About the Book
Website resources
Preface to the fourth edition
Acknowledgements
Part one - FUNDAMENTALS
1 THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT: SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS AND
METHODS
Upper Wharfedale as an environmental system
Development
of physical geography as an academic discipline
Key concepts: Four giants
of modern physical geography
Evolutionary and equilibrium approaches to
environmental systems
Modern approaches to physical
geography
Accommodating scale in physical geography
The development of
Earth system science
Applications: The study of natural
disasters
Conclusion
Key points
Web resources
Further
reading
2 ENERGY AND EARTH
New developments: The sun, our
nearest star
Concepts of energy
Sensible and latent heat
Methods
of energy transfer
Key concepts: Heat and temperature
Energy
transformations
General patterns and principles of electromagnetic
radiation
The planetary setting
Exogenetic energy
Endogenetic
energy
Energy outputs of the globe
Key concepts: Tthe laws of
thermodynamics
Global energy transfers
Local and regional energy
transfers
Applications: Renewable energy from the
environment
Conclusion [missing]
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
Part two - ATMOSPHERE
3 HEAT AND ENERGY IN THE ATMOSPHERE
The atmospheric
energy system
Human impact: Ozone
Spatial variability of
radiation exchanges
Key concepts: The greenhouse effect
New
developments: Measuring radiation from space
Latitudinal radiation
balance
Energy balance
Energy transfers and the global
circulation
Effects upon temperature
Conclusion
Key points
Further
reading
Web resources
4 MOISTURE IN THE ATMOSPHERE
Effects of heating and
cooling in the atmosphere
Condensation
The effects of
condensation
Systems: Cloud types
Formation of
precipitation
New developments: Cloud seeding
Origins of
precipitation
Human impact: Fog
Conclusion
Key
points
Further reading
Web resources
5 PRECIPITATION AND
EVAPOTRANSPIRATION
Precipitation
Types of
precipitation
Human impact: Acid rain
Measurement of
precipitation
New developments: Measuring precipitation
Temporal
variations of precipitation
Human impact: Drought
Spatial
variations of precipitation
Human impact:
Floods
Evapotranspiration
Potential evapotranspiration
Actual
evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration from land surfaces
Plant responses
to moisture stress
Measuring evapotranspiration
Evapotranspiration in the
hydrological cycle
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
6 THE ATMOSPHERE IN ACTION
Atmospheric circulation and
winds
Sources of information
Causes of air movement
Forces acting upon
the air
The global pattern of circulation
Energy transfer in the
atmosphere
Wind patterns
Applications: General circulation
models
Upper winds
Key concepts: Jet streams
New
developments: El Nino-southern oscillation
Conclusion
Key
points
Further reading
Web resources
7 WEATHER-FORMING SYSTEMS
Air masses
Weather-forming
systems of temperate latitudes
Concepts: Air streams
Human
impact: Storms
Human impact: Tornadoes
Weather-forming
systems of the tropics
Human impact: Hurricane Katrina, August
2005
Weather prediction and hazards
New developments: Atlantic
tropical cyclone prediction model
Conclusion
Key points
Further
reading
Web resources
8 MICRO AND LOCAL CLIMATES
The climate near the
ground
The microclimate of woodland
Urban climates
The urban heat
island
New developments: Urban heat island modelling
The
microclimates of slopes
Applications: Human comfort and
bioclimatology
Applications: Vineyard microclimate
Local
winds
Conclusion [not supplied]
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
9 CLIMATE CHANGE
Changes of climate
New
developments: Sudden climate changes
Causes of climatic change
Future
climates
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
Part three - GEOSPHERE
10 EARTH'S GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE AND PROCESSES
Origin and
dynamics
Systems: Planetary Materials & Energy
Earth
structure and internal energy
Key process: Sea-floor
spreading
Crustal evolution: plate tectonics
New developments:
Tectonics and climate
Human impact: Seismic studies and
hazards
The geological evolution of Britain
Applications:
Morphotectonic Landscapes in Britain
