Measuring the natural environment

"Measurements of natural phenomena are vital for any type of environmental monitoring, from the practical day-to-day management of rivers, agriculture and weather forecasting, through to longer-term assessment of climate change and glacial retreat. This new edition of Measuring the Natural Environment looks at all aspects of past, present and future measurement techniques, describing the operation of the instruments used and the quality and accuracy of the data they produce." "The book describes the techniques and instruments used to measure all of the variables of the natural world: solar and terrestrial radiation, air and ground temperature, humidity, evaporation and transpiration, wind speed and direction, rainfall, snowfall, snow depth, barometric pressure, clouds, lightning, atmospheric chemistry, soil moisture and soil tension, groundwater, river level and flow, water quality, sea level, sea surface temperature, ocean currents and waves, and polar ice. This second edition has been brought completely up to date, and expanded considerably through the addition of six new chapters, and the extension and modification of many of the existing chapters." "Measuring the Natural Environment is the first book to make a thorough enquiry into the origins of environmental data, upon which our scientific understanding and economic planning of the environment directly hang. The book will be important for all those who use or collect such data, whether for pure research or day-to-day management. It will be useful for students and professionals working in a wide range of environmental science: meteorology, climatology, hydrology, water resources, oceanography, civil engineering, agriculture, forestry, glaciology and ecology."--Jacket.