Landforms and Landscapes of Portugal


Book Description

The book brings together contributions from over 35 Portuguese geomorphologists, presenting a thorough overview of the main highlights of the landscape of Portugal's mainland, Azores and Madeira. The book, which is a tribute to Professor António de Brum Ferreira, first President of the Portuguese Association of Geomorphologists and former Professor at the University of Lisbon, who passed away in January 2013, is organized in 3 parts: a) Introduction, which presents a general framework of the physical geography of Portugal, b) Geomorphological landscapes, presenting ca. 30 short papers with regional focus on key geomorphological areas, c) Applied geomorphology, providing an updated vision on the protection of geomorphological heritage with a focus on geoparks, as well as on Geomorphological hazards in Portugal. This first book ever to concentrate on the geomorphology of Portugal will surely become a benchmark for Portuguese geomorphology.




Landscapes and Landforms of Brazil


Book Description

This book presents Brazil as a country of continental dimensions. Its territory has a large variety of rock types, geological structures and climates. The country has a large variety of landscapes, such as the humid plains of the Amazon River, the dry plateaus of the semi-arid region or the subtropical mountains of the southern region. On the coast, some plateaus and mountains, like the Serra do Mar Mountain range, formed a significant barrier front to access the hinterland of Brazil. On the other side of these coastal plateaus and mountains, there is a large collection of other plateaus, mountains, plains and depressions little altered by human interference. Thus, Brazil has a unique variety of different landscapes and extraordinary geomorphological sites. The book invites readers to learn more about the beautiful Brazilian landscapes, their complexity and vastness.




Landscapes and Landforms of Spain


Book Description

The Landscapes and Landforms of Spain provides an informative and inviting overview of the geology and geomorphology of Spain. It incorporates a diverse range of topics, ranging from the fiery landscapes of the Canary Islands and its volcanic formations to the glacial scenery of the Pyrenees. The book devotes attention to granite landforms, karst terrains, coastal dunes and marshes, as well as to heritage and conservation, with the objective of offering the reader a comprehensive insight into the Spanish geological setting. The book presents readers with the opportunity to explore Spanish landforms in detail through its highly illustrated pages and maps, making this an appealing text on the subject field.




Portugal


Book Description

Portugal has an industrialized economy, made up primarily of light industry, and is a member of the European Union. A full-color overview of a fascinating nation, this is a guide to students who want to learn more about this country's culture, geography, and economy.




Landforms and Landscape Evolution of the Equatorial Margin of Northeast Brazil


Book Description

More than a simple monograph, the authors present a comprehensive geomorphic overview of a large tropical region where they show how deciphering the long-term landform evolution helps understanding the present set of landscapes and morphodynamic environments. The Equatorial margin of the Brazilian “Nordeste” displays stratigraphic landmarks whose interpretation reveals the age and nature of landforms, leading to a reconstruction of the geomorphic history by the means of combined morphostratigraphic and morphopedological approaches. Beyond the role of differential erosion related to moderate post-oceanic opening uplift, the plain and upland landscape reflects a juxtaposition of landform and soil generations related to a shallow basin inversion, the last stages of which occurred in semi-arid conditions since the Oligocene. These results throw light on old debates on models of long-term landform development in platform areas, and also help evaluating recent models of denudation and burial based on thermochronological methods.




Handbook of Research on Methods and Tools for Assessing Cultural Landscape Adaptation


Book Description

In a globalizing and expanding world, the need for research centered on analysis, representation, and management of landscape components has become critical. By providing development strategies that promote resilient relations, this book promotes more sustainable and cultural approaches for territorial construction. The Handbook of Research on Methods and Tools for Assessing Cultural Landscape Adaptation provides emerging research on the cultural relationships between a community and the ecological system in which they live. This book highlights important topics such as adaptive strategies, ecosystem services, and operative methods that explore the expanding aspects of territorial transformation in response to human activities. This publication is an important resource for academicians, graduate students, engineers, and researchers seeking a comprehensive collection of research focused on the social and ecological components in territory development.




