Digital library
Textbooks, references and open learning resources.
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Physical Geology
Steven Earle · BCcampus · 2015
Physical Geology is a comprehensive introductory text on the physical aspects of geology, including rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, glaciation, groundwater, streams, coasts, mass wasting, climate change, planetary geology and much more. It has a strong emphasis on examples from western Canada, especially British Columbia, and also includes a chapter devoted to the geological history of western Canada. The book is a collaboration of faculty from Earth Science departments at Universities and Colleges across British Columbia and elsewhere.
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Introduction to Physical Oceanography
Robert Stewart · 2008
This textbook covers physical-oceanographic processes, theories, data, and measurements, targeted at upper-division undergraduates and graduate students in oceanography, meteorology, and ocean engineering. In addition to the classical topics, the author includes discussions of heat fluxes, the role of the ocean in climate, the deep circulation, equatorial processes including El Nino, data bases used by oceanographers, the role of satellites and data from space, ship-based measurements, and the importance of vorticity in understanding oceanic flows. Students should have studied differential equations and introductory college physics, although math is de-emphasized.
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Mechanics and Relativity
Timon Idema · TU Delft Open · 2018
In Mechanics and Relativity, the reader is taken on a tour through time and space. Starting from the basic axioms formulated by Newton and Einstein, the theory of motion at both the everyday and the highly relativistic level is developed without the need of prior knowledge. The relevant mathematics is provided in an appendix. The text contains various worked examples and a large number of original problems to help the reader develop an intuition for the physics. Applications covered in the book span a wide range of physical phenomena, including rocket motion, spinning tennis rackets and high-energy particle collisions.
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Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions
Veerabhadran Ramanathan; Roger Aines; Max Auffhammer · eScholarship · 2019
Climate change is an urgent problem. Because it is causing new weather extremes and fatal catastrophes, climate change is better termed climate disruption. Bending the curve to flatten the upward trajectory of pollution emissions responsible for climate disruption is essential in order to protect billions of people from this global threat. Education is a key part of the solution. This textbook book lays out ten solutions that together can bend the curve of climate warming below dangerous levels. These solutions fall into six categories: science, societal transformation, governance, economics, technology, and ecosystem management. Four themes emerge from the book: * There is still time to bend the curve. The time to act was yesterday, but if proper actions are taken now, there is still time to avoid disastrous changes. We have to pull on three levers: The carbon lever to achieve zero net emissions of carbon dioxide before 2050; the short-lived climate pollutants lever to drastically reduce concentrations of other major climate pollutants; and the atmospheric carbon extraction lever to remove massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. * Bending the curve will require interdisciplinary solutions. Climate change requires integrating approaches from the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, so this textbook—unlike most on climate change solutions—does just that, with chapters written by experts in climate science, social justice, economics, environmental policy, political science, energy technologies, ecology, and religion. Bending the curve also requires preservation and restoration of ecological systems. * Bending the curve requires a radical shift in attitude. This shift requires change in behavior, change in our attitudes towards each other, and change in our attitude towards nature. Climate justice has to be an integral part of the solution. * Technology, market mechanism and policy need to be a part of the solution. New market mechanisms an
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Des Bases Physiques Et Chimiques Du Contrôle De La Qualité Des Médicaments
M.A. Khatchatourian; T.V. Pleteneva; E.V. Uspenskaya; M.A. Morozova · РУДН · 2019
Le manuel est un résumé des principales activités du cours de conférences sur la chimie physique et colloïdale (en 2 parties) et constitue la base théorique des méthodes de contrôle de la qualité des médicaments et vise à acquérir les connaissances et les compétences nécessaires pour travailler dans ce domaine. Destiné aux étudiants francophones étrangers.
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Comparative Vertebrate and Human Anatomy: Ecology, Evolution, and Function
Vanessa Hilliard; Lisa Whitenack; Bill Ryerson; Amy Cheu · PALNI · 2025
This book provides an ecology- and function-oriented approach to understanding the evolution of vertebrate structure. The text has a modular format, such that each module can be used as a stand-alone instructional tool, or grouped together as a comprehensive textbook, making the text versatile for use in courses with diverse structures. The text also includes human-specific modules for each anatomical system, as many small, liberal arts colleges teach comparative and human anatomy in a single course. Detailed, human-specific modules may be added or removed, as needed for individual courses, depending on the scope and learning objectives of the class.
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The Science of Plants
Tom Michaels; Emily Hoover; Laura Irish · University of Minnesota Libraries Publishing · 2022
An approachable guide to the fundamentals of plant science. Created for horticulture students, gardeners, science teachers, and anyone interested in understanding plants and how they grow. This is the required text for HORT 1001/6001 Plant Propagation at the University of Minnesota Department of Horticultural Science.
