Coastal Flood Risk Reduction: The Netherlands and the U.S. Upper Texas Coast represents the culmination of a 5-year international research and education partnership funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) and more than 10 years of collaboration between Dutch and U.S. flood experts on the basic issue of how to protect society from growing flood risks. Multiple case studies integrating the fields of engineering, hydrology, landscape architecture, economics, and planning address the underlying characteristics of physical flood risks and their prediction; human communities and the associated built environment; physical, social, and built-environment variables; and mitigation techniques. In recognition of the lack of systematic research and the growing societal need to better understand flood impacts, this edited book provides an in-depth, comparative evaluation of flood problems and solutions in two key places: the Netherlands and the U.S. Upper Texas Coast. Both regions are extremely flood-prone and have experienced continual adverse impacts throughout their histories. For researchers in flood management, geographers, hydrologists, environmental studies, and social science as well as policymakers and decision-makers in flood management authorities and related industries, this book provides an essential resource.
Mass Transport, Gravity Flows, and Bottom Currents: Downslope and Alongslope Processes and Deposits focuses solely on important downslope and alongslope processes. The book provides clear definitions and characteristics based on soil mechanics, fluid mechanics and sediment concentration by volume. It addresses Slides, Slumps, and Debris Flows, Grain Flows, Liquefied/Fluidized Flows, and Turbidity Currents, Density plumes, Hyperpycnal Flows, the Triggering Mechanisms of Downslope Processes, Bottom Currents, and Soft-Sediment Deformation Structures. The mechanics of each process are described in detail and used to provide empirically-driven categories to help recognize these deposits it the rock record. Case studies clearly illustrate of the problems inherent in recognizing these processes in the rock record, and potential solutions are provided alongside future avenues of research. An appendix also provides step-by-step guidance in describing and interpreting sediments.
Sandy beaches represent some of the most dynamic environments on Earth and examining their morphodynamic behaviour over different temporal and spatial scales is challenging, relying on multidisciplinary approaches and techniques. Sandy Beach Morphodynamics brings together the latest research on beach systems and their morphodynamics and the ways in which they are studied in 29 chapters that review the full spectrum of beach morphodynamics. The chapters are written by leading experts in the field and provide introductory level understanding of physical processes and resulting landforms, along with more advanced discussions.
Marine Protected Areas: Science, Policy and Management addresses a full spectrum of issues relating to Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) not currently available in any other single volume. Chapters are contributed by a wide range of working specialists who examine conceptions and definitions of MPAs, progress on the implementation of worldwide MPAs, policy and legal variations across MPAs, the general importance of coastal communities in implementation, and the future of MPAs. The book constructively elucidates conflicts, issues, approaches and solutions in a way that creates a balanced consideration of the nature of effective policy and management. Those in theory, designation, implementation or management of MPAs, from individuals, marine sector organizations, and university and research center libraries will find it an important work.
Marine Geo-Hazards in China, the first book to focus specifically on potential marine geological hazards in China, includes 19 chapters with varying focus on key issues surrounding the topic.Early chapters discuss the historical background, research progress, and geological environments in China's sea area. Next, multiple chapters present special topics on geological hazards in China's sea area, including its disaster pregnant environment, mechanisms of disaster change, the development regularity and disaster formation process, and existing or potential dangers and countermeasures. Final chapters present the latest information on the distribution, development, assessment, and risk analysis of marine geological hazards.This book is an important source of information for government and local policymakers, environmental and marine scientists, and engineers.
The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP: 2000-2013) has provided crucial records of past and present processes and interactions within and between the biosphere, cryosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. Research in IODP encompasses a wide range of fundamental and applied issues that affect society, such as global climate change, biodiversity, the origin of life, natural hazards involving the study of earthquakes processes, and the internal structure and dynamics of our planet. This compilation of major findings from the 2003-2013/14 phase of IODP, focusing on scientific results rather than description of data acquisition and early inferences, provides invaluable information. Anyone wondering what scientific drilling can achieve will gain quick understanding of the range of questions that are uniquely addressed with this methodology and the ways these data dovetail with other regional information. The excitement of breakthrough findings that occasionally accompanies a drilling project will be evident. IODP obtained unique records from the global ocean basins during the 2003-2013 program phase. This book highlights findings in three theme areas: Subseafloor life and the marine biosphere; Earth's changing environments; and Dynamics of the solid Earth. Each core or borehole log provides a window revealing insights that no other data achieve.
