From earth tectonics and meteorology to risk, responsibility, and the role of government, this comprehensive and detailed book reviews current practices in designing dams to withstand extreme hydrologic and seismic events. Recommendations for action and for further research to improve dam safety evaluations are presented.

Less than 1% of the Earth’s water is available for human use, the average family uses 400 gallons of water daily, and expected population growth means an increase in water use. The study of hydrology—how water behaves as it moves through the water cycle—is vital to reducing strains on our water supply and infrastructure. Written for those who want to understand hydrologic principles without a background in mathematics, Manning’s basic water science text begins with the physical and chemical attributes that make water a unique substance and proceeds with a step-by-step discussion of the water cycle. Scientific principles are illustrated by real-world examples, while “investigations” sections offer practical suggestions for making measurements and/or interpretations of hydrological variables in the local environment and for applying principles discussed in the text. This well-structured, reader-friendly text benefits not only students in elementary hydrology courses, but also those studying broader areas of natural resources, ecology, geography, and urban planning.

Hydrology covers the fundamentals of hydrology and hydrogeology, taking an environmental slant dictated by the emphasis in recent times for the remediation of contaminated aquifers and surface-water bodies as well as a demand for new designs that impose the least negative impact on the natural environment. Major topics covered include hydrological principles, groundwater flow, groundwater contamination and clean-up, groundwater applications to civil engineering, well hydraulics, and surface water. Additional topics addressed include flood analysis, flood control, and both ground-water and surface-water applications to civil engineering design.

For twenty years, Lawrence Dingman’s well-written, comprehensive Physical Hydrology has set standards for balancing theoretical depth and breadth of applications. Rich in substance and written to meet the needs of future researchers and experts in the field, Dingman treats hydrology as a distinct geoscience that is continually expanding to deal with large-scale changes in land use and climate. The third edition provides a solid conceptual basis of the subject and introduces the quantitative relations involved in answering scientific and management questions about water resources. The text is organized around three principal themes: the basic concepts underlying the science of hydrology; the exchange of water and energy between the atmosphere and the earth’s surface; and the land phase of the hydrologic cycle. Dingman supplies the basic physical principles necessary for developing a sound, instructive sense of the way in which water moves on and through the land; in addition, he describes the assumptions behind each analytical approach and identifies the limitations of each.

This volume investigates the origin, development, role, application, and current status of the curve number method for estimating the runoff response from rainstorms.