could ultimately de-stabilise its dynamics, both natural system variability and the consequences of human activities have to be observed and quantified. In this context, the European Space Agency (ESA) published in 2006 the document “The Changing Earth: New Scientific Challenges for ESA's Living Planet Programme” as the main driver of ESA’s new Earth Observation (EO) science strategy. The document outlines 25 major scientific challenges covering all the different aspects of the Earth system, where EO technology and ESA missions may provide a key contribution. In this framework, and aiming at enhancing the ESA scientific support towards the achievement of “The Challenges”, the Agency has launched in 2008 a new initiative – the Changing Earth Science Network – to support young scientists to undertake leading-edge research activities contributing to achieve the 25 scientific challenges of the LPP by maximising the use of ESA data. The initiative is implemented through a number of research projects proposed and led by early-stage scientists at post-doctoral level for a period of two years which are summarized in this SpringerBrief. These projects undertake innovative research activities furthering into the most pressing issues of the Earth system, while exploiting ESA missions data with special attention to the ESA data archives and the new Earth Explorer missions.

Comprehensive, systematic Earth observations are key to forecasting Earth
system dynamics. ... quality long-term global data acquired through remote
sensing is essential for the ongoing viability and enhancement of human society
on Earth.

Author: Shunlin Liang

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

ISBN: 1402064500

Category: Technology & Engineering

Page: 497

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It collects the review papers of the 9th International Symposium on Physical Measurements and Signatures in Remote Sensing (ISPMSRS). It systematically summarizes the past achievements and identifies the frontier issues as the research agenda for the near future. It covers all aspects of land remote sensing, from sensor systems, physical modeling, inversion algorithms, to various applications.

... holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Wisconsin and spent a post-
doctoral year at MIT studying system dynamics. ... Inc., a charitable NGO devoted
to assisting young people to formulate a vision of the earth they would like to
inherit, ...

Author: Georg Frerks

Publisher: Wageningen Academic Publishers

ISBN: 9789086860166

Category: Political Science

Page: 320

View: 878

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www.wageningenacademic.com/humansecurity

Always necessary for studies of complex systems are reasonable monitoring
schemes , operated for sufficiently long periods so that they capture the full
system dynamics . For example ... Earth ' s most widely observed Physical
Dynamics start with surface wind measurements . ... All of the processes that are
related here started long before humans existed , and will likely persist long after
we have gone .

Author: Gary Duane Sharp

Publisher: Food & Agriculture Org.

ISBN: 9251050163

Category: Business & Economics

Page: 75

View: 395

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This publication considers issues of global change versus global warming, using climate history graphics to illustrate the earth's climate variability from paleoclimate research. Topics discussed include: the hydrological cycle and its relevance to fisheries and the evolution of species and fisheries variability, production variabilities and changes in vulnerability owing to constant dynamics of ocean motion affects, bioindicators, spatial and temporal scales, regional ecological responses, examples of ocean ecosystems defined by seasonal thermal properties, synchrony and systematic transitions.

Disaster. Risk. Technology Integration (integrated information platform, system
dynamics and integrated policy ... include“the Geographic Transaction Zone
Study on Interaction 309 Mechanism of Human-earth System on Earth Surface” (
No.

Author: Peijun Shi

Publisher: Springer

ISBN: 9783662454305

Category: Nature

Page: 368

View: 735

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This is the first English-language atlas to systematically introduce the environment, hazard, vulnerability and risk mapping for 11 natural disasters, i.e. earthquake, volcano, landslide, flood, storm surge, sand-dust storm, tropical cyclone, heat wave, cold wave, drought and wildfire, and risk mapping for multi-hazard disaster in the world. The above 11 hazards are assessed and mapped at grid unit, comparable-geographic unit and national unit, and the multi-hazard is assessed and mapped at grid unit and national unit. The expected annual mortality and/or affected population risks and expected annual economic loss and/or affected property risk of 11 hazards and multi-hazard of the world at national level are unprecedentedly derived and ranked. The atlas can be a good reference for researchers and students in the field of natural disaster risk management and risk governance, and enterpriser and risk manager as well to understand the global natural disaster risk. Prof. Peijun Shi works at Beijing Normal University, China; Prof. Roger Kasperson works at Clark University, USA.

IGBP studies the interactions between biological , chemical and physical
processes and human systems , and ... analyse ( i ) the interactive physical ,
chemical and biological processes that define Earth System dynamics ; ( ii ) the
changes that ...

Author:

Publisher:

ISBN: UCR:31210025021567

Category: Biosphere

Page: 76

View: 186

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