A wide-angle view of contemporary methodological developments and technical innovations is provided.

Contributors have been carefully chosen so as to cover as much ground as possible in each broad area.

The organization and multi-faceted presentation provide comprehensive coverage of the contemporary research in the various aspects of the interdisciplinary area.

Editors have put significant time and care into ensuring smooth thematic transitions between the chapters in each section.

A related website offers datasets used or referred to in the book. Also provides links to the commercial or freely downloadable software packages referred to in the various chapters.