Earth Science ─ New Methods and Studies

Earth science is a broad field of study that encompasses many different disciplines, including meteorology, climatology, and geology. The importance of the earth sciences in predicting weather and climate, tracking pollution, drilling for petroleum, evaluation of soil, and monitoring ground water is paramount in modern society. This new work covers a broad selection of topics in the field of earth science, including using satellite remote sensing to track pollution and weather patterns, monitoring for pre-earthquake signals, using earthquakes to uncover new information about the earth, desalination of ground water, and predicting deforestation. Also featured are an overview and survey of the new revolution of computer technology for studying the geosciences and a study of the beneficial health— emotional, mental, and physical–effects of rocks, minerals, and geologic processes.

Roy H. Williams is an astronomer and educator at the Kopernik Observatory in Vestal, New York, USA. He has trained on the spectrograph and is certified in both earth science and physical science. He has taught in several New York districts as well as at several other colleges. He writes a monthly column in the Press & Sun-Bulletin newspaper (Binghamton, NY) and makes monthly live appearances on local television newscasts. He also helped to create a computerized sky atlas using Turbo Pascal and in his role at Kopernik Observatory has worked with both astronaut Dan Bursch and astronomer John Dobson.