There is a general consensus that for the next few decades at least, the Earth will continue its warming. This will inevitably bring about serious environmental problems. For human society, the most severe will be those related to alterations of the hydrological cycle, which is already heavily influenced by human activities. Climate change will directly affect groundwater recharge, groundwater quality and the freshwater-seawater interface. The variations of groundwater storage inevitably entail a variety of geomorphological and engineering effects. In the areas where water resources are likely to diminish, groundwater will be one of the main solutions to prevent drought. In spite of its paramount importance, the issue of 'Climate Change and Groundwater' has been neglected. This volume presents some of the current understanding of the topic.
The Technical Paper addresses the issue of freshwater. Sealevel rise is dealt with only insofar as it can lead to impacts on freshwater in coastal areas and beyond. Climate, freshwater, biophysical and socio-economic systems are interconnected in complex ways. Hence, a change in any one of these can induce a change in any other. Freshwater-related issues are critical in determining key regional and sectoral vulnerabilities. Therefore, the relationship between climate change and freshwater resources is of primary concern to human society and also has implications for all living species. -- page vii.
Managing Global Warming: An Interface of Technology and Human Issues discusses the causes of global warming, the options available to solve global warming problems, and how each option can be realistically implemented. It is the first book based on scientific content that presents an overall reference on both global warming and its solutions in one volume. Containing authoritative chapters written by scientists and engineers working in the field, each chapter includes the very latest research and references on the potential impact of wind, solar, hydro, geo-engineering and other energy technologies on climate change. With this wide ranging set of topics and solutions, engineers, professors, leaders and policymakers will find this to be a valuable handbook for their research and work. - Presents chapters that are accompanied by an easy reference summary - Includes up-to-date options and technical solutions for global warming through color imagery - Provides up-to-date information as presented by a collection of renowned global experts
Selected papers from a symposium on A new Focus on Integrated Analysis of Groundwater-Surface Water Systems, held during the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics XXIV General Assembly in Perugia, Italy, 11-13 July 2007.
New focused text introduces readers to wetland ecosystems and systems approaches to studying wetlands With its comprehensive coverage of wetland science, management, and restoration, Mitsch and Gosselink's Wetlands has been the premier reference on wetlands for more than two decades. Now, the coverage of specific wetland ecosystem types from earlier editions of this acclaimed work has been updated, revised, and supplemented with additional content in order to create this new text focusing exclusively on wetland ecosystems. This book now complements Wetlands, Fourth Edition. Following an introduction to ecosystems in general and wetland ecosystems in particular, Wetland Ecosystems examines the major types of wetlands found throughout the world: coastal wetlands, freshwater marshes and forested swamps, and peatlands. The final chapter reviews three fundamental systems approaches to studying wetlands: mesocosms, full-scale experimental ecosystems, and mathematical modeling. This new text features: Updated descriptions of the hydrology, biogeochemistry, and biology of the main types of wetlands found in the world New content introducing general ecosystems, wetland ecosystems, whole ecosystem and mesocosm experiments with wetlands, and systems ecology and modeling A detailed description of the ecosystem services provided by wetlands A broad international scope, including many examples of wetlands located outside North America Two new coauthors offering new perspectives and additional insights into the latest ecosystem and modeling techniques An abundance of illustrations helps readers understand how different biological communities and the abiotic environment in wetland ecosystems interact and function. Tables and text boxes provide at-a-glance summaries of key information. Lastly, each chapter concludes with a list of recommended readings. This text has been designed as an introduction for students and professionals in wetland ecology and management, general ecology, environmental science, and natural resource management.
It is the task of the engineer, as of any other professional person, to do everything that is reasonably possible to analyse the difficulties with which his or her client is confronted, and on this basis to design solutions and implement these in practice. The distributed hydrological model is, correspondingly, the means for doing everything that is reasonably possible - of mobilising as much data and testing it with as much knowledge as is economically feasible - for the purpose of analysing problems and of designing and implementing remedial measures in the case of difficulties arising within the hydrological cycle. Thus the aim of distributed hydrologic modelling is to make the fullest use of cartographic data, of geological data, of satellite data, of stream discharge measurements, of borehole data, of observations of crops and other vegetation, of historical records of floods and droughts, and indeed of everything else that has ever been recorded or remembered, and then to apply to this everything that is known about meteorology, plant physiology, soil physics, hydrogeology, sediment transport and everything else that is relevant within this context. Of course, no matter how much data we have and no matter how much we know, it will never be enough to treat some problems and some situations, but still we can aim in this way to do the best that we possibly can.
A complete guide to the behavior of water on graded land Hillslope Hydrology provides a comprehensive introduction to the behavior of water on a slope. Describing the fates of precipitation, the mechanics of runoff, and the calculations involved in assessment, this book clarifies the complex interplay of soils, sediment, subsurface flow, overland flow, saturation, erosion, and more. An ideal resource for graduate students of Earth science, environmental science, civil engineering, architecture, landscape management, and related fields, this informative guide provides the essential information needed to work effectively with graded land or predict outcomes of precipitation.
Groundwater is a vital source of water throughout the world. As the number of groundwater investigations increase, it is important to understand how to develop comprehensive quantified conceptual models and appreciate the basis of analytical solutions or numerical methods of modelling groundwater flow. Groundwater Hydrology: Conceptual and Computational Models describes advances in both conceptual and numerical modelling. It gives insights into the interpretation of field information, the development of conceptual models, the use of computational models based on analytical and numerical techniques, the assessment of the adequacy of models, and the use of computational models for predictive purposes. It focuses on the study of groundwater flow problems and a thorough analysis of real practical field case studies. It is divided into three parts: * Part I deals with the basic principles, including a summary of mathematical descriptions of groundwater flow, recharge estimation using soil moisture balance techniques, and extensive studies of groundwater-surface water interactions. * Part II focuses on the concepts and methods of analysis for radial flow to boreholes including topics such as large diameter wells, multi-layered aquifer systems, aquitard storage and the prediction of long-term yield. * Part III examines regional groundwater flow including situations when vertical flows are important or transmissivities change with saturated depth. Suitable for practising engineers, hydrogeologists, researchers in groundwater and irrigation, mathematical modellers, groundwater scientists, and water resource specialists. Appropriate for upper level undergraduates and MSc students in Departments of Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Earth Science and Physical Geography. It would also be useful for hydrologists, civil engineers, physical geographers, agricultural engineers, consultancy firms involved in water resource projects, and overseas development workers.