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Entomology 311 Lab Manual
Melissa Scherr; Daniel Adams; Baylee Bullock · Oregon State University · 2019
Labs in this book supplement the information gained in lecture, as well as providing some perspective and experience with hands-on applications of ideas in pest management. The labs are presented in week-by-week order, so the pre-labs and reading for week 1 are labeled “Pre-Lab 1” and “Week 1 Reading”. Pre-Labs are assignments to be done before lab meets, and will be due at the beginning of Lab. Complete the labs using your textbook, web resources, or the reading assigned for the week. Readings are short 1-3 page “chapters” covering background topics pertinent to the upcoming lab, particular groups of insects/arthropods, or methods used in Pest Management. This should be read before coming to Lab each week. Lab Assignments need to be printed and brought to class so that they can be completed as a group in Lab. It is sometimes helpful to read through the assignment ahead of time to get an idea of the subject matter for the week.
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Introduction to Environmental Studies
Bridgitte Barclay · Aurora University · 2026
The interdisciplinary study of environmental issues that engages with humanities, sciences, and policies.
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A Natural History of the Anthropocene
John Lambrinos · Oregon State University · 2024
Organized into three sections, this book—an introduction to our planet—is written in the spirt of a natural history guide. The prologue includes a chapter that outlines the basic concept of biodiversity. How we are changing biodiversity is a theme that runs through the book. The second section contains several chapters that explore the natural history of our now human-dominated world. The last section explores our changing relationship with nature.
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Molecular Techniques: A Project-Based Undergraduate Laboratory
Ming-Mei Chang · Milne Open Textbooks · 2026
Molecular biology, examining the structures and functions of nucleic acids and proteins, is crucial to advancing biological science and improving human life, particularly in agriculture and medicine. Advances in the field can transform a crop to resist disease or uncover clues to fight illness by manipulating DNA. Techniques for molecular biology research and applications have advanced rapidly over the past decades, and undergraduates need hands-on experiences in this vital field of science. This text provides a structured approach to learning and practicing those techniques, covering DNA, RNA, and protein across five modules and is tailored for a one-semester undergraduate lab course. Each module extends 2–5 weeks of lab exercises and features.
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CHM 151: Chemistry Around Us
Erin Avram · LibreTexts · 2026
Chemistry Around Us is a chemistry course designed for non-majors to explore the basics of chemistry and how it relates to the world around us, particularly in the context of climate change, water chemistry and nuclear chemistry.
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Physical Chemistry
Yingbin Ge · Central Washington University · 2026
This Physical Chemistry textbook by Yingbin Ge is an open-access resource meticulously crafted for undergraduate students in chemistry, biochemistry, and related STEM fields. The text strikes a precise balance between conceptual clarity and mathematical rigor, ensuring students build a deep understanding of thermodynamics, kinetics, quantum chemistry, and statistical mechanics. What sets this text apart is its student-centered pedagogy. Rather than focusing on formalism alone, Ge guides learners through step-by-step derivations that prioritize physical meaning. By explicitly addressing common misconceptions and integrating worked examples, the book transforms complex theory into manageable insights. Its modular structure offers instructors the flexibility to adapt the material to various course sequences, while the accompanying suite of lecture and tutorial videos makes it a comprehensive, accessible solution for the modern classroom.
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General Biology Laboratory Booklet
Martilias Farrell · The Pennsylvania Alliance for Design of Open Textbooks (PA-ADOPT) · 2025
This laboratory manual provides a diverse collection of experiments designed to immerse students in techniques mirroring those used in professional biomedical research. Students will explore fundamental enzyme kinetics, investigating how varying amylase concentrations and the introduction of chemical modifiers influence starch digestion rates. These labs emphasize quantitative analysis through colorimetric assays and densitometry using ImageJ software. The booklet also features studies with planaria, where students will assess how common substances affect locomotor activity and screen compounds for their impact on the remarkable regenerative abilities of these organisms, including generating concentration-effect curves. Additional activities guide students in using microscopy to observe microscopic life. Throughout these hands-on investigations, students will develop and refine crucial laboratory skills such as preparing serial dilutions, mastering precise pipetting techniques, and maintaining detailed, reproducible laboratory notebooks, thereby building a robust foundation in experimental design, data analysis, and the scientific method.
