Vadose Zone Hydrology describes the elements of the physical processes most often encountered by hydrogeologists and ground-water engineers in their vadose zone projects. It illustrates the application of soil physics to practical problems relevant to the characterization and monitoring of the vadose zone. It includes an introduction to physical processes, including basic flow theory, and provides examples of important field-scale processes that must be recognizable by hydrogeologists. Considerable attention is given to the concepts of recharge, including how it is most accurately evaluated in the vadose zone. Field and laboratory methods for characterizing hydraulic properties in the vadose zone are also covered, and case studies illustrating these methods are provided. New and emerging technologies for monitoring the vadose zone, particularly for the purpose of detecting contaminants, are highlighted. In the last section of the book, additional case studies are presented, demonstrating applications related to seepage detection, landfill monitoring, and soil gas investigations.
This book is written from the perspective of hydrogeologists and is designed to be directly applicable and to maintain continuity and consistency between chapters. It will be an invaluable primer for environmental or geotechnical consultants, regulators, or students who have no prior formal academic training in unsaturated flow concepts. Because the text contains some of the latest advances in this field, it will be an excellent reference for geologists and engineers currently working on problems of vadose zone hydrology.

This book explains clearly how and where groundwater occurs, how it is used and how it is at risk.

Humic Substances color all waters more or less brown. Their concentrations exceed all carbon of living organisms by at least one order of magnitude. Opposite to former paradigms, they participate in almost any metabolic pathway. They protect against UV-irradation, enable indirect photolysis and, thus, purify hazardous chemicals, they provide inorganic and organic nutrients, may form cryptic genes with DNA and dampen metabolic fluctuations. More recently they can increase adverse effects of hazardous chemicals and they can directly interfere with organisms. The book tries to relate effects to structural features.

In view of the rapidly expanding urban, industrial and agri cultural water requirements in many areas and the normally associated critical unreliability of surface water supplies in arid and semi-arid zones, groundwater exploration and use is of fundamental importance for logical economic development. Two interrelated facets should be evident in all such groundwater projects : (a) definition of groundwater recharge mechanisms and characteristics for identified geological formations, in order to determine whether exploitation in the long-term involves 'mining' of an es sentially 'fossil' resource or withdrawal from a dynamic supply. A solution to this aspect is essential for development of a re source management policy: (b) determination of recharge variability in time and space to thus enable determination of total aquifer input and to quantify such practical aspects as 'minimum risk' waste disposal locations and artificial recharge potential via (e.g.) devegetation or engi neering works. However, current international developments relating to natural recharge indicate the following 'problems' ; no single comprehensive estimation technique can yet be iden tified from the spectrum of methods available; all are reported to give suspect results.

The last few years have witnessed an enormous interest in application of GIS in hydrology and water resources. This is partly evidenced by organization of sev eral national and international symposia or conferences under the sponsorship of various professional organizations. This increased interest is, in a large measure, in response to growing public sensitivity to environmental quality and management. The GIS technology has the ability to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, and visualize the diverse sets of geo-referenced data. On the other hand, hydrology is inherently spatial and distributed hydrologic models have large data requirements. The integration of hydrology and GIS is therefore quite natural. The integration involves three major components: (1) spatial data construction, (2) integration of spatial model layers, and (3) GIS and model interface. GIS can assist in design, calibration, modification and comparison of models. This integration is spreading worldwide and is expected to accelerate in the foreseeable future. Substantial op portunities exist in integration of GIS and hydrology. We believe there are enough challenges in use of GIS for conceptualizing and modeling complex hydrologic processes and for globalization of hydrology. The motivation for this book grew out of the desire to provide under one cover a range of applications of GIS tech nology in hydrology. It is hoped that the book will stimulate others to write more comprehensive texts on this subject of growing importance."

