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Books > Earth & environment > Earth sciences > The hydrosphere
This book discusses temporal changes in six Asia-Pacific marginal
seas and two west boundary currents in the Northwest Pacific.
Covering time scales varying from years to decades, it provides a
comprehensive review of the long-term changes in various physical
variables, including sea level, sea surface temperature, water mass
index, current and transport, as well as local issues such as sea
ice and tidal mixing, and the processes and dynamics that govern
them. The book also examines biogeochemical variables, such as
nutrients, oxygen, pH, water transparency, ocean acidification,
eutrophication and productivity, and explores future trends.
Offering a holistic view of the changes that have occurred in the
Asia-Pacific marginal seas and those that are likely to occur in
the future, this book will appeal to readers from all fields of
oceanography.
The Physical Oceanography of the Arctic Mediterranean Sea describes
the circulation and the processes in the Arctic Mediterranean, how
our present knowledge has developed, and presents recent changes
caused by a gradually warmer global climate. The Arctic
Mediterranean Sea has been intensively studied in recent years,
especially during the fourth International Polar Year, 2007-09, and
we have become increasingly aware of the changes presently taking
place. This book collects and presents newly acquired knowledge and
sets it in perspective to previous studies. Authored by a
world-renowned leader in the field, this book explores the role of
this small but important sea in the global oceanic circulation and
climate-a must-read for researchers and students in the fields of
oceanography and climate science.
Ocean Mixing: Drivers, Mechanisms and Impacts presents a broad
panorama of one of the most rapidly-developing areas of marine
science. It highlights the state-of-the-art concerning knowledge of
the causes of ocean mixing, and a perspective on the implications
for ocean circulation, climate, biogeochemistry and the marine
ecosystem. This edited volume places a particular emphasis on
elucidating the key future questions relating to ocean mixing, and
emerging ideas and activities to address them, including innovative
technology developments and advances in methodology. Ocean Mixing
is a key reference for those entering the field, and for those
seeking a comprehensive overview of how the key current issues are
being addressed and what the priorities for future research are.
Each chapter is written by established leaders in ocean mixing
research; the volume is thus suitable for those seeking specific
detailed information on sub-topics, as well as those seeking a
broad synopsis of current understanding. It provides useful
ammunition for those pursuing funding for specific future research
campaigns, by being an authoritative source concerning key
scientific goals in the short, medium and long term. Additionally,
the chapters contain bespoke and informative graphics that can be
used in teaching and science communication to convey the complex
concepts and phenomena in easily accessible ways.
Researchers and decision makers who study natural resources and, in
particular, water resource management, have acknowledged the
significant role of hydroinformatics. The Handbook of Research on
Hydroinformatics: Technologies, Theories and Applications describes
how hydroinformatics applications, tools and decision aids are
manifested and can be integrated and enhanced in organizations,
while presenting hydroinformatics as a function of both human and
technological interactions. This book provides the latest research
on the use of hydroinformatics to establish sustained linkages
between the water system and other related systems.
This book, the second volume in the series, continues to raise
contextual issues and presents perspectives regarding multifaceted
challenges in management and governance of water in India. This
volume attempts to broad base and expand the dialogue started in
the first volume and would touch upon issues that need immediate
discussion but have been left unattended like politics and
management of groundwater, efficient utilization of water in
agriculture (irrigation) and improving water use efficiency and
building resilience. As in the first volume, this book presents a
set of suggestions and recommendations in each chapter that can
help frame policy guidelines in the country.
Centralized, top-down management of water resources through
regulations has created unnecessary economic burdens upon users.
More flexible decentralized controls through the use of economic
incentives have gained acceptance over the past decade. The theme
of this book is the increasing efforts throughout water-scarce
regions to rely upon economic incentives and decentralized
mechanisms for efficient water management and allocation. The book
begins with a section of introductory chapters describing water
systems, institutions, constraints, and similarities in the
following regions: Israel and the Middle East, Turkey, California,
Florida, and Australia. Four of these regions face similar climates
with wet winters and dry summers. Florida has a more even seasonal
distribution of rainfall, yet it uses similar management strategies
in controlling groundwater demand and water quality. The book
concludes with a section on water management case studies. These
case studies examine issues of conflict related to both water
quality and water quantity. While the case studies address both
international and intranational concerns in specific regions of the
world, they portray broad principles that are applicable to many
regions.
