Author : Richard V. Francaviglia
Publisher :
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 27,98 MB
Release : 2018
Category : History
ISBN : 9781607816102
A geographical, historical, and personal exploration of the world's driest desert
Author : Lynn Peppas
Publisher : Deserts Around the World
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 50,1 MB
Release : 2012-10-15
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 9780778707097
The desert is a difficult place in which to live. Yet, 13 percent of the world's people live in desert habitats. Spectacular photography highlights this series about the world's major desert systems. Each title focuses on one desert, describing its topography, climate, plant and animal life, unique geographical features, human cultures, and the problems facing the region. The Atacama Desert The Valle de la Luna, or Valley of the Moon, in the Atacama Desert in Chile is considered to be one of the driest places on Earth. Some areas have not received rain for hundreds of years. Its large craters, miles of desolate sand and rocky surfaces, strangely carved rocks, and volcanic peaks make it comparable to the Moon's surface. In fact, the Atacama's soil is so similar to soil samples from Mars that NASA goes to this desert to test its exploration instruments. Marked by geoglyphs, enormous designs scraped into the ground by the ancient Atacameño people, this strange and wondrous place faces many challenges today, mainly from desertification and mining practices. Book jacket.
Author : Ariel Dorfman
Publisher : Disney Electronic Content
Page : 272 pages
File Size : 40,3 MB
Release : 2011-06-15
Category : Biography & Autobiography
ISBN : 1426209029
The Norte Grande of Chile, the world's driest desert, had ''engendered contemporary Chile, everything that was good about it, everything that was dreadful,'' writes Ariel Dorfman in his brilliant exploration of one of the least known and most exotic corners of the globe. For 10,000 years the desert had been mined for silver, iron, and copper, but it was the 19th-century discovery of nitrate that transformed the country into a modern state and forced the desert's colonization. The mines' riches generated mansions and oligarchs in Chile's more temperate region—and terrible inequalities throughout the country. The Norte Grande also gave birth to the first Chilean democratic and socialist movements, nurturing every major political figure of modern Chile from Salvador Allende to Augusto Pinochet. In this richly layered personal memoir, illustrated with the author's own photographs, Dorfman sets out to explore the origins of contemporary Chile—and, along the way, seek out his wife's European ancestors who came years ago to Chile as part of the nitrate rush. And, most poignantly, he looks for traces of his friend and fellow 1960s activist, Freddy Taberna, executed by a firing squad in a remote Pinochet death camp.
Author : Mike Howard
Publisher : National Geographic Books
Page : 276 pages
File Size : 27,20 MB
Release : 2017
Category : Travel
ISBN : 1426218397
Written by the founders of HoneyTrek.com, this inspiring book reveals hidden-gem destinations and insider tips for unforgettable couples travel. In these informative pages, Mike and Anne Howard--officially the World's Longest Honeymooners and founders of the acclaimed travel blog HoneyTrek--whisk you away to journeys of a lifetime. Drawing on their experience traveling together across seven continents, they curate the globe and offer tested-and-approved recommendations for intrepid couples, bringing culture, adventure, and romance to any couple--no matter their age or budget. Chapters are organized by type of destination (for example, beaches, mountains, and deserts) to help travelers discover new places and experiences based on their interests. Each entry focuses on a specific region, getting to the essence of each locale and its one-of-a-kind offerings. The authors reveal the best time to visit, the best places to stay, and recommended activities--each with their own adventure rating to illustrate level of intensity. Special features include funny and insightful stories from the Howards' own adventures, expert advice from other renowned traveling couples, and tips to increase the romance and excitement at each destination. A large map shows every location covered in the book, and each entry has a locator map depicting the city and country. Both entertaining and informative, this book is an invaluable resource and inspiration for a lifetime of travel.