Since the search for hydrocarbon resources in the Arcticstarted in the 1930's the exploration activity has expandedinto many of the Arctic regions, and several of the Arcticsedimentary basins have proven to be important sources ofhydrocarbon. Nevertheless, the Arctic continental margins andadjacent onshore areas are still largely unexplored in thecontext of petroleum, and are therefore considered to be oneof the few regions in the world where significant undiscoveredsources of hydrocarbon may exist. The aim of the book is togive an updated overview of the geology of the Arcticsedimentary basins and their petroleum potential. Although thedifferent basins vary significantly as regards sedimentary fill and tectonic evolution, many of the basins share some ofthe characteristics needed to become prolific oil and gasprovinces.The book contains 45 extensively illustratedarticles. It starts with papers on the Mesozoic source rocks,and oceanic natural gas clatrates in the Arctic, respectively.Then follow articles on the regional and petroleum geology ofthe main regions; Greenland, North American Arctic, SovietArctic and the Barents Sea. Particular emphasis is placed onthe Barents Sea. The two last chapters comprise articles onsalt dynamics and methods. The book closes with a paper oninternational law in the Arctic. This volume will be ofinterest to both students and professional earthscientists/petroleum explorationists working in the northernlatitudes. It will allow the readers to stay abreast of thedevelopment in this climatic region of the world.
Biology and Geology of Coral Reefs, Volume III: Biology 2 covers the major advances made in the biological aspects of coral reef problems. This book discusses the ecology, animal associates, and toxicity of coral reefs. Composed of 11 chapters, the book initially describes the diversity of animals permanently or temporarily associated with living corals despite the formidable nematocyst batteries possessed by corals. The text goes on discussing some specializations of some shrimps and prawns permanently associated with living corals, thus, augmenting the number of biological niches available for colonization. The subsequent chapters deal with the appearance and distribution of coral reefs echinoderms and their biogeography; the role of fishes in the energetic of the coral reef system; the high incidence of toxic fishes in coral reef waters; and the origin, transmission, detection, pharmacology, and chemistry of ciguatoxin. The book also discusses natural and man-induced destruction of coral reef communities and the rate, manner, and extent of recovery of such destruction. It also describes the types of vegetation that grow on the limestone substratum provided by coral islands. Another chapter provides distributional data on the birds of the Great Barrier Reef region and the behavior and evolution of island populations of sea birds. The concluding chapters present the general biology of sea turtles and the factors that influence the number and types of organisms found on coral islands. This book will acquaint readers with some of the exciting developments in coral reef biology and will provide information that will enable them to assess the status of research in different fields.
Aquacultural, oceanographic, and fisheries engineering, as well as other disciplines, require gas solubility data to compute the equilibrium concentration. These calculations, for example, can affect the output of aquacultural production or assist in environmental consulting. Until now, published solubility information has not been available in a consistent and uniform manner in one location. This book presents solubility concentrations of major atmospheric gases (oxygen, nitrogen, argon, carbon dioxide), noble gases (helium, neon, krypton, xenon), and trace gases (hydrogen, methane, nitrous oxide) as a function of temperature, salinity, pressure, and gas composition in a variety of formats. Data, equations, and theory are explained so that the user is able to understand the calculations and problems. Furthermore, data and solubility information are presented in a range of units to make them accessible across disciplines. This book will help the reader to look at a problem from a quantitative viewpoint and better understand carbonate chemistry. Revised from the earlier edition to include more accurate carbon dioxide tables and separate sections on the solubility of noble gases, trace gases, and oxygen in brines to provide a single resource for gas solubility data. This book is essential for all students and practitioners working in aquatic fields.
This volume is the product of the International Conference on Cohesive Sediment Transport (INTERCOH 2003) held at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, U.S.A., during October 1-4, 2003. The topics included in this monograph range from basic research on cohesive sediment dynamics to practical applications. Also included with this book is a database that contains all experimental results as well as a comparison of numerical simulation results supported by the COSINUS project.