This book provides a step-by-step methodology and derivation of
deep learning algorithms as Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and
Convolution Neural Network (CNN), especially for estimating
parameters, with back-propagation as well as examples with real
datasets of hydrometeorology (e.g. streamflow and temperature) and
environmental science (e.g. water quality). Deep learning is known
as part of machine learning methodology based on the artificial
neural network. Increasing data availability and computing power
enhance applications of deep learning to hydrometeorological and
environmental fields. However, books that specifically focus on
applications to these fields are limited. Most of deep learning
books demonstrate theoretical backgrounds and mathematics. However,
examples with real data and step-by-step explanations to understand
the algorithms in hydrometeorology and environmental science are
very rare. This book focuses on the explanation of deep learning
techniques and their applications to hydrometeorological and
environmental studies with real hydrological and environmental
data. This book covers the major deep learning algorithms as Long
Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Convolution Neural Network (CNN) as
well as the conventional artificial neural network model.
This book highlights the concept of water footprint in different
industrial sectors such as leather tanning, steel, agriculture,
textile and wine. One of the very basic necessities of life which
is soon going to be scarce is water, hence the environmental
footprint assessments on any scale essentially includes water
footprint which is being measured in various supply chains and
across different product categories. According to ISO 14046, the
water footprint assessment refers to the total freshwater volume
consumed and polluted directly or indirectly across a product's
end-to-end supply chain. This book presents, for industry purposes,
the focus on identification and quantification of water trade, the
scarcity, and pollution involved in the production of goods and
services.
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.
This book carefully considers hydrological models which are
essential for predicting floods, droughts, soil moisture
estimation, land use change detection, geomorphology and water
structures. The book highlights recent advances in the area of
hydrological modelling in the Ganga Basin and other internationally
important river basins. The impact of climate change on water
resources is a global concern. Water resources in many countries
are already stressed, and climate change along with burgeoning
population, rising standard of living and increasing demand are
adding to the stress. Furthermore, river basins are becoming less
resilient to climatic vagaries. Fundamental to addressing these
issues is hydrological modelling which is covered in this book.
Integrated water resources management is vital to ensure water and
food security. Integral to the management is groundwater and solute
transport, and this book encompasses tools that will be useful to
mitigate the adverse consequences of natural disasters.
Land use and water resources are two major environmental issues
which necessitate conservation, management, and maintenance
practices through the use of various engineering techniques. Water
scientists and environmental engineers must address the various
aspects of flood control, soil conservation, rainfall-runoff
processes, and groundwater hydrology. Watershed Management and
Applications of AI provides the necessary principles of hydrology
to provide practical strategies useful for the planning, design,
and management of watersheds. The book also synthesizes novel new
approaches, such as hydrological applications of machine learning
using neural networks to predict runoff and using artificial
intelligence for the prediction of groundwater fluctuations.
Features: Presents hydrologic analysis and design along with soil
conservation practices through proper watershed management
techniques Provides analysis of land erosion and sediment transport
in watersheds from small to large scale Includes estimations for
runoff using different methodologies with systematic approaches for
each Discusses water harvesting and development of water yield
catchments This book will be a valuable resource for students in
hydrology courses, environmental consultants, water resource
engineers, and researchers in related water science and engineering
fields.
In a world facing a growing water crisis, conflicts regarding water
sharing and environmental issues are expected to grow, especially
in transboundary river basins, where 40% of the world's population
lives.
This book represents one of the first attempts to bring together
methodologies and analytical tools from socio-economic,
international policy, engineering, and water management specialists
dealing with transboundary water resources. The book is divided
into three parts. Part I introduces state--of-the-art concepts in
institutional policy and conflict analysis. Part II presents
engineering approaches and models for transboundary water
management and conflict resolution. Part III analyzes cases in
international river basins and enclosed seas.
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
increasingly recognized for the important services that they
provide to both the environment and human society such as wildlife
and fish production, nutrient filtering, and carbon sequestration.
