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MAN AND THE GEOSPHERE I.V. Florinsky (Ed.) Nova Science Publishers, New York, 2010 |
Summary
Humankind is
under the permanent influence of the geological
environment. Roles of some geological biotropic factors, such as volcanic
explosions, strong earthquakes, and geochemical anomalies, have been well
studied. Little is known about biotropic effects of the Earth’s fluid degassing, geomagnetic
activity, natural background radiation, fluid migration and gas emission within fault zones, mild seismicity, cyclicity of
tectonic and climatic processes, etc. This book is the first attempt to synthesize the interdisciplinary
knowledge on all geogenic factors influencing humans, society, and
civilization.
The book
consists of two parts. The first part represents the state-of-the-art in the field of geo-bio-interactions.
Chapter 1 demonstrates mutual relations between the fluid degassing of the Earth’s liquid outer core and the origin of oil, life, and the biosphere.
Chapter 2 looks at the stable isotope fractionation in the human body and the role of natural background radiation in natural
selection. Chapter 3
discusses health effects of geochemical anomalies. Chapter 4 investigates the
potential of geopsychology, the study of the impact of geophysical and geochemical
variables on human behavior. The second part of the book introduces particular
examples of the influence of the geological environment on the biosphere and
anthroposphere. Chapter 5 considers the seismically-induced dependence of plant
intrapopulation variability within active fault zones. Chapter 6 probes into
geological and geophysical peculiarities of fault zones influencing human
health in the urban environment. Chapter 7 considers health effects of mild seismic events
causing local variations of geophysical and geochemical parameters. Chapter 8
investigates the role of geomagnetic activity and seismicity in the occurrence
of mystical experience and sacralization of the landscape. Chapter 9 presents a
broad picture of historical development displaying periodicity synchronous with cycles of climate and endogenous activity. Chapter 10 discusses multiple
biotropic impacts of the Earth’s deep hydrogen degassing, which is responsible
for seismic and volcanic activity, fluid
migration and gas emission within rift and fault zones, ozone depletion, and climate fluctuations.
The scientific
intrigue of the book resides in the fact that most geogenic biotropic factors
are functions or manifestations of two “meta-agents” – the deep degassing of
the Earth and the geomagnetic field – which are generated by processes in the
liquid outer core. This book, written by leading international experts, will be
of interest to a wide audience of geologists,
geochemists, geophysicists, biologists, biochemists,
biophysicists, medical scientists, psychologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, and historians.
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Part I. Geo and Bio: Key relationships
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Chapter 1 |
Fluid evolution of
the Earth and origin of the biosphere Marakushev, A.A.
and Marakushev, S.A. |
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Chapter 2 |
Role of isotopes in the biosphere Sobotovich, E.V.,
Florinsky, I.V., Lysenko, O.B. and Grodzinsky, D.M. |
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Chapter 3 |
Geochemical
anomalies: Sickness and health Volfson, I.F., Paul, W. and Pechenkin, I.G. |
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Chapter 4 |
Geopsychology:
Geophysical matrix and human behavior Mulligan, B.P.,
Suess
Cloes, L., Mach,
Q.H. and Persinger, M.A. |
Part II. Crossing a range of spatial scales
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Chapter 5 |
Intraspecific variability of
plants: The impact of active local faults Boyarskikh, I.G.
and Shitov, A.V. |
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Chapter 6 |
Pathogenic effect of fault zones in the urban environmentRudnik, V.A. and
Melnikov, E.K. |
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Chapter 7 |
Health of people
living in a seismically active region Shitov, A.V. |
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Chapter 8 |
Sacred places and
geophysical activity Florinsky, I.V. |
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Chapter 9 |
Tectonic and
climatic rhythms and the development of society Trifonov, V.G. |
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Chapter 10 |
Hydrogen degassing of the Earth: Natural disasters and the biosphere Syvorotkin, V.L. |
List of contributors