The publication of this volume marks amilestone for the series .as part of the preamble to the first volume ,published just over 25 years ago ,my predecessor and founding editor of the series ,gerry govett ,listed the titles of the volumes he envisaged in the the series .these would build a comprehencive set of handbooks cevering the various operation technique used in exploration geochemistry …
A seanse of historical perspective helps us to appreciate current challenges and to anticipate future ones.many modern environmental problems ,such as acid rain and graundwater pollution ,have come upon us very recently .others ,such as the hazards posed by earthquakes ,volcanoes ,and landslides ,have always been with us.