Global Hydrology illustrates in detail the growing importance of understanding hydrological processes and pathways as a means of effective and safe management of water resources. It describes current
Hydrology and Global Environmental Change presents the hydrological contribution to, and consequences of, global environmental change. Assuming little or no prior knowledge on the part of the reader,
Featuring 22 reviews on the global problems related to diffuse water pollution from agriculture, this book discusses the sources of pollution, its movement and transport, and its impact. Specific cha
Initially, the role of snow and ice in the global water balance is assessed and methods of snow measurements are explained. Remote sensing is dealt with with regard to periodical snow cover mapping. L
The abundance of water in all three phases makes the Earth unique in the solar system. Knowledge of the fluxes and changes of phase of water are essential for an understanding of weather, climate and, indeed, of life itself. This book provides a treatment of advances in our understanding through improvements in global models, in the representation of the processes included in the models, and in related observations. It deals with fluxes within the atmosphere, at and beneath the land and ocean surface, and the interaction between them. In order to provide authoritative and coherent coverage of an area of environmental science that is developing rapidly, the book draws upon the expertise of many of the world's leading researchers across a wide range of meteorology, hydrology and oceanography. The book will be of main interest to graduate students and researchers in these subjects, but it will also appeal to final-year undergraduate students.
Tropical forests represent the world's most biodiverse ecosystems and play a key role in hydrology, carbon storage and exchange. Many of the human-induced pressures these regions are facing, e.g. frag
This comprehensive volume describes how ecosystem services-based approaches can assist in addressing major global and regional water challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and water security in the developing world, by integrating scientific knowledge from different disciplines, such as hydrological modelling, environmental economics, psychology and international law. Empirical assessments at the national, catchment and regional levels are used to critically appraise this systemic approach, and the merits and potential limitations are presented. The practicalities of this approach with regard to water resources management, nature conservation, and sustainable business practices are discussed, and the role of society in underpinning the concept of ecosystem services is explored. Presenting new insights and perspectives on how to shape future strategies, this contributory volume is a valuable reference for researchers, academics, students and policy makers, in environment
This comprehensive volume describes how ecosystem services-based approaches can assist in addressing major global and regional water challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and water security in the developing world, by integrating scientific knowledge from different disciplines, such as hydrological modelling, environmental economics, psychology and international law. Empirical assessments at the national, catchment and regional levels are used to critically appraise this systemic approach, and the merits and potential limitations are presented. The practicalities of this approach with regard to water resources management, nature conservation, and sustainable business practices are discussed, and the role of society in underpinning the concept of ecosystem services is explored. Presenting new insights and perspectives on how to shape future strategies, this contributory volume is a valuable reference for researchers, academics, students and policy makers, in environment
Rivers provide the primary link between land and sea. Utilizing the world's largest database, this book presents a detailed analysis and synthesis of the processes affecting fluvial discharge of water, sediment and dissolved solids. It also discusses the ways in which climatic variation, episodic events and anthropogenic activities - past, present and future - affect the quantity and quality of river discharge. The book contains more than 165 figures - many in full color - including global and regional maps. An extensive appendix presents the 1534-river database as a series of 44 tables that provide quantitative data regarding the discharge of water, sediment and dissolved solids. The complete database is also presented within a GIS-based package available online at www.cambridge.org/milliman. Now available in paperback, reprinted with corrections, this is an invaluable resource for researchers, professionals and graduate students in hydrology, oceanography, geology, geomorphology and
St Lucia is the world's oldest protected estuary and Africa's largest estuarine system. It is also the centerpiece of South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, and has been a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance since 1986. Knowledge of its biodiversity, geological origins, hydrology, hydrodynamics and the long history of management is unique in the world. However, the impact of global change has culminated in unprecedented challenges for the conservation and management of the St Lucia system, leading to the recent initiation of a project in support of its rehabilitation and long-term sustainability. This timely volume provides a unique source of information on the functioning and management of the estuary for researchers, students and environmental managers. The insights and experiences described build on over 60 years of study and management at the site and will serve as a valuable model for similar estuaries around the world.