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Environmental Geology
Steve Earle · Thompson Rivers University · 2021
Environmental Geology is a comprehensive, up-to-date textbook for college-level courses on the environmental aspects of Earth Science. It covers Earth systems, climate change, glaciation, natural hazards like earthquakes and floods, and essential resources such as water, energy, and metals. Richly illustrated with embedded exercises—some interactive—it engages students as they explore key geological processes and their environmental impacts.
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Exploring Weather and Climate
Glen Sampson · Glen Sampson · 2025
This textbook is oriented toward a first or second year college science class, or an advanced high school course. Sixteen chapters are present which fits a 16-week college semester. These chapters may be divided into three sections: 1. Atmospheric processes including structure, composition, energy balance, pressure forces, moisture, stability, and precipitation processes in Chapters 1 through 5. 2. Weather systems including global circulation, tropical and extratropical cyclones, thunderstorms, tornadoes, atmospheric optics, and weather forecasting in Chapters 6 through 10. 3. Climate topics including classification, human influences on the atmosphere, natural climate variability, paleoclimate, climate change due to anthropogenic influences, climate projections, and a changing climate’s affect on extreme weather in Chapters 11 through 16.
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Principles of Cultivar Development
Walter Fehr; Walter Suza · Iowa State University Digital Press · 2025
Principles of Cultivar Development is intended to help you learn how to be a successful manager of a cultivar development program. In this text, you will apply the principles learned in Plant Breeding Methods to design a breeding program that makes effective use of available resources and alternative breeding strategies. By the end of this volume, readers will be able to describe the process for developing clonal, pure-line, hybrid, and synthetic cultivars. Each chapter includes additional readings and examples of how breeders have implemented the concepts in their breeding programs.
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Bacterial Genomes
Aswin Seshasayee · Open Book Publishers · 2025
Microbes form the “unseen majority” of life on Earth, with bacteria at the forefront as both the architects of life’s chemical foundations and agents of disease. But their story is far more complex. Bacteria thrive in diverse and extreme environments, driven by the dynamic evolution of their genomes. These tiny organisms wield an extraordinary ability to adapt, balancing genetic changes across generations with rapid physiological responses to environmental shifts. In Bacterial Genomes, the evolutionary and regulatory processes that shape bacterial life are brought to life. This textbook offers a conceptual exploration of how bacterial genomes are organized, how they evolve, and how their genetic information is interpreted through intricate molecular networks. Drawing on both cutting-edge research and the historical milestones that shaped microbiology, it illuminates how bacteria navigate the intersection of genetic adaptation and ecological resilience. Designed for college students, interdisciplinary researchers, and even the determined amateur, Aswin Seshasayee moves beyond technical jargon to provide a thought-provoking synthesis of bacterial evolution and adaptation. Unlike traditional genomics texts, this book blends historical insights with contemporary discoveries, offering a fresh perspective on the role of bacteria in shaping the living world.
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Atomic Physics for Everyone: An Introduction to Atomic Physics, Quantum Mechanics, and Precision Spectroscopy with No College-Level Prerequisites
Will Raven · Springer · 2025
This open access textbook introduces beginning undergraduate students and high school students to the world of quantum mechanics and atomic spectroscopy. Requiring no previous knowledge of physics and no math beyond basic algebra and sines and cosines, this book focuses on concepts to make the excitement of atomic physics more accessible for learners than ever before. It comes replete with learning goals, exercises and solutions, and an optional experimental component, making this text readily adoptable for both the classroom and the undergraduate lab. The book takes the reader on a lively and engaging tour through topics at the forefront of current science, including photons, quantum numbers, atomic energy levels, some different spectroscopy techniques, electronic structure, atomic notation, angular momentum, hyperfine structure, isotope shifts, the strong force, an introduction to the Standard Model of Particle Physics, and more.
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Semiconductor Physics: Theory and Experiments. With applications to Diode, Light Emitting Diode, Transistor, and Solar Cell
Sven Tougaard · Zenodo · 2023
In 2005, I was asked to give a course in semiconductor physics for physics and engineering students that includes both theory and experiments. I could not find a textbook that met the constraints for the course which was a 4th semester course in semiconductor physics for physics and engineering students some of them with no knowledge of statistical mechanics. Existing textbooks are either too simplistic and do not include a comprehensive physical model description of semiconductors which must include a basic amount of both statistical mechanics, quantum mechanics, and solid-state physics. Alternative textbooks are way too lengthy to fit in a 4th semester course of maximum 5 ECTS length and don’t include experiments. I therefore started to develop a course where only the essential elements of the underlying theory is included. But still keeping the basic physical description of the phenomena at a sober level. So, this is a comprehensive short introductory course and includes both theory and experiments, but it does not substitute for an advanced semiconductor physics course. It is also noted that this course does not include the MOSFET transistor.