Since the pioneering work of Shannon in the late 1940's on the development of the theory of entropy and the landmark contributions of Jaynes a decade later leading to the development of the principle of maximum entropy (POME), the concept of entropy has been increasingly applied in a wide spectrum of areas, including chemistry, electronics and communications engineering, data acquisition and storage and retreival, data monitoring network design, ecology, economics, environmental engineering, earth sciences, fluid mechanics, genetics, geology, geomorphology, geophysics, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, hydrology, image processing, management sciences, operations research, pattern recognition and identification, photogrammetry, psychology, physics and quantum mechanics, reliability analysis, reservoir engineering, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, topology, transportation engineering, turbulence modeling, and so on. New areas finding application of entropy have since continued to unfold. The entropy concept is indeed versatile and its applicability widespread. In the area of hydrology and water resources, a range of applications of entropy have been reported during the past three decades or so. This book focuses on parameter estimation using entropy for a number of distributions frequently used in hydrology. In the entropy-based parameter estimation the distribution parameters are expressed in terms of the given information, called constraints. Thus, the method lends itself to a physical interpretation of the parameters. Because the information to be specified usually constitutes sufficient statistics for the distribution under consideration, the entropy method provides a quantitative way to express the information contained in the distribution.

This book is written by the world's leading climatologists and environmental scientists. It addresses many of the issues raised in the debate on global change, providing a new point of view on climate which is being integrated into the space and time organization of societies. The volume contains three main parts: 1. Climatic Changes and Fluctuations; 2. Climates on a Regional Scale, including problems from tropical through temperate zones to polar regions; and 3. Man-Climate Relationships on a Local Scale. Global change is caused mainly by climatic variation and change and activities of human societies. This book aims to describe these facts from the various space scales - global, regional and local - and also different time scales - post-glacial, historical and recent periods. Since climate affects all kinds of human activities such as agriculture, forestry, architecture, civil engineering, transportation, tourism, health, etc., this book may contribute to the work of researchers, planners and policy makers in a wide variety of fields. For example, as indicated by the IPCC 1995 Report, adjustment of human societies is considered to be one of the most important features in the 21st Century. For consideration of these past, present and future problems, this book will provide, in a systematic way, numerous sources of up-to-date knowledge.

Dams are constructed for economic development, and their construction involves large investments of money, and natural and human resources. Of the various types of dams constructed around the globe, earth dams are the most common type and constitute the vast majority of dams. When adam fails, it culminates in the sudden release of artificially stored water which, in turn, becomes a potential menace to virtually everything downstream. The dam failure may result in loss of life and property. In recent years, instances of dam failure in the world have been too many, and the resulting loss too high. As a result, dam safety pro grams have been developed in most countries of the world since the beginning of the nineteenth eighties. . Earth dams are more susceptible to failure than other types. The cause of failure is often either overtopping or piping. The modeling of dam breaching due to either or both of these causes is of fundamental importance to development of dam-safety programs. This book is, therefore, an attempt to present some aspects of earth-dam breach modeling technology. It is hoped that others will be stimulated to write more comprehensive texts on this subject of growing interest and importance. The book is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter is introductory and discusses some aspects of dams and dam failures in the world."

The book provides a comprehensive account of a tropical lake, Alchichica, considering that tropical limnology is by far less known and well-understood than temperate. Many of the well-known temperate limnology paradigms do not apply in tropical limnology, such as the 1C/m thermocline concept, or the role of phosphorous as a limiting nutrient. Lake Alchichica is - most likely - the best limnologically known Mexican lake up to date. Twenty years of continuous monitoring has led us to understand this deep, warm monomictic lake. The peculiar chemical composition of this saline lake - sodium-alkaline with a high concentration in magnesium waters, and groundwater-fed - led to the formation of its unique stromatolite ring that has become world-famous, studied by scientists from various countries. From a biological point of view, this relatively small maar lake displays a comparatively low species richness but surprisingly is plentiful in microendemic species for a recently-formed lake (13,000-6,300 years old, at the Late Pleistocene/Holocene Epoch), eleven of which already described, with more to come. Researchers and students interested in tropical limnology, extreme ecosystems, evolutionary biology, astrobiology, and microbiology will find this book a must-read.

