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Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Earth, Space, and Environmental Science Explorations with ArcGIS Pro
Wing Cheung · Wing Cheung
When I first started teaching Geographic Information Systems (GIS) over 15 years ago, there were only a handful of GIS tutorial books on the market. While a few of them focused on a particular theme, many of them were mainly technical publications with no unifying theme. These publications are perfect for teaching new users about basic GIS operations and continue to be invaluable to many users today. However, these publications consisted of tutorials focusing on vastly different real-world scenarios, and felt a little disjointed to integrate into a class that focuses on a specific field (e.g. Environmental Science, Geography, Urban Planning). Since then, I am happy to see that there has been a proliferation of publications that are not only focused on introducing the technology, but also provide an introduction to a specific field as well as GIS. It is with this consideration in mind that I wrote this book to not only introduce students to the tools in ArcGIS Pro, but also to provide a glimpse into some of the topics that may be covered in an introductory course in Geography, Environmental Science, or related disciplines. I aimed to achieve a balance of technical instruction and information about Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences, to make this publication helpful for new GIS learners, as well as students who may be interested in learning about the applications of GIS in the Earth, Space, and Environmental Sciences. Before you begin with the book, please download and unzip the data for the book at https://tinyurl.com/ESESGIS. Each chapter will begin with a list of the technical objectives for the lab exercise, which is particularly useful to refer to should you need a refresher on how to perform a particular task at a later date. The list of technical objectives is followed by a short introduction that provides the context for the exercise. Subsequently, you will find the step-by-step directions for the exercises with questions embedded throughout (in yellow h
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Essentials of Geographic Information Systems
Jonathan Campbell; MIchael Shin · Saylor Foundation · 2011
Essentials of Geographic Information Systems integrates key concepts behind the technology with practical concerns and real-world applications. Recognizing that many potential GIS users are nonspecialists or may only need a few maps, this book is designed to be accessible, pragmatic, and concise. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems also illustrates how GIS is used to ask questions, inform choices, and guide policy. From the melting of the polar ice caps to privacy issues associated with mapping, this book provides a gentle, yet substantive, introduction to the use and application of digital maps, mapping, and GIS. In today's world, learning involves knowing how and where to search for information. In some respects, knowing where to look for answers and information is arguably just as important as the knowledge itself. Because Essentials of Geographic Information Systems is concise, focused, and directed, readers are encouraged to search for supplementary information and to follow up on specific topics of interest on their own when necessary. Essentials of Geographic Information Systems provides the foundations for learning GIS, but readers are encouraged to construct their own individual frameworks of GIS knowledge. The benefits of this approach are two-fold. First, it promotes active learning through research. Second, it facilitates flexible and selective learning—that is, what is learned is a function of individual needs and interest. Since GIS and related geospatial and navigation technology change so rapidly, a flexible and dynamic text is necessary in order to stay current and relevant. Though essential concepts in GIS tend to remain constant, the situations, applications, and examples of GIS are fluid and dynamic. Though this book is intended for use in introductory GIS courses, Essentials of Geographic Information Systems will also appeal to the large number of certificate, professional, extension, and online programs in GIS that are available today.
