EBOOK Physical Geography of the Mediterranean

This volume explores the climates, landscapes, ecosystems and hazards that        comprise the Mediterranean world. It traces the development of the Mediterranean        landscape over very long timescales and examines modern processes and key        environmental issues in a wide range of settings. The Mediterranean is the only        region on Earth where three continents meet and this interaction has produced a very        distinctive Physical Geography. This book examines the landscapes and processes at        themargins of these continents and the distinctive marine environment between them.          Catastrophic earthquakes, explosive volcanic eruptions and devastating storms and        floods are intimately bound up within the history and mythology of the Mediterranean        world. This is a key region for the study of naturalhazards because it offers        unrivalled access to long records of hazard occurrence and impact through        documentary, archaeological and geological archives. The Mediterranean is also a        biodiversity hotspot; it has been a meeting place for plants, animals and humans        from three continents throughout much of its history. The Quaternary records of        these interactions are more varied and better preserved than in any other part of        the world. These records have provided important new insights into thetempo of        climate, landscape and ecosystem change in the Mediterranean region and beyond. The        region is unique because of the very early and widespread impact of humans in        landscape and ecosystem change - and the richness of the archaeological and        geological archives that chronicle this impact. This bookexamines this history and        these interactions and places current environmental issues in long term context.          Contributors : Ramadan Husain Abu-Zied Harriet Allen Jacques Blondel Maria-Carmen        Llasat James Casford Marc Castellnou Andrew Goudie Andrew Harding Angela Hayes Tom        Holt Babette Hoogakker Philip Hughes Jos Lelieveld John Lewin Francisco Lloret        Francisco Lopez-Bermudez Mark Macklin Jean Margat Anne Mather        Frdric Mdail Christophe Morhange Clive        Oppenheimer JeanPalutikof Gerassimos Papadopoulos Josep Piol David Pyle        Jane Reed Neil Roberts Eelco Rohling Iain Stewart Stathis Stiros John Thornes        Chronis Tzedakis John Wainwright