Conclusion
Key points
Further
reading
Web resources
11 THE GLOBAL OCEAN
Evolution of Earth's ocean
basins
Key process: The birth and death of oceans
Ocean basin
geometry and sea levels
Applications: Quaternary sea-level: Ocean,
tectonics and climate change
Ocean circulation
Systems: Oceans,
tectonics and climate
Tides and waves
New developments:
Ocean-atmosphere coupling and climate in western Europe
Human
impact: Ocean food and mineral resources
Conclusion
Key
points
Further reading
Web resources
12 ROCK FORMATION AND DEFORMATION
Systems: The Rock
Cycle
Rock-forming minerals and processes
Key processes: Igneous
rock formation
The rock cycle (1) igneous processes and
landsystems
Human impacts: Volcanic hazards
The rock cycle (2)
metamorphic processes and landsystems
The rock cycle (3) sedimentary
processes and landsystems
New developments: Biogeochemical cycles
The rock cycle (4) ocean environment
Applications:: Geological
resources
Rock deformation: folding and faulting
Conclusion
Key
points
Further reading
Web resources
13 DENUDATION, WEATHERING AND MASS
WASTING
Denudation
Systems: Geomorphic systems
Force
and resistance
Key concepts: Geotechnical properties and behaviour of
slopes
Weathering
Applications : Karst
landsystems
New developments: Tectonics, basins and
climate
Mass wasting
Human impacts: Landslides and climate
change
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web resources
14 FLUVIAL SYSTEMS: CATCHMENTS AND RIVERS
Generation of
channel flow
Systems: Catchment and watershed models
Key
processes: Channel hydraulics
Stream flow in channels
Human
impact: Floods and flood control
Channel erosion and sediment
transfer
Applications: River terraces and environmental
change
Fluvial landsystems
New developments: Climate change and
flood-plain living
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
15 CRYOSPHERE SYSTEMS: GLACIERS, ICE AND PERMAFROST
Form,
mass and energy balance of ice
Systems: Thermodynamic classification of
glaciers
Ice flow and glacier geomorphic processes
Key processes:
Glacier mass balance
Glacier erosional landsystems
Applications:
Deformation of the glacier bed
Glacier depositional
landsystems
New developments: Stability of ice sheets and ice
shelves
Nature and distribution of the permafrost
Permafrost and the
consequences of climate change
Conclusion
Key points
Further
reading
Web resources
16 AEOLIAN SYSTEMS
Aeolian processes
Key
processes: Deflation and entrainment
Aeolian landsystems
Systems:
Climate, tectonics and deserts
Desert landsystems
Applications:
Loess and Quaternary climate change
Human impacts: Storminess and
climate change
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
17 GLOBAL COASTLINES
Wave, current and tidal
action
Key processes: Wave form and action
Coastal geomorphic
processes
Applications: Development of the British
Coastline
Coastal landsystems
Systems: Coastlines and
tectonics
The global coastline
Human impact: Coastline management
in a warming world
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
Part four - BIOSPHERE
18 SOILS IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT
Soil formation
Soil
forming factors (pedogenetic factors)
Processes of soil formation
(pedogenetic processes)
Soil forming processes of leaching, decalcification
and calcification
Polzolization process
Pedogenic processes of clay
formation and clay translocation
Anaerobism and gleying
Applications:
Paddy rice cultivation, gleying and the nitrogen cycle
Peat
soils
Saline and alkali soils
Tropical soil formation: katamorphism and
laterization
How do we give names to soils? Systems of soil classification
and nomenclature
International soil classifications
Classification system
of the soil survey of England and Wales
Soil catenas: the building blocks of
soils in the landscape
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources [not supplied - to come from Ken Atkinson]
19 SOIL FERTILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
Soil physical
properties
Soil texture
Soil structure
Porosity and density
Water
properties
Colloidal properties and clay minerals
Types of clay
minerals
Properties of clay minerals
Cation exchange
properties
Colloidal properties of humic colloids
Types of soil
humus
Beneficial effects of humus on soils
