Abstract Volume


Book Description










Abstracts of Papers


Book Description




Applications of Non-Pollen Palynomorphs


Book Description

This long-awaited book about non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) aims to cover gaps in our knowledge of these abundant but understudied palynological remains. NPPs, such as fungal spores, testate amoebae, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and animal remains, are routinely recovered from palynological preparations of marine or terrestrial material, from Proterozoic to recent geological times. This book gives the reader a comprehensive overview of the different types of NPPs, with examples from diverse time periods and environments. It provides guidance on sample preparation to maximize the recovery of these NPPs, detailed information on their diversity and ecological affinity, clarification on the nomenclature and demonstrates their value as environmental indicators. This volume will become the reference guide for any student, academic or practitioner interested in everything else in their palynological preparations.




Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoceanography from Laminated Sediments


Book Description

The magnitude and causes of decadal to century-scale changes in climate are major issues of global concern. The separation of anthropogenically driven change from natural 'baseline' variability within the atmosphere/ocean system is a prerequisite to identifying human impact on global climate. An understanding of past climate variability is therefore a key to predicting future climate change. The sedimentary record of the oceans, seas and lakes is produced by a series of depositional events that occur on seasonal timescales but can rarely be resolved due to mixing of the sediment by bottomdwelling organisms. Where they are preserved, laminated sediments act like tree rings to record these seasonal-scale processes, such as plankton blooms and floods, and provide a uniquely high-resolution record of environmental change. In addition, annually laminated or 'varved' sediment sequences act as geochronometers against which other timescales can be tested. Laminated sediments may therefore be used to develop records of interannual and decadal-scale variability which serve to test models of climate change. The authors cover a range of topics that include strategies for study and techniques of analysis. A series of case studies, dealing with a variety of lacustrine and marine records, illustrates the wide potential of laminated sediments as palaeoclimatic and palaeoceanographic indicators.




Long-term Environmental Change in Arctic and Antarctic Lakes


Book Description

Concerns about the effects of global climate change have focused attention on the vulnerability of circumpolar regions. This book offers a synthesis of the spectrum of techniques available for generating long-term environmental records from circumpolar lakes.




Micro-XRF Studies of Sediment Cores


Book Description

This volume presents papers on the use of micro-XRF core scanners in palaeoenvironmental research. It contains a broad ranging view of instrument capability and points to future developments that will help contribute to higher precision elemental data and faster core analysis. Readers will find a diverse range of research by leading experts that have used micro-XRF core scanners in a wide range of scientific applications. The book includes specific application papers reporting on the use of XRF core scanners in a variety of marine, lacustrine, and pollution studies. In addition, coverage also examines practical aspects of core scanner usage, data optimisation and data calibration and interpretation. In a little over a decade, micro-XRF sediment core scanners have made a substantive contribution to palaeoenvironmental research. Their impact is based on their ability to rapidly, non-destructively and automatically scan sediment cores. Not only do they rapidly provide important proxy data without damaging samples, but they can obtain environmental data at decadal, annual and even sub-annual scales. This volume will help both experienced and new users of these non-destructive core scanners take full advantage of one of the most powerful geochemical screening tools in the environmental scientist's toolbox.




Geology and Natural Hazards of the Fraser River Delta, British Columbia


Book Description

The 16 papers in this volume constitute a summary of recent research on the geological architecture and environment of the Fraser River delta, and the physical and chemical processes operating on it. The first two papers are overviews of the geological and seismic setting of the delta. The next two papers summarize present-day sedimentary environments on the delta. A third group of papers covers the geological architecture, or lithostratigraphy, of the delta and the biological structure or biofacies of the delta. The final group of papers is concerned with natural hazards and environmental issues, including earthquakes, geotechnical stability, and seafloor sediment geochemistry.




Global Change in the Holocene


Book Description

The Holocene spans the 11,500 years since the end of the last Ice Age and has been a period of major global environmental change. However the rate of change has accelerated during the last hundred years, due largely to human impacts and this has led to a growing concern for the future of our environmental resources. Global Change in the Holocene demonstrates how reconstructing the record of past environmental change can provide us with essential knowledge about how our environment works and presents the reader with an informed viewpoint from which to project realistic future scenarios. The book brings together key techniques that are widely used in Holocene research, such as radiocarbon dating, dendrochronology and sediment analysis and offers a comprehensive analysis of various archives of environmental change including instrumental and documentary records, corals, lake sediments, glaciers and ice cores. This reference will be an informative and cutting-edge resource for all researchers in the fields of climate change, environmental science, geography, palaeoecology and archaeology.