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The Sustainable Business Case Book
Ross Gittell; Matt Magnusson; Michael Merenda · Saylor Foundation · 2012
The issue of sustainability and specifically sustainable business is of increasing interest and importance to students of business and also students in the sciences, government, public policy, planning and other fields. There can be significant benefits from students learning about sustainable business from the rich experiences of business practice. The Sustainable Business Case Book by Gittell, Magnusson and Merenda is one of the first of its kind. It combines the the theory of sustainability with key concepts, analytical information and contextual information with a collection of cases which provide insights, perspective and practical guidance on how sustainable businesses operate from different business functional area perspectives. The Sustainable Business Case Book can be used as a stand-alone text or as a supplemental textbook for undergraduate courses that have an interest in sustainable business. While the book's primary focus is on the relationship between business and sustainability, the book can also be used in courses offered in fields other than business, including environmental and earth systems sciences, environmental studies, urban planning, economics and public policy. The first part of The Sustainable Business Case Book, Chapter 1 through Chapter 3, introduces students to the meaning of sustainability, and the practice of sustainable business. The introductory chapters also describe key concepts, analytical frameworks, and contextual information relevant for the understanding of business sustainability. Chapter 1, defines sustainability and describes how and why businesses choose to engage in sustainable practices and how sustainable business practices relate to corporate profitability and social responsibility. Chapters 2 and 3 provide important background and contextual information affecting sustainable business practice. Chapter 2, The Science of Sustainability, reviews scientific evidence about climate change and the human and business influenc
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PHY SCI 101: General Course Physical Science
Likwan Cheng · City Colleges of Chicago
In the contents: 2.1.02: Layers of the Earth · 06: Crustal Deformation and Earthquakes · 6.1.05: Earthquake Essentials
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Introduction to Environmental Science
Caralyn Zehnder, Kalina Manoylov, Samuel Mutiti, Christine Mutiti, Allison VandeVoort, & Donna Bennett · Georgia College and State University
In the contents: 1: Introduction to Environmental Sciences
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An Introduction to Geology
Chris Johnson, Matthew D. Affolter, Paul Inkenbrandt, & Cam Mosher · Salt Lake Community College
In the contents: 2.02: Layers of the Earth · 03: Crustal Deformation and Earthquakes · 3.06: Earthquake Essentials
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Historical Geology
Callan Bentley, Karen Layou, Russ Kohrs, Shelley Jaye, Matt Affolter, and Brian Ricketts · LibreTexts
In the contents: 1.05: Earth's story is your story · 02: A Brief History of Earth · 03: Earth as a System
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Physical Geography
Lumen Learning · LibreTexts
In the contents: 04: Planet Earth · 4.01: Introduction to the Planet Earth · 4.02: Earth as a Planetary Body
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Living With Earthquakes in The Pacific Northwest
Robert S. Yeats · Oregon State University
In the contents: 02: Part II- Tectonic Plates Geologic Time and Earthquakes · 2.03: Earthquakes in the Crust- Closer to Home · 2.04: Memories of the Future- The Uncertain Art of Earthquake Forecasting
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ANTH-1: Explorations 2nd Edition
Kathryn R. Taylor · Fresno City College
In the contents: 7.02: Earth - It is Older than Dirt
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UCD GEL 56 Introduction to Geophysics
Magali Billen · University of California, Davis
In the contents: 06: Earthquakes · 6.00: Introduction to Earthquakes · 6.01: Earthquake Geometry and Process
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Introduction to Historical Geology
Kelly Ruppert, Tor Lacy, and Emily Haddad · Coastline College, Cerritos College, and East Los Angeles College
In the contents: 02: An Introduction to Earth · 2.01: The Origin of Earth and Our Solar System · 2.02: Earth's Structure and the Origin of the Continents and Oceans
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Introduction to Ocean Sciences 6e
Douglas A. Segar · American Meteorological Society
In the contents: 1.01: The Ocean's and Earth's Environment · 4.01: Structure of the Earth · 5.01: Origins and Distribution of the Earth's Water
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Cultural Geography (C-ID GEOG 120)
Jean-Yves Merilus · Coalinga College
In the contents: 2.04: Cultural Hearths and Landscapes
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OCEAN-101: Fundamentals of Oceanography
Keddy Elizabeth · Diablo Valley College
In the contents: 04: Origin of the Earth and Ocean · 4.01: Origin of Earth and the Solar System · 10.01: How is Earth Heated
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Archaeology
Susan Ruth · Central New Mexico Community College
In the contents: 1.02: Down to Earth
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Introduction to Geology
Nancy Ikeda · Fullerton College
In the contents: 2.02: Layers of the Earth · 08: Earth History · 09: Crustal Deformation and Earthquakes
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Fundamentals of Atmospheric Science
William Brune · The Pennsylvania State University
In the contents: 6.03: Start at the Source - Earth Rotating Around the Sun · 7.03: Atmospheric Radiation and Earths Climate · 10.05: Effects of Earths Rotation- Apparent Forces
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Investigations in Climate Change
Neel Desai and Alicia Mullens · De Anza College
In the contents: 02: Defining Earth's Climate · 05: Earth's Energy Budget · 5.04: Other factors affecting Earths Energy Budget
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Oceanography
Hill et al. · University of California, Davis
In the contents: 02: Earth: Formation and Structure · 2.1: Early Earth · 2.2: Structure of the Earth