River Confluences and the Fluvial Network brings together state of the art thinking on confluence dynamics tributary impacts and the links between processes at these scales and river network functions. The book is unique in focus, content, scope and in bringing together engineering, ecological and geomorphological approaches to the three key areas of river system science. Taking a global approach this multi-authored text features a team of carefully selected, internationally renowned, experts who have all contributed significantly to recent ground breaking advancements in the field. Each chapter includes a comprehensive review of work to date highlighting recent discoveries and the main thrust of knowledge, previously unpublished research and case studies, challenges and questions, detailed references as well as a forward looking assessment of the state of the science.

This book addresses the development of advanced methods for the prediction, the estimation of occurrence probabilities and the risk related to extreme hydrological events. It also discusses the reduction of the vulnerability of social, economic, and engineering systems to extreme hydrologic events and the decrease of their effects on such systems.

The breakup of a river ice cover can be both fascinating and perilous, owing to ever-changing ice conditions and dynamic processes that sometimes lead to extreme flood events caused by ice jams. Though much progress has been made recently in the study of ice jams, less has been achieved on the more general, and more complex, problem of how to predict the entire breakup process, from the first ice movement to the last ice effect on river stage. This type of knowledge is essential to determining when and where ice jam threats may develop and when they may release and generate steep flood waves that can trigger ice runs and jamming further downstream. In turn, such understanding is invaluable to natural hazard reduction, ecosystem conservation and protection, and adaptation to climatic impacts. This book combines the existing information, previously scattered in various journals, conference proceedings, and technical reports. It contains contributions by several authors to achieve a comprehensive and balanced coverage, including qualitative and quantitative descriptions of relevant physical processes, forecasting methods and flood-frequency assessments, as well as ecological impacts and climatic considerations. The book should be of interest to readers of different backgrounds, both beginners and specialists. -- Publisher's website.