An understanding of the ecology of a fish pond is essential for the achievement of steady and high fish production in ponds. For the ecologist, the fish pond is a small laboratory: easy to investigate and responding rapidly to manipulation. For the aquaculturist, the ecology shows the ways and means of interventions ensuring an increase of production. The book deals with the different aspects of natural production within a pond, referring it to African conditions: considering first the role of soil as source and sink of nutrients for the water, then nutrient cycling within water and the fate of fertilizers added to ponds, and finally the contribution of natural productivity to fish production. The important sum of information brought together in this volume is valuable for both aquaculturist and ecologist, who lack a handbook on the ecology of a fish pond. It will capture the interest of African aquaculturists and stimulate aquaculture research on natural production.

Hydrodynamic and pollutant transport models are useful tools for evaluating remediation options for polluted water bodies. These models span the range from highly theoretical, fine resolution, physically-based designs to lumped, black-box representations of real world phenomena.
This book examines the numerical approaches used in hydrodynamic and pollutant transport modeling. First, the theory and physical basis of transport and mixing in lakes and coastal waters are provided. Methodologies that use a three-dimensional (3D) approach to predicting the fate and transport of pollutants are presented and this is followed by a presentation of alternatives to 3D circulation modeling as well as new advances in the field. These alternatives offer near 3D accuracy but without the computational burden. Illustrations of the calibration and verification of these models using laboratory data, as well as, field data are also provided. The models are applied to a diverse array of study sites ranging from The Great Lakes in North America to the coastal areas of Northern Crete.
*Presents the theory of hydrodynamic and pollutant transport modelling in lakes and coastal areas
* Thoroughly examines the issues and limitations of the numerical approaches used in hydrodynamic and pollutant transport modelling
* Demonstrates the calibration and verification of hydrodynamic and pollutant transport models using laboratory and field data

The Upper Adriatic Sea basin comprises a very precarious coastal environment subject to continuous changes which prove appreciable not only over the geological scale but also in historical and modern times. According to some Authors the Venice Lagoon was formed 2000-3000 years ago, and other lagoons (e. g. the Grado Lagoon in the northernmost part of the Adriatic) are even more recent. In addition to lagoons, the Upper Adriatic coastal area includes salt and fresh-water marshes and reclaimed land separated by several watercourses originating from the Alpine and Apennine ranges with a ground elevation not exceeding in many places 2 m above the mean sea l. evel (msl). A significant fraction of this lowland is already now below msl because of natural and anthropogenic land subsidence, land reclamation and sea level rise occurred over the last century. Natural land subsidence is still under way as a result of deep downward tec tonic movement and consolidation of soils deposited in the most recent time. An thropogenic subsidence is primarily due to groundwater pumping for agricultural, industrial, civil, and tourist use, and to gas withdrawal from a large number of gas fields scattered through the Upper Adriatic basin, and may still continue, al though at a reduced rate, in the years to come. At the same time msl is expected to rise in the next century due to global climate change, mainly because of the greenhouse effect.

This book discusses recent developments in the study of chemical processes and equilibria in the marine environment and in the air/water and water/sediment interfaces. The chemical cycle of carbon as well as the effect of organic substances on the speciation and distribution of inorganic and organometallic substances are extensively discussed. Much of the recent progress in the area is the direct result of advanced analytical technologies and chemometric applications which are highlighted in the book.

This book discusses how emerging groundwater risks under current and potential climate change conductions reduce available groundwater resources for domestic use, and agriculture and energy production. The topics discussed throughout this book are grouped into five sections; (i) Sea Level Rise, Climate Change, and Food Security, (ii) Emerging Contaminants, (iii) Technologies and Decision Support Systems, (iv) Surface Water-Groundwater Interactions, and (v) Economics, and Energy Production and Development. This book is unique and different from other groundwater hydrology books in that it uses a holistic approach in investigating the risks related to groundwater resources. This book will be of interest to a wide audience in academia, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and environmental entities. This book will greatly contribute to a better understanding of the emerging risks to groundwater resources and should help responsible stakeholders make informed decisions in this regard.

