Environmental geologist

Some petroleum geologists believe that there may be more methane trapped in hydrates than what is associated with natural gas reserves. However, as an energy source, there is considerable uncertainty whether this methane can ever be recovered safely, economically, and with minimal environmental impact. The Russians have experimented with the use of antifreeze to break down hydrates at some onshore locations in Siberia. But perhaps a more promising approach would be to pipe warm surface water to the bottom to melt the hydrates, with a collector positioned to convey the gas to the surface. Another approach might be to free methane by somehow reducing the pressure on the methane hydrates. 

Henry H.R. and Kahout, F.A., Circulation patterns of saline groundwater affected by geothermal heating as related to waste disposal, in Symposium on Underground Waste Management and Environmental Implications, Houston, TX, Cook, T.D., Ed., American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 18, 1973,... 

Plumlee, G., 1994b, Environmental geology models of mineral deposits. Society of Economic Geologists Newsletter 16,5-6. 

Plumlee, G.S. (1999) The Environmental geology of mineral deposits. In Plumlee, G.S. Logsdon, M.J. (eds.) The Environmental Geochemistry of Mineral Deposits 6A, Society of Economic Geologists, 71-116. 

Arscott, R. L., 1989, New Directions in Environmental Protection in Oil and Gas Operations In Environmental Concerns in the Petroleum Industry (edited by S. M. Testa), Pacific Section American Association of Petroleum Geologists Symposium Volume, pp. 217-227. 

Ficklin, W.H. Mosier, E.L 1999. Field methods for sampling and analysis of environmental samples for unstable and selected stable constituents. Society of Economic Geologists, Reviews in Economic Geology, 6A, 249-264. 

The novel horizons in natural product chemistry are a consequence of advances in mass spectrometry instrumentation. Current applications comprise the elucidation of natural products as part of total extract mixtures in samples of interest to environmental chemists, archaelogists, paleobotanists, geologists, oceanographers, atmospheric chemists, forensic chemists and engineers. The list of applications is expected to expand and some examples are discussed in this chapter. 

D. K. Nordstrom and C. N. Alpers, in The Environmental Geochemistry of Mineral Deposits. Part A Processes, Techniques, and Health Issues, edited by G. S. Plumlee and M. J. Logsdon, Reviews in Economic Geology, Vol. 6A, pp. 133-160 (Society of Economic Geologists, Inc., Littleton CO, 1999). 

Geologists define a mineral as a naturally occurring, crystalline, and inorganic solid. Although liquids, gases, synthetic materials, amorphous substances, and organic compounds may contain arsenic, they are not minerals. Arsenic minerals include rhombohedral elemental arsenic, arsenolamprite, pararsenolamprite, and over 320 inorganic compounds (Foster, 2003), 39. Chapter 3 discusses the natural occurrences and potential environmental impacts of several of the more common arsenic minerals. 

A graduate level course (one or two semesters), based on the present book, is also warranted. Such a course suits students of the following professions hydrologists, hydrochemists, geologists, geomorphologists, petroleum experts, water-based recreation and therapeutic experts, ecologists, environmental scientists, urban and statewide water supply operators, and pollution control managers. 

In this book, the processes at solid/liquid interfaces of soil and rock, in most cases under environmental conditions, will be discussed. A scientifically correct description of interfacial processes requires the study of the properties of solid and liquid phases and the interface, as well as the interactions of these phases. Previous books typically focused on selected aspects of the subject, such as, for example, the properties of the solid phase or the interactions of selected substances such as heavy metal ions with soil/rock. We intend to present a comprehensive treatment of the soil-liquid-interface system, emphasizing the importance of the chemical species produced in a geological material/solution/interface interaction. We recommend the book to all chemists, geologists, and soil scientists working in interfacial, environmental, and soil sciences. 

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