The great contributions of CAYEUX (1941) have been a major factor in recognizing the environments in which sediments were deposited. However, I can certainly agree with BROUWER (1962) that Cayeux was too pessimistic in saying that it is uniquely by the analysis of ancient sediments that we can get to understand the conditions in marine basins of the past. It is quite possible that some of these ancient deposits were formed under conditions that no longer exist, but it seems likely that our failure to find analogies between past and present is due largely to the sparcity of studies in modern sedimentary basins. Compared to the thousands of geologists who are investigating ancient sediments there are only a handful of us who have been studying the Recent although we now have many new recruits. <...>

The Devonian was a critical period with respect to the diversification of early terrestrial ecosystems. The geotectonic setting was characterized by the switch from the post-Caledonian to the pre-Variscan situation. Plant life on land evolved from tiny tracheophytes to trees of considerable size in combination with a global increase in terrestrial biomass, and vertebrates started to conquer the land. Extensive shallow-marine areas and continental lowlands with a wide range of different habitats existed. These are preserved in a large number of basins all around the world. Climate change finally led from greenhouse to icehouse conditions towards the end of the Devonian. Rapid evolution of terrestrial ecosystems and climate change had a pronounced influence on sedimentation and biodiversity, not only in the terrestrial, but also in the marine realm. This volume contains case studies from Australia, China, Europe, South America and North America, and individual palaeoecosystems and their components have been investigated in different palaeogeographic settings that contribute to a much better understanding of the Devonian Period. This is a contribution to the IGCP 499 project on "Devonian land-sea interaction: evolution of ecosystems and climate”. <...>

This work is the result of contributions from 52 active researchers in geophysics, astrophysics and astronomy. We have followed a philosophy of directness and simplicity, while still allowing contributors flexibility to expand in their own areas of expertise. They are cited in the contributors’ list, but I take this opportunity to thank the contributors for their efforts and their patience. The subject areas of this dictionary at the time of this writing are among the most active of the physical sciences. Astrophysics and astronomy are enjoying a new golden era, with remarkable observations in new wave bands (γ -rays, X-rays, infrared, radio) and in new fields: neutrino and (soon) gravitational wave astronomy.

Palästina, das schöne Land der Bibel, „dessen Gestein Eisen ist, und aus dessen Gebirge Kupfer gegraben wird“ (Dtn. 8,9), das Land, das seit Menschengedenken Ausgangspunkt großer Entwicklungen war, bietet im Gegensatz zu seiner * vielgestaltigen religiösen und politischen Geschichte geologisch ein sehr einfaches Bild, Dem Aufbau des Landes liegt ein Zwillingshorst aus harten Kreidekalkschichten zugrunde. Längs des Kiistenbruches läuft am Mittelmeer ein vorwiegend sandiger Streifen von Tertiär und Quartär <...>