This book critically analyzes the water quality in the lower Gangetic delta, and examines the environmental conditions and physical processes operating in this rich ecosystem. Readers with an interest in environmental science, geography, oceanography, marine biology, environmental biology, aquatic pollution and ecology will find the research presented here most appealing. Readers will discover critical aspects of the chemistry of the estuarine water (particularly that of Hooghly and Matla estuaries) in the lower stretch of the delta region along with the causes and effects of pollution in and around this region. Particular attention is given to the bioaccumulation of conservative pollutants in edible fishes and floral communities thriving in this region. Several case studies are also incorporated to highlight the vulnerability of pollution in this region. Chapters also address the impacts of climate change (specifically acidification) on the concentration and behavior of conservative pollutants. Finally, the book highlights some mitigation measures at the technology and policy level to minimize the negative impacts posed by different groups of pollutants on the estuarine biodiversity.

An accessible introduction to large rivers, including coverage of the geomorphology, hydrology, ecology, and environments of large river systems This indispensible book takes a structured and global approach to the subject of large rivers, covering geomorphology, hydrology, ecology, and anthropogenic environment. It offers a thorough foundation for readers who are new to the field and presents enlightening discussions about issues of management at the worldwide scale. The book also examines possible future adaptations that may come about due to climate change. The book has benefitted from contributions by Professor W.J. Junk on the ecology of floodplains and Professor Olav Slaymaker on the large arctic rivers. Introducing Large Rivers is presented in three parts. Part 1 provides an introduction to the world's large rivers and their basins. It covers source, transfer, and storage of their water and sediment; Pleistocene inheritance; the ecology of channels and floodplains; deltas; and more. Several large rivers are discussed in the next part. These include the Amazon Mississippi, Nile, Ganga-Brahmaputra System, Mekong, and Yangtze. The last part examines changes in large rivers and our management of river systems. It studies anthropogenic alterations such as land use and deforestation in large river basins; structural control systems like dams and reservoirs on channels; and ecological changes. It finishes with chapters on the management of large rivers, covering both technical and political aspects, and the future of the world's big river systems. Introducing Large Rivers is ideal as an introductory textbook on large rivers for future earth and environmental scientists and river managers. It will also benefit advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying geography, geology, ecology, and river management.

This book provides essential information and recent findings on hydro-environmental issues in the Lower Danube River, particularly its hydrological and hydromorphological processes; physico-chemical features; climate and water-related hazards; and not only the biodiversity and quality but also the sustainable management and governance of its hydro-environment. Accordingly, it presents a broad range of scientific information on the lower sector of the second-longest river in Europe, which holds major economic importance and has been severely impacted by human pressures, especially since the second part of the last century. The engineering works (e.g. dams, reservoirs, levees, channelization, etc.) on the Danube and its tributaries, despite their benefits to society, have altered its flow and significantly reduced its sediment load, with consequences for hydromorphological processes and aquatic ecosystems. These ecosystems have also been affected by pollution from various sources. To promote sustainable management of the Danube River and its watershed, several strategies and measures have been developed by a number of institutions, from the European level to the national and regional levels (commissions, national authorities, non-governmental organizations, etc.). Compared to the upper and middle sectors of the Danube, the lower sector has received less attention in the international scientific literature in terms of hydro-environmental issues. The book fills this gap and provides current and original insights and findings from recent studies conducted by scientists from three countries drained by the Lower Danube River and its tributaries: Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. This unique book will be of great scientific interest to professional engineers, policy planners and policymakers in the three countries mentioned above, helping them to implement their own sustainable development plans. It also offers a valuable resource for graduate students, researchers and stakeholders.

This journal-like book series includes edited volumes to rapidly report and spread the latest technological results, new scientific discovery and valuable applied researches in the fields concerning offshore robotics as well as promote international academic exchange. We aim to make it one of the premier comprehensive academic publications of world offshore vehicle and robotics community. The audience of the series will include the scholars, researchers, engineers and students who are interested in fields of autonomous marine vehicles and robotics, including autonomous surface vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles, remote operation vehicles, marine bionics, marine vehicle modeling, guidance, navigation, control and cooperation and so on.

This book presents the phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of freshwater red algae. Its content is divided into five chapters. The first chapter provides a brief history of freshwater red algal research, habits and collecting methods, general biogeographic trends and an overview of the taxonomic/phylogenetic placement of freshwater taxa. The other four chapters are taxonomic treatments of non-marine red algae based on taxonomic levels, i.e. classes within the phylum Rhodophyta, orders within each class, families within each order, and genera within each family. Descriptions, phylogenetic data (including numerous trees), geographic range (maps for most species) and dichotomous keys for identification are presented. Comprehensive data are provided for more than 220 species.