A combination of low oxygen levels and dense plant canopies present
particular challenges for organisms living in this aquatic habitat.
This concise textbook discusses the universal environmental and
biological features of wetland habitats, with an emphasis on
wetland plants and animals and their adaptations. It also describes
the functional features of wetlands - primary production, litter
decomposition, food webs, and nutrient cycling - and their
significance locally and globally. The future of wetlands is
examined, including the potential threats of global climate change
and invasive species, as well as their restoration and creation.
This new edition maintains the structure and style of the first,
but is fully updated throughout with new chapters on invasive
species, restoration/creation, global climate change, and the value
of wetlands.
A marine biologist vividly brings alive the extraordinary ecosystem
of the deep ocean--a realm about which we know less than we do
about the Moon--and shows how protecting rather than exploiting it
will benefit mankind. "The oceans have always shaped human lives,"
writes marine biologist Helen Scales in her vibrant new book The
Brilliant Abyss, but the surface and the very edges have so far
mattered the most. "However, one way or another, the future ocean
is the deep ocean." A golden era of deep-sea discovery is underway.
Revolutionary studies in the deep are rewriting the very notion of
life on Earth and the rules of what is possible. In the process,
the abyss is being revealed as perhaps the most amazing part of our
planet, with a topography even more varied and extreme than its
Earthbound counterpart. Teeming with unsuspected life, an
extraordinary interconnected ecosystem deep below the waves has a
huge effect on our daily lives, influencing climate and weather
systems, with the potential for much more--good or bad depending on
how it is exploited. Currently the fantastic creatures that live in
the deep--many of them incandescent in a world without light--and
its formations capture and trap vast quantities of carbon that
would otherwise poison our atmosphere; and novel bacteria as yet
undiscovered hold the promise of potent new medicines. Yet the deep
also holds huge mineral riches lusted after by many nations and
corporations; mining them could ultimately devastate the planet,
compounded by the deepening impacts of ubiquitous pollutants and
rampant overfishing. Eloquently and passionately, Helen Scales
brings to life the majesty and mystery of an alien realm that
nonetheless sustains us, while urgently making clear the price we
could pay if it is further disrupted. The Brilliant Abyss is at
once a revelation and a clarion call to preserve this vast unseen
world.
This book gives an overview of various aspects of blue carbon
dynamics from each country bordering the Indian Ocean. Given the
importance of the topic of blue carbon, it can be assumed that in
near future, more and more researchers from the Indian Ocean
countries will pursue environmental research in this domain. This
book is a ready reference to all those who are interested to have a
holistic understanding about the ground scenario of blue carbon in
the Indian Ocean. There are many research institutes situated in
the periphery of the Indian Ocean that are devoted to nurturing the
new avenues of marine carbon research. Researchers and scholars
interested in this domain will find this book provides a good
overview, wherein all the necessary information on the status and
functioning of these blue carbon ecosystems are detailed in a
concise way. The book is also helpful to postgraduate students of
'marine science' or those who have a specialization in 'marine
biogeochemistry' or 'chemical oceanography' to develop a basic
understanding about the very concept of 'blue carbon' from the
perspective of the Indian Ocean.
This book describes a comprehensive selection of ocean processes
such as wave phenomena (surface, internal gravitational, and
acoustic waves), the influence of surfactants and pollutants on the
aquatic environment's dynamics, the models of the stratified
natural environment, convective phenomena in the ocean, and the
interaction of wave and convective processes. Finally, this book
dedicates the last section to unsolved problems in the physics of
anomalous waves. Most of the chapters present the most hegemonic
theories but also they introduce the revulsive ideas based on
alternative approaches. The underlying mathematical models are
scientifically justified both at the physical and formal
mathematical levels. In all known limiting cases lead to well-known
classical results. They are in good agreement with experimental
data. Several sections show the application of developed approaches
to the description of natural phenomena. The book is of interest to
specialists working in the field of ocean physics, as well as
undergraduate and graduate students specializing in marine physics
and oceanography.
