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Reactive-transport models aim at a comprehensive, quantitative and, ultimately, predictive treatment of biogeochemical transformations and mass transfers in the subsurface. Not only do they provide environmental simulation tools, they can also be used to test new theoretical concepts or hypotheses. A major goal of the geochemistry group in Utrecht is to incorporate complex, microbially-driven reaction networks in reactive transport models, through a close collaboration between modelers and experimentalists. This paper gives an overview of some of the research activities we are carrying out in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acknowledging the disastrous implications of Climate Change for socioeconomic development, the public-private institute of the Geomatics Busines Park has since 2002 worked on a new concept coined Extreme Events Engineering and Monitoring (EEEM). In EEEM, the word ‘Engineering’ stands for all types of logic reasoning and activities as long as these help people to firmly reduce their vulnerability to extreme events. We see EEEM as a ‘bi-polar’ concept, aiming to deeply integrate a long chain of analyses and activities. On the ‘high end’ of the EEEM chain, Earth Observation plays an important role. Down at the ‘lower end’, EEEM firmly rests in the mud in the form of grass roots based evacuation and relief plans as well as long term land use improvements. Between both poles of the EEEM chain, the so-called Integrated Vulnerability Analysis (IVA) forms the central defence strategy against this ‘axis of peril’. Vietnam is very vulnerable for natural disasters such as flooding, especially during such extreme events as overflowing rivers and excessive local rainfall during typhoons. This paper describes an initial application of EEEM at the vulnerable city of Hue, which was struck in 1999 by extremely heavy rainfall and extensive flooding of the Perfume River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A science experiment on insoluble residues is presented. A list of materials is provided, along with preparation and safety considerations, specific procedures, and discussion topics. It is concluded that an earth science term to explain how rock layers are related to each other is the geologic correlation.

An essay is presented on the media and the symbolic geographies of Yugoslavia. It offers a historical overview of the main issues and omissions in the existing studies of symbolic geographies of Yugoslavia and successor states from the 1980s-1990s, including the shifting nature of symbolic borders. The author suggests three main strategies to help overcome the main issues of Yugoslavia, such as future investigations should consider a wider range of possible geographical labels.

This section presents the result of a discussion among experts who attended various scientific meetings supported under the NATO Programme for Security through Science (STS). Y. Lancelot recommends the launch of a general education in the earth sciences in order to prepare for catastrophes in agriculture, desertification, industry and the entire economy. J. Virieux cites the modification of hydrologic systems which would have an impact on nature. R. Klapisch mentions that NATO has issued recommendations for forecasting risks.

With the aid of the Canadian Space Agency and the Canadian geospatial industry (Ærde, HCL, Strata 360), CARTEL is working in close collaboration with the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and the Cambodian Red Cross to establish a Flood Emergency Response System in Cambodia. Earth Observation (EO) and Geomatics generally insists on spatial distribution and the accessibility of the health centres, food warehouses, flood safe areas as well as the spatial distribution of the disease according to the changing factors of the physical environment and planning and the management of public health in order to improve quality of the decision-making process. The strategy is centered on the analysis of the needs for the managers of the Mekong River Commission and of the Cambodian Red Cross. It also focuses on the questions and data relating to the follow-up in space and time of the flood events and its effects on the local communities. This study takes into account the three dimensions of security: vulnerability, preparedness, response. The methodology includes the following stages: (1) analysis of the needs of the Mekong River Basin managers such as health, transportation, safe areas, infrastructures at risk, food security; (2) design of the diagram of the emergency response system including the identification and the conception of georeference data and spatial analysis functionalities; (3) design and development of a database and metadata; (4) development of vulnerability maps by using multi-date EO imagery (RADARSAT-1, aerial photography, high resolution optical imagery) combined with the historical and topographic data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this chapter is to discuss the issues associated with managing remotely sensed image data with a particular focus on the problems unique to such data, and to provide a few examples of how some existing systems handle those problems. Section 3.2 gives a brief history of remote sensing. Section 3.3 provides a discussion of applications with two examples of assessing human impact on the Earth's environment. Section 3.4 covers data collection systems briefly with emphasis on defining terminology relevant to obtaining and managing image data. Section 3.5 is a discussion of the types of errors and artifacts in remotely sensed images and the corrections required before proceeding with higher levels of information extraction. Section 3.6 outlines processing steps to derive useful information from remotely sensed images. Section 3.7 addresses the implications of the variety of collection systems, processing, and usage patterns on the storage and access of remotely sensed image data. Section 3.8 gives a few examples of systems managing such data and how they address the issues identified in Section 3.7. Section 3.9 concludes the chapter with a summary of the key points. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]