Human impact: Effects of
carbon budget of harvesting and restoring ombrotrophic peat bogs
Soil
chemical properties
Soil fertility
New developments: Carbon
sequestration in soils
Soil fertility
Nutrient
availability
Human impact: Soil management for sustainable
agriculture
Soil erosion and conservation
Conclusion
Key
points
Further reading
Web resources [to come from Ken Atkinson]
20 PRINCIPLES OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
Units and scale of
study
Environmental factors controlling vegetation
The ecosystem
concept
Gradients, competition and niches
Vegetation zones of the
Earth
Theories of vegetation successions
Types and models of
successions
Key concepts: Krakatao revisited: successional re-invasion
after volcanic disturbance in
1883
Lithoseres
Psammoseres
Human impact: Impact of human
activities on sand dunes
Hydroseres
Haloseres
Classification of
ecological climaxes
Key concepts: Colonisation of the British Isles by
vegetation in postglacial times
Key concepts: Colonization of the
British Isles by vegetation in postglacial times
continued
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web resources
[to come from Ken Atkinson]
21 THE EARTH SYSTEM AND THE CYCLING OF CARBON AND
NUTRIENTS
Energy flow and trophic cycles
Global carbon
cycle
New developments: measuring the carbon balance of a boreal forest
ecosystem
Global nitrogen cycle
Interaction between carbon and nitrogen
cycles
Global phosphorus cycle
Biochemical nutrient cycles
Human
impact: Modifications of nutrient cycles
Nutrient cycling in tropical
rain forests
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
22 BIODIVERSITY IN ECOSYSTEMS
Origins of
biodiversity
Evolution and speciation
Definitions of
biodiversity
Ecological connectance
Types of species
diversity
Latitudinal gradients of biodiversity
Historical
theories
Key concept: Theory of island
biogeography
Applications: Can the theory of island biogeography
help conservation
Stability in ecosystems
Measures of
stability
Examples of stability
Threats to global
biodiversity
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Websites [to come
from Ken Atkinson]
Part five - ENVIRONMENTS
23 ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION: PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE
Principles of environmental
reconstruction
Lithostratigraphy
Biostratigraphy
Geomorphology
Geoarchaeology
Documentary
Records
Chronostratigraphy
Environmental Reconstruction in
Practice
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
24 POLAR AND ALPINE ENVIRONMENTS
Introduction
Polar Climates
Mountain meteorology and climate
Applications: Mountains under stress
Physical geology of Earth's
principle mountain ranges
Alpine landsystems
Human impact: Living at
altitude
(Ken Atkinson's section >> )
Ecology and tourism
25 MEDITERRANEAN ENVIRONMENTS
Climate, present and
past
Temperature, precipitation and evaporation
Soil formation and
distribution
Development and adaptations of vegetation
Distribution of the
plant communities
Key concepts: Fire in the Mediterranean
landscape
Desertification and soil erosion
Soil surface
conditions
Key concepts: Badlands
Water supply problems: quantity
and quality
Groundwater quality and quantity
Salt water
intrusion
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Websites [to come
from Ken Atkinson]
26 TROPICAL DESERTS AND SEMI-ARID
ENVIRONMENTS
Introduction
Desert
Savanna
Environmental
problems of dry lands
Soil erosion
Human impacts: Atmospheric dust and
its impact
Causes of desertification
Recent
ideas
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web resources
27 HUMID TROPICAL ENVIRONMENTS
Introduction
Climates
of the humid tropics
Geomorphology
Soils
Forests
Environmental
change
Human impact on the forest
Human impact: Deforestation in
Brazil
Conclusion
Key points
Further reading
Web resources
28 CURRENT AND FUTURE ENVIRONMENTAL
CHANGE
Introduction
Predictions of future climate
change
Regional changes
Environmental change in the geosphere
Impacts
on soil processes
Impacts on vegetation and wildlife
New development :
Changing British and Irish flora
Key concepts: Response of Arctic
ecosystems to climate change
Key points
Further reading
Web
resources
Glossary
Bibliography
Index