Hydrodynamics of Coastal Zones (Volume 48) (Elsevier Oceanography Series, Volume 48) - Hardcover

Australian Mineral FoundationFor the human occupiers of the adjacent shores, the coastal zone holds self evident significance so that a scientific understanding of the behaviour of coastal waters under varying conditions of wind and storm may be regarded as an essential basis for engineering or recreational planning. For whatever relevant purpose, the approach offered here may be useful.

This book discusses selected theoretical topics of coastal hydrodynamics, including basic principles and applications in coastal oceanography and coastal engineering. It is not intended as a handbook; the emphasis is placed on presentation of a number of basic problems, rather than giving detailed instructions for their application. The bulk of the material deals with surface waves. In the author's opinion there is still a strong need for a book on wave phenomena in the coastal waters, as general textbooks on sea surface dynamics focus most of their attention on the deep ocean. This book intends to fill this need by concentrating on the phenomena typical of the coastal zone. Based on lectures given at the Institute of Hydroengineering, Polish Academy of Sciences in Gdansk, the approach throughout is a combination of the theoretical and observational. A basic knowledge of ordinary and partial differential equations, as well as the statistical and spectral analysis of time series, is assumed. The reader should also be familiar with fundamental hydrodynamic concepts. The book comprises nine chapters.