San Antonio College Library

Geysers. What makes them work? Many who have seen a geyser in action know only that it spouts hot water into the air. Many others have never seen one. Chapter 1, Geysers of the World, delineates their distinguishing features, locates the geyser regions of the world, and places investigations by world travelers and scientists in historic perspective. One of the quickest ways to become acquainted with a geyser is to observe it. The descriptions of several...

Originally perceived as a cheap and plentiful source of power, the commercial use of nuclear energy has been controversial for decades. Worries about the dangers that nuclear plants and their radioactive waste posed to nearby communities grew over time, and plant construction in the United States virtually died after the early 1980s. The 1986 disaster at Chernobyl only reinforced nuclear power's negative image. Yet in the decade prior to the Japanese...

The laws of thermodynamics drive everything that happens in the universe. From the sudden expansion of a cloud of gas to the cooling of hot metal, and from the unfurling of a leaf to the course of life itself - everything is directed and constrained by four simple laws. Atkins' explains what the laws are and how they work.

"Given the potential disruption of climate change, understanding energy issues and technologies is more important than ever if societies are to make informed choices on policy. Now in its third edition, Introduction to Energy explores the crucial issues connected to modern energy technology and its uses. Fully updated to respond to the substantial developments in the energy sector, the book expands on the relationships of energy use and climate change;...

A guided tour of a revolution in the making that promises to change our lives. Global warming, rolling outs, massive tanker spills, oil dependence: our profligate ways have doomed us to suffer such tragedies, right? Perhaps, but energy and environment correspondent Vaitheeswaran sees great opportunity in the energy realm today. From corporate boardrooms to think tanks, Vaitheeswaran pursues the people who hold the keys to our future. This book is...

Exploring the X-ray Universe describes the view of the stars and galaxies that is obtained through X-ray telescopes. X-rays, which are invisible to human sight, are created in the cores of active galaxies, in cataclysmic stellar accretion onto white dwarfs, neutron stars and black holes, and in streams of gas expelled by the Sun and stars. The window on the heavens used by X-ray astronomers shows the great drama of cosmic violence on the grandest...

"Heart of Darkness describes the incredible saga of humankind's quest to unravel the deepest secrets of the universe. Over the past thirty years, scientists have learned that two little-understood components--dark matter and dark energy--comprise most of the known cosmos, explain the growth of all cosmic structure, and hold the key to the universe's fate."--Jacket.

"The discovery of caged carbon structures, in 1985, established a whole new field of carbon chemistry. Unlike graphite and diamond, these structures known as fullerenes are finite in structure and are relevant to a wide variety of fields including supramolecular assemblies, nanostructures, optoelectronic devices and a whole range of biological activities." "Fullerenes: Principles and Applications discusses all aspects of this field. The sections include:...

"Bioenergy has been critical to humanity since the cave dwellers first used wood to cook their food and stay warm at night. Ancient forms of bioenergy - firewood and cow dung patties - remain primary fuel sources for rural and poor people. New sources of bioenergy including 'black liquor', biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol and many more, have great promise and generate great controversy. This book gives an overview of bioenergy developments and examines...