An introductory text to a range of numerical methods used today to simulate time-dependent processes in Earth science, physics, engineering and many other fields. It looks under the hood of current simulation technology and provides guidelines on what to look out for when carrying out sophisticated simulation tasks.

Written as both a textbook and a handy reference, this text deliberately avoids complex mathematics assuming only basic familiarity with geodynamic theory and calculus. Here, the authors have brought together the key numerical techniques for geodynamic modeling, demonstrations of how to solve problems including lithospheric deformation, mantle convection and the geodynamo. Building from a discussion of the fundamental principles of mathematical and numerical modeling, the text moves into critical examinations of each of the different techniques before concluding with a detailed analysis of specific geodynamic applications. Key differences between methods and their respective limitations are also discussed - showing readers when and how to apply a particular method in order to produce the most accurate results. This is an essential text for advanced courses on numerical and computational modeling in geodynamics and geophysics, and an invaluable resource for researchers looking to master cutting-edge techniques. Links to supplementary computer codes are available online.

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Computational Seismology and Geodynamics Series, Volume 8. The American Geophysical Union (AGU) and the Editorial Board of Computational Seismology and Geodynamics (CSG) are happy to present the eighth volume of CSG. This volume contains 19 selected, translated, and reviewed articles of volumes 33 and 34 of Vychislitel'naya Seismologiya (VS), which deal with seismicity and seismic hazard, forward and inverse problems in seismology, geodynamics, geomagnetism, and self-organized criticality. The Russian annual journal Vychislitel'naya Seysmologiya was established in 1966 by Volodya Keilis-Borok, one of most eminent geophysicists of our time, as a media for publication of the best results in the theoretical, computational and mathematical seismology. For a short period of time the journal had become a prominent and known among mathematical geophysicists around the world. In 1970s the journal began to publish also articles related to non-linear dynamics and earthquake prediction and later to computational geodynamics. Many distinguished seismologists, geophysicists, and mathematicians, like G. Barenblatt, A. Dziewonski, I. Gelfand, H. Huppert, H. Kanamori, L. Kantorovich, L. Knopoff, F. Press, D. Turcotte, and others, published their research articles in VS. Twenty-one volumes of the journal were translated and published by Allerton Press, USA. Since 1994 AGU agreed to publish selected and peer-reviewed articles in volumes entitled CSG. Volume 1 (159 pp.) 1994 selected articles from Volumes 22 & 23 Volume 2 (188 pp.) 1994 selected articles from Volumes 24 & 25 Volume 3 (236 pp.) 1996 selected articles from Volumes 26 & 27 Volume 4 (200 pp.) 1999 selected articles from Volumes 28 & 29 Volume 5 (132 pp.) 2003 selected articles from Volume 30 Volume 6 (102 pp.) 2004 selected articles from Volume 31 Volume 7 (250 pp.) 2005 selected articles from Volume 32 Volume 8 (186 pp.) 2008 selected articles from Volumes 33 & 34

These three volumes comprise the proceedings of the US/Japan Conference, held in honour of Professor H. Akaike, on the `Frontiers of Statistical Modeling: an Informational Approach'. The major theme of the conference was the implementation of statistical modeling through an informational approach to complex, real-world problems. Volume 1 contains papers which deal with the Theory and Methodology of Time Series Analysis. Volume 1 also contains the text of the Banquet talk by E. Parzen and the keynote lecture of H. Akaike. Volume 2 is devoted to the general topic of Multivariate Statistical Modeling, and Volume 3 contains the papers relating to Engineering and Scientific Applications. For all scientists whose work involves statistics.

The acronym VAN refers to Drs Varotsos, Alexopoulos and Nomicos, members of a group based in the University of Athens and led by Professor Varotsos (head of the Physics Department) which for over a decade has sought to use electric-field measurements between electrodes buried in the earth to predict earthquakes in Greece over periods of order one month or less. But is such ?short-term? prediction achievable by the VAN approach (or by any other)? This book is an objective collection of the arguments for ? and the counterarguments against ? that approach, intended to help scientific readers arrive at their own answers to this important question, as well as to others (including that of VAN's ?export? potential).

New developments for hydrodynamical dynamo theory have been spurred by recent evidence of self-sustained dynamo activity in laboratory experiments with liquid metals. The emphasis in the present volume is on the introduction of powerful mathematical techniques required to tackle modern multiscale analysis of continous systems and there application to a number of realistic model geometries of increasing complexity. This introductory and self-contained research monograph summarizes the theoretical state-of-the-art to which the author has made pioneering contributions.