This book documents the history of irrigated agriculture and drainage in the San Joaquin Valley, and describes the hydrology and biogeochemical processes of salts and selenium, remediation technologie
This book presents a unique, interdisciplinary approach to disaster risk research, combining cutting-edge natural science and social science methodologies. Bringing together leading scientists, policy makers and practitioners from around the world, it presents the risks of global hazards such as volcanoes, seismic events, landslides, hurricanes, precipitation floods and space weather, and provides real-world hazard case studies from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific region. Avoiding complex mathematics, the authors provide insight into topics such as the vulnerability of society, disaster risk reduction policy, relations between disaster policy and climate change, adaptation to hazards, and (re)insurance approaches to extreme events. This is a key resource for academic researchers and graduate students in a wide range of disciplines linked to hazard and risk studies, including geophysics, volcanology, hydrology, atmospheric science, geomorpholo
Global wetlands exhibit significant differences in both hydrology and species composition and range from moss-dominated arctic peatlands to seasonally-flooded tropical floodplains. They are increasing
This edited volume, showcasing cutting-edge research, addresses two primary questions - what are the main drivers of change in high-mountains and what are the risks implied by these changes? From a physical perspective, it examines the complex interplay between climate and the high-mountain cryosphere, with further chapters covering tectonics, volcano-ice interactions, hydrology, slope stability, erosion, ecosystems, and glacier- and snow-related hazards. Societal dimensions, both global and local, of high-mountain cryospheric change are also explored. The book offers unique perspectives on high-mountain cultures, livelihoods, governance and natural resources management, focusing on how global change influences societies and how people respond to climate-induced cryospheric changes. An invaluable reference for researchers and professionals in cryospheric science, geomorphology, climatology, environmental studies and human geography, this volume will also be of interest to practitioners
This book presents the integrated contributions of hydrologists, meteorologists and ecologists to the first IHP/IAHS George Kovacs Colloquium in connection with the study of global hydrology and climate change. The atmospherical, hydrological and terrestrial components of the Earth's systems operate on different time and space scales. Resolving these scaling incongruities, as well as understanding and modelling the complex interaction of land surface processes at the different scales, represent a major challenge for hydrologists, ecologists and meteorological scientists alike. This book deals with time and space scale variations with reference to several topics including: soil water balance; ecosystems and interaction of flow systems; and macroscale hydrological modelling. This book will be of great use to researchers, engineers and forecasters with an interest in space and time scale variability.
Tropical glaciers are both highly sensitive indicators of global climate and fresh water reservoirs in some fast developing regions. This book gives a theoretical and practical analysis of tropical glaciology including a useful definition of tropical glacier-climate regimes and the analysis of the main glaciological key variables. The Rwenzori and the Cordillera Blanca are investigated as examples of tropical glacierized mountains. The fluctuations of their glaciers since the end of the Little Ice Age are reconstructed and the probable climatic reasons are discussed. The evidence of great expansions of mountain glaciers throughout the tropics on several occasions during the Quaternary are summarised, examined and then applied and contrasted. The accompanying map of the Rwenzori Mountains National Park at a scale of 1:100,000 shows the spectacular retreat of the glaciers during the last century, and their extensions over half the area of the Park in the last 300,000 years.
There is growing awareness that important environmental transformations are catalysed, mediated and influenced by microorganisms, and geomicrobiology can be defined as the influence of microorganisms on geologic processes. This is probably the most rapidly growing area of microbiology at present, combining environmental and molecular microbiology together with significant areas of mineralogy, geochemistry and hydrology. This volume focuses on the function of microorganisms in the environment and their influence on 'global' processes. It will include state-of-the art approaches to visualisation, culture and identification, community interactions and gene transfer, and diversity studies in relation to key processes. This overview for researchers and graduate students will represent environmental microbiology in its broadest sense and help to promote exciting collaborations between microbiologists and those in complementary physical and chemical disciplines.
The environmental history of the Nile Basin has heightened awareness that the volume of water available is not sufficient to meet modern levels of water demand, quite apart from rapidly growing needs. The environmental element of the complex matter of evaluating and managing the international water resource of the Nile is addressed in this volume. The book deals with the global and regional hydrology, examines the scope and emphasis of water resource planning in the Nile Basin over the past century and identifies future options. The material is intended to be relevant to environmental scientists, government officials and water resource professionals in both national and international agencies, as well as those concerned with the environment and hydraulic engineering in the academic community.
This book presents the integrated contributions of hydrologists, meteorologists and ecologists to the first IHP/IAHS George Kovacs Colloquium in connection with the study of global hydrology and climate change. The atmospherical, hydrological and terrestrial components of the Earth's systems operate on different time and space scales. Resolving these scaling incongruities, as well as understanding and modelling the complex interaction of land surface processes at the different scales, represent a major challenge for hydrologists, ecologists and meteorological scientists alike. This book deals with time and space scale variations with reference to several topics including: soil water balance; ecosystems and interaction of flow systems; and macroscale hydrological modelling. This book will be of great use to researchers, engineers and forecasters with an interest in space and time scale variability.
