During ten years serving with the USDA Soil Conservation Service (SCS), now known as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), I became amazed at how millions of dollars in contract monies were spent based on simplistic hydrologic models. As project engineer in western Kansas, I was responsible for building flood control dams (authorized under Public Law 566) in the Wet Walnut River watershed. This watershed is within the Arkansas-Red River basin, as is the Illinois River basin re...

This book presents a unified approach for modeling hydrologic processes distributed in space and time using geographic information systems (GIS). This Third Edition focuses on the principles of implementing a distributed model using geospatial data to simulate hydrologic processes in urban, rural and peri-urban watersheds. The author describes fully distributed representations of hydrologic processes, where physics is the basis for modeling, and geospatial data forms the cornerstone of par...

This volume provides in-depth coverage of the latest in remote sensing of hydrological extremes: both floods and droughts. The book is divided into two distinct sections – floods and droughts – and offers a variety of techniques for monitoring each.With rapid advances in computer modelling and observing systems, floods and droughts are studied with greater precision today than ever before. Land surface models, especially over the entire Continental United States, can map the hydrol...

This book provides a comprehensive and advanced overview of the basic theory of thermal remote sensing and its application in hydrology, agriculture, and forestry. Specifically, the book highlights the main theory, assumptions, advantages, drawbacks, and perspectives of these methods for the retrieval and validation of surface temperature/emissivity and evapotranspiration from thermal infrared remote sensing. It will be an especially valuable resource for students, researchers, experts, an...

Agricultural droughts affect whole societies, leading to higher food costs, threatened economies, and even famine. In order to mitigate such effects, researchers must first be able to monitor them, and then predict them; however no book currently focuses on accurate monitoring or prediction of these devastating kinds of droughts. To fill this void, the editors of Monitoring and Predicting Agricultural Drought have assembled a team of expert contributors from all continents to make...

How does a nature book about volcanoes spark a child's imagination? Children are attracted by vivid colors and the potential of excitement. A nature book filled with bright pictures of volcanoes, mountains and hot lava is sure to be of interest to young minds. Youngsters are exposed to volcanic activity in news and movies. A book that explores the realities of volcanic activity is sure to be a learning experience for any juvenile. Scientific reality and fresh imagination are sure to be a p...

The impact of climate on human activities and the effect of humans on cli mate are two of the most important areas of inquiry in climatology. These interactions conducted through physical, chemical and biological process es were described as early as Roman and Greek times. Marcus Vitruvius (75-25 B. C. ), a famous Roman engineer and architect, made the following observation about the climatic conditions necessary for founding a city: Land ideal for the health is slightly elevated and there...

On the 11th March 2011, a massive earthquake hit the Pacific Ocean near to North-Eastern Japan. Soon afterwards, a devestating tsunami followed. This quick-read guide written by Paul Andrews gives the reader an overview an explanation of the events in easy-to-understand plain English. With sections including the nuclear crisis, the effect of the disaster on Japan's - and the global - economy, and information about what causes an earthquake and a tsunami, this is a concise guide to the shoc...

These proceedings of a workshop of the International Association for Phytoplankton Taxonomy and Ecology are directed specifically at the relationship between phytoplankton ecology and the trophic status of water bodies. Contributions address the fact that distinctive assemblages of phytoplankton species are closely associated with particular categories of water bodies. Particular attention is paid to how communities are assembled and to the ways in which environmental constraints filter th...

The book brings together high-quality research articles on advanced hydrological analysis, advanced computational methods, and the ecological and sociological aspects of urban watershed management under one umbrella. The rapid pace of urbanization, not accompanied by any farsighted, holistic plan, has reduced many cities in the developing world into multi-hazard areas. The most perceptible consequence of urbanization is the change in land-use and land cover, which in turn impacts hydrologi...

This book is a product of Brazilian Academy of Sciences Study Group about water issue. The water cycle was addressed based on an integrated point of view, aiming at joining technological and ecological solutions and integrating quantitative and qualitative aspects of this important environmental asset. Issues such as the water resources management and irrigated agriculture, water and health, water and economy, conservation and reuse as management tools, water in the Brazil...

The ultimate guide to the ultimate storms, Hurricane Watch is a fascinating blend of science and history from one of the world's foremost meteorologists and an award-winning science journalist. This in-depth look at these awe-inspiring acts of nature covers everything from the earliest efforts by seafarers at predicting storms to the way satellite imaging is revolutionizing hurricane forecasting. It reveals the latest information on hurricanes: their effects on ocean waves...