Author : Michael A. Mares
Publisher : University of Oklahoma Press
Page : 695 pages
File Size : 44,81 MB
Release : 2017-01-19
Category : Nature
ISBN : 0806172290
Encyclopedia of Deserts represents a milestone: it is the first comprehensive reference to the first comprehensive reference to deserts and semideserts of the world. Approximately seven hundred entries treat subjects ranging from desert survival to the way deserts are formed. Topics include biology (birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, invertebrates, plants, bacteria, physiology, evolution), geography, climatology, geology, hydrology, anthropology, and history. The thirty-seven contributors, including volume editor Michael A. Mares, have had extensive careers in deserts research, encompassing all of the world’s arid and semiarid regions. The Encyclopedia opens with a subject list by topic, an organizational guide that helps the reader grasp interrelationships and complexities in desert systems. Each entry concludes with cross-references to other entries in the volume, inviting the reader to embark on a personal expedition into fascinating, previously unknown terrain. In addition a list of important readings facilitates in-depth study of each topic. An exhaustive index permits quick access to places, topics, and taxonomic listings of all plants and animals discussed. More than one hundred photographs, drawings, and maps enhance our appreciation of the remarkable life, landforms, history, and challenges of the world’s arid land.
Author : Jerry D. Moore
Publisher : Univ of California Press
Page : 283 pages
File Size : 37,21 MB
Release : 2012-04-18
Category : Social Science
ISBN : 0520952138
Many animals build shelters, but only humans build homes. No other species creates such a variety of dwellings. Drawing examples from across the archaeological record and around the world, archaeologist Jerry D. Moore recounts the cultural development of the uniquely human imperative to maintain domestic dwellings. He shows how our houses allow us to physically adapt to the environment and conceptually order the cosmos, and explains how we fabricate dwellings and, in the process, construct our lives. The Prehistory of Home points out how houses function as symbols of equality or proclaim the social divides between people, and how they shield us not only from the elements, but increasingly from inchoate fear.
Author : Patrice Dion
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
Page : 374 pages
File Size : 38,11 MB
Release : 2007-12-22
Category : Science
ISBN : 354074231X
This volume provides a comprehensive coverage of the principal extreme soil ecosystems of natural and anthropogenic origin. Extreme soils oppose chemical or physical limits to colonization by most soil organisms and present the microbiologist with exciting opportunities. Described here are a range of fascinating environments from permafrost to Martian soils. The book includes chapters on basic research in addition to applications in biotechnology and bioremediation.
Author : Teresa Moreno (Ph. D.)
Publisher : Geological Society of London
Page : 428 pages
File Size : 21,5 MB
Release : 2007
Category : Science
ISBN : 9781862392205
This book is the first comprehensive account in English of the geology of Chile, providing a key reference work that brings together many years of research, and written mostly by Chilean authors from various universities and other centres of research excellence. The 13 chapters begin with a general overview, followed by detailed accounts of Andean tectonostratigraphy and magmatism, the amazingly active volcanism, the world class ore deposits that have proven to be so critical to the welfare of the country, and Chilean water resources. The subject then turns to geophysics with an examination of neotectonics and earthquakes, the hazardous frequency of which is a daily fact of life for the Chilean population. There are chapters on the offshore geology and oceanography of the SE Pacific Ocean, subjects that continue to attract much research not least from those seeking to understand world climatic variations, and on late Quaternary land environments, concluding with an account examining human colonization of southernmost America. The geological evolution of Chile is the c. 550 million year history of a continental margin over 4000 km long. During his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, an extended visit to Chile (1834-35) had a profound impact on Charles Darwin, especially on his understanding of volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis.
Author : Ken Jennings
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
Page : 320 pages
File Size : 44,23 MB
Release : 2012-04-17
Category : Reference
ISBN : 1439167184
Traces the history of mapmaking while offering insight into the role of cartography in human civilization and sharing anecdotes about the cultural arenas frequented by map enthusiasts.
Author : Martin Williams
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 653 pages
File Size : 25,83 MB
Release : 2014-08-11
Category : Nature
ISBN : 1107016916
A synthesis of the environmental and climatic history of every major desert and desert margin, for researchers and advanced students.
