Introduction To Estuarine Hydrodynamics

An essential introduction to the study of estuaries, highlighting their immense spatial and temporal variability.

The primary reference for the modeling of hydrodynamics and water quality in rivers, lake, estuaries, coastal waters, and wetlands This comprehensive text perfectly illustrates the principles, basic processes, mathematical descriptions, case studies, and practical applications associated with surface waters. It focuses on solving practical problems in rivers, lakes, estuaries, coastal waters, and wetlands. Most of the theories and technical approaches presented within have been implemented in mathematical models and applied to solve practical problems. Throughout the book, case studies are presented to demonstrate how the basic theories and technical approaches are implemented into models, and how these models are applied to solve practical environmental/water resources problems. This new edition of Hydrodynamics and Water Quality: Modeling Rivers, Lakes, and Estuaries has been updated with more than 40% new information. It features several new chapters, including one devoted to shallow water processes in wetlands as well as another focused on extreme value theory and environmental risk analysis. It is also supplemented with a new website that provides files needed for sample applications, such as source codes, executable codes, input files, output files, model manuals, reports, technical notes, and utility programs. This new edition of the book: Includes more than 120 new/updated figures and 450 references Covers state-of-the-art hydrodynamics, sediment transport, toxics fate and transport, and water quality in surface waters Provides essential and updated information on mathematical models Focuses on how to solve practical problems in surface waters—presenting basic theories and technical approaches so that mathematical models can be understood and applied to simulate processes in surface waters Hailed as “a great addition to any university library” by the Journal of the American Water Resources Association (July 2009), Hydrodynamics and Water Quality, Second Edition is an essential reference for practicing engineers, scientists, and water resource managers worldwide.

These books are divided into two volumes. The first focuses on estuarine physics and physical processes and interpretations. I have, for the most parts, intentionally downplayed engineering applications to estuaries. It is my bias that a deeper understanding is accomplished with a physical approach, whereas an engineering approach is largely geared toward finding a solution to a problem. Of course, it is not always easy to make this distinction. The second volume is a presentation of physical case studies of several important estuaries, spanning the major geomorphic types. I believe that it can be very useful to all areas of the world. I have consciously strived to be more international to scope in selection of both authors and estuarine case studies.

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 provides an introduction to the complex system functions, variability and human interference in ecosystem between the continent and the ocean. It focuses on circulation, transport and mixing of estuarine and coastal water masses, which is ultimately related to an understanding of the hydrographic and hydrodynamic characteristics (salinity, temperature, density and circulation), mixing processes (advection and diffusion), transport timescales such as the residence time and the exposure time. In the area of physical oceanography, experiments using these water bodies as a natural laboratory and interpreting their circulation and mixing processes using theoretical and semi-theoretical knowledge are of fundamental importance. Small-scale physical models may also be used together with analytical and numerical models. The book highlights the fact that research and theory are interactive, and the results provide the fundamentals for the development of the estuarine research.

Using field observations and simple models, this book describes the latest developments in the hydrodynamics and morphodynamics of tidal inlets.

These books are divided into two volumes. The first focuses on estuarine physics and physical processes and interpretations. I have, for the most parts, intentionally downplayed engineering applications to estuaries. It is my bias that a deeper understanding is accomplished with a physical approach, whereas an engineering approach is largely geared toward finding a solution to a problem. Of course, it is not always easy to make this distinction. The second volume is a presentation of physical case studies of several important estuaries, spanning the major geomorphic types. I believe that it can be very useful to all areas of the world. I have consciously strived to be more international to scope in selection of both authors and estuarine case studies.

A reference volume discussing the dynamics, mixing, sediment regimes and morphological evolution in estuaries for researchers, students and engineers.