Landscapes and Landforms of Austria


Book Description

This book intends to identify and publicize the unique features of Austrian geomorphology. In a country, which stretches from the core of the European Alps to the Hungarian plain, there is huge variety of landforms and landscapes. This book reveals that variety. Part 1 sets the context of the Austrian landscape as a whole. Part 2 is the core of the volume and comprises a careful selection of the most outstanding landscapes in Austria. Each of the chapters results from detailed research conducted by an author over many years. Austria’s landscapes are especially attractive because of the great variety of topographic slopes, geologic foundations and the special landscape legacy from the Quaternary period. Glacial and Karst landscapes dominate, but there are superb examples of granite weathering landscapes and geologically recent volcanism. The book is lavishly illustrated with about 350 color images and is securely based on scientific scholarship.




Landscapes and Landforms of England and Wales


Book Description

This book presents the geomorphological diversity of England and Wales. These regions are characterised by an extraordinary range of landforms and landscapes, reflecting both the occurrence of many different rock types and drastic climatic changes over the last few million years, including ice sheet expansion and decay. The book begins by providing the geological and geomorphological context needed in order to understand this diversity in a relatively small area. In turn, it presents nearly thirty case studies on specific landscapes and landforms, all of which are landmarks in the territory discussed. These include the famous coastal cliffs and landslides, granite tors of Dartmoor, formerly glaciated mountains of Snowdonia and the Lake District, karst of Yorkshire, and many others. The geomorphology of London and the Thames is also included. Providing a unique reference guide to the geomorphology of England and Wales, the book is lavishly illustrated with diagrams, colour maps and photos, and written in an easy-to-read style. The contributing authors are distinguished geomorphologists with extensive experience in research, writing and communicating science to the public. The book will not only be of interest to geoscientists, but will also benefit specialists in landscape research, geoconservation, tourism and environmental protection.




Iberia, Land of Glaciers


Book Description

Iberia, Land of Glaciers: How The Mountains Were Shaped By Glaciers discusses the impact of past glaciers in the current landscape of Iberia. Currently, there are only small glaciers in the highest peaks of the Pyrenees that are the legacy of the last cold period that ended at the end of the 19th century: The Little Ice Age. However, an accurate observation of the landscape of the highest peaks and adjacent valleys of the Iberian Peninsula reveals a past shaped by the successive passage of glaciers with hundreds of meters of ice, similar to what happens today in the Alps or Patagonia.Iberian glaciation has resulted in ice expansion through valleys that are now used by the road network and where important populations settle; in addition, large accumulations of sediments deposited by those glaciers are still unstable today and can trigger risks for mountain populations. Iberia, Land of Glaciers presents the impact of the glaciers in the landscape of mountains following a more educational perspective with examples of 21 Iberian massifs written by specialists from each of the areas. - Assesses present-day Iberian Peninsula landscape trends by understanding the past behavior of glaciers - Includes the latest findings of all the major Iberian mountains in a single book - Includes quality, color figures to enhance understanding of glacier formations - Provides a more educational and pedagogical perspective on glacial processes to reach an audience beyond academia




Landscapes and Landforms of the Czech Republic


Book Description

The book aims to present the unique geomorphological landscapes of the Czech Republic. The geomorphic uniqueness of this country benefits from the proximity to two distinct European geological domains: the old cratonized Bohemian Massif and the relatively young Tertiary fold and thrust belt of the Western Carpathians. Landscapes and Landforms of the Czech Republic introduces general physiographical characteristics of the landscape and presents the main driving factors leading to the evolution of the present landscape. The book contains twenty two chapters describing the most interesting geomorphic landscapes of the Czech Republic. The selection of individual landscapes was based on visual exceptionality (e.g. sandstone landscapes of the Northern Bohemia), scientific importance (e.g. patterned grounds in the Sudetic Mountains) and historical relevance (e.g. mining of the Nízký and Hrubý Jeseník Mountains). The final chapters of the book discuss the protection of geomorphic heritage in the Czech Republic.