River Restoration River restoration initiatives are now widespread across the world. The research efforts undertaken to support them are increasingly interdisciplinary, focusing on ecological, chemical, physical as well as societal issues. River Restoration: Political, Social, and Economic Perspectives provides a comprehensive overview of research in the field of river restoration in humanities and the social sciences. It illustrates how, in the last thirty years or so, such approaches have evolved and strengthened within the restoration sciences. The scientific community working in this domain has structured itself, often regionally and circumstantially, to critically assess and improve restoration policies and practices. As a research field, river restoration tackles three thematic axes: Human-river interactions - especially perceptions and practices of rivers, and how these interactions can be changed by restoration projects Political processes, with a particular interest in governance and decision-making, and a specific emphasis on the question of public participation in restoration projects Evaluation of the social and economic benefits of river restoration River Restoration: Political, Social, and Economic Perspectives encompasses these three topics, and more, to provide the reader with the most up-to-date and holistic view of this constantly evolving area. The book will be of particular interest to human and social scientists, biophysical scientists (hydrologists, geomorphologists, ecologists), environmental scientists, public policy makers, design or planning officers, and anyone working in the field of river restoration.

Cutting-edge techniques for groundwater modeling using GIS technology

Groundwater Modeling Using Geographical Information Systems covers fundamental information on flow and mass transport modeling and demonstrates how GIS technology makes these models and analyses more accurate than ever before.

GIS technology allows for swift organization, quantification, and interpretation of large quantities of geohydrological data with computer accuracy and minimal risk of human error. This book’s companion Web site provides the Princeton Transport Code, as well as the plug-in extensions required to interface this code with the Argus ONE numerical environment software enclosed with this book. Plug-in extensions for MODFLOW and MT3D computer codes can be found at the Argus ONE Web site (www.argusint.com). The process for using the Geographic Modeling Approach (GMA) to model groundwater flow and transport is demonstrated step by step with a field example from Tucson, Arizona. The GMA is composed of the Argus ONE Geographic Information Modeling system and the Princeton Transport Code groundwater flow and transport model, interfaced through the plug-in extension available on Argus ONE.

Enhanced with more than 150 illustrations and screen captures, Groundwater Modeling Using Geographical Information Systems is a fundamental book for civil engineers, hydrologists, environmental engineers, geologists, and students in these fields, as well as software engineers working on GIS applications and environmental attorneys and regulators. When used in combination with the free modeling software, this book provides an excellent student text.

This book presents a comprehensive selection of applications employed in environmental remote sensing using optical and thermal infrared satellite-sensors aiming to map natural resources, crops, groundwater, surface water, aquatic ecosystem, land degradation, air quality, renewable energy, regional resources, and climate-related geophysical processes. The technologies presented in this book also include satellite images, space-borne radar sensors focusing on the most versatile one, data from synthetic aperture radar (SAR), scatterometers and radar altimeters in Egypt. This volume also presents a thorough explanation of the remote sensing role showing physical fundamentals of the climate change phenomenon including gas emissions, and the impact on resources concerning the sustainable development of Egypt. Besides, the book includes an analysis of oil pollution in both Mediterranean and Red Seas This book is intended for environmental policymakers working in Egypt as well as scientists working with remote sensing technologies in highly populated arid regions.

This book introduces readers to basic approaches in and principles of marine nuclear power design, including overall reactor design, in-core design, coolant systems and devices, I&C system design, safety system design, and dynamic analysis assessment. It comprehensively reviews both the fundamentals of and latest trends in nuclear-powered devices, covering their entire lifespan, from design and testing to operation and decommissioning. Further, it explores in detail various real-world conditions in the marine context - such as insufficient space for equipment deployment and frequently changing operating conditions as well as swinging and tilting. Offering extensive information on the design and operation of marine nuclear power systems, the book is a valuable resource for researchers and professionals in the area of marine science and nuclear engineering, and graduate students intending to embark on a career in the field.