Ocean Currents: Physical Drivers in a Changing World opens with a
general introduction to the character, measurement, and simulation
of ocean currents, leading to a physical and dynamical framework
for understanding the wide variety of flows encountered in the
oceans. The book comprises chapters covering distinct aspects of
contrasting ocean currents: broad and slow, deep and shallow,
narrow and swift, large scale and small scale, low latitudes and
high latitudes, and moving in horizontal and vertical planes.
Through this approach the authors cover a wide range of
applications, from local to global, with considerable geographical
context.
Environmental isotope and nuclear techniques provide unmatched
insights into the processes governing the water cycle and its
variability. This monograph presents state of the art applications
and new developments of isotopes in hydrology, environmental
disciplines and climate change studies. Coverage ranges from the
assessment of groundwater resources in terms of recharge and flow
regime to studies of the past and present global environmental and
climate changes.
Diminishing water resources are becoming of increasing concern
because in many countries the sources of drinking water are close
to being exhausted. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study and
assess the various components of global water resources, of which
freshwater lakes are one of the most important. This book discusses
contemporary limnological problems on a local, regional and global
scale with special emphasis on the application of remote-sensing
techniques to monitor lake dynamics, thermodynamics, biodynamics
and water quality. An interactive approach is used to assess
various processes from both the numerical modelling and
observational standpoints. The authors recommend a combined use of
in situ and remote-sensing data, giving a specific comparative
analysis of the lakes of north-western Russia and the American
Great Lakes as an illustration. The role of GIS is discussed and
emphasised.
This book describes the challenges for the natural environments and
local communities in the future. Among the high mountains of
Africa, only Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, and the Rwenzori Mountains
are still capped with glaciers. The retreating rate of these
glaciers has accelerated, and they are expected to disappear in the
near future. In the area around Mount Kenya, the precipitation is
generally low, such that rainfall cannot stably supply water for
farmlands and daily life. It has been revealed that the glacial
meltwater has produced springs at the foot of the mountain. It is
therefore important to characterize the condition of water sources
near Mount Kenya for use by local people. This book discusses the
relationships between the actual state of the climate and glacier
shrinkage around Mount Kenya, the surrounding vegetation, soil, and
water environments, and the lives of the foothill region
inhabitants confronting the glacier shrinkage. This book is
valuable in the contemporary age, when the assurance of a
sustainable relationship between nature and mankind is critical.
About four years ago Dr. Gilbert White visited China and sowed the
seeds of this project through conversations with Drs. Huang and
Gong of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Mr. Long of the Yellow
River Conservancy Commission. After some additional rounds of
communications by letter, the plan for a workshop evolved and Drs.
Wolman and Brush visited with Dr. Sabadell of the Nat_ional Science
Foundation to begin the initial planning. In March 1987 Dr. Brush
visited China and the details were worked out for the October 1987
workshop. At the outset it was recognized that the 10 American
scientists and engineers ltad very Ii ttle knowledge of the Yellow
River and none had ever seen it. Therefore, it became important
that field trips be scheduled before the workshop to better set the
stage for fruitful discussions. It was also acknowledged that the
American participants could not present papers about the Yellow
River per se so their offerings reflected their general knowledge
of rivers using other rivers as examples. On the other hand the
Chinese participants were all well into the difficult problems of
harnessing the Yellow River and made their presentations
accordingly. Despite these differences the subject matter was the
unifying thread and cross communication was excellent.
This book deals with recent advances in coastal marine
environmental management and governance. Various chapters consider
new aspects of conservation, assessment of ecosystem health status,
environmental survey and protection, frameworks of ocean service
and governance, new applications of geo processing and GIS
technology, beach management, aquaculture site selection,
assessment of water quality (brine disposal and temperature
dispersion from nuclear power plants), exploration and management
of coastal karst, changing perceptions of dune management, advances
in interpretation of sea-level indicators and real time
environmental monitoring. New advances in both environmental
management and governance are of the utmost importance for
sustaining critical coastal marine areas. Offering such a diverse
collection of works from coastal scientists around the world, who
discuss many techniques and methods at the forefront of management
and governance, this publication will be of interest to coastal
researchers, coastal zone managers and regulatory agency personnel.
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