Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology

In recent years there has been a marked increase in funding and employment in river restoration. Methods in Fluvial Geomorphology provides an integrated approach to the interdisciplinary nature of the subject and offers guidance for researchers and professionals on the tools available to answer questions on river management on very difference scales.
* Each chapter is organised to cover everything from general concepts to specific techniques
* Topics covered include evolution of methods, guiding concepts, a framework for deciding when to apply specific tools, advantages and limitation of the tools, sources of data, equipment and supplies needed, and a summary table
* Provides the professional with a useful handbook covering all tools used in fluvial geomorphology
* Also provides valuable information on the advantages and limitations of the tools
* All chapters include case studies to give examples of the applications of the tools discussed

"If your only tool is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

Fluvial Geomorphology, the study of riverine landforms and the processes that produce them, is a discipline of synthesis, with roots in geology, geography, and river engineering, and which draws upon allied fields of hydrology, chemistry, physics, ecology, and human and natural history. Thanks largely to these roots, the range of tools used in the field is exceptionally diverse, with most tools borrowed from these allied fields, and some tools developed within fluvial geomorphology. However, individual researchers and practitioners typically apply only tools with which they are already familiar, usually the methods used by their home discipline.

This book presents a comprehensive review of the tools used in Fluvial Geomorphology, at a level suitable to guide selection of research method for the researcher or graduate student in fluvial geomorphology, or for the professional in other fields of river management.

Tools in Fluvial Geomorphology focuses on geomorphological methods within which techniques are applied. The chapters are written by specialists in the field, and are oriented to providing guidance into how to approach problems and how to select appropriate tools to answer the questions posed. Because the choice of tool should follow from the question posed, this book presents tools in the context of geomorphological questions.

This book:

• Covers five main types of geomorphological questions and their associated tools: historical framework; spatial framework; chemical, physical and biological methods; analysis of processes and forms; and framework for modeling future behavior.

• Includes case studies illustrating applications of the tools discussed.

• Includes chapters which cover: evolution of methods; guiding concepts; when to apply specific tools; advantages and limitation of the tools; sources of data; equipment and supplies needed; and examples of the application.

• Describes tools from a variety of sources: traditional geology and physical geography; remote sensing and GIS; and the application of concepts from other fields such as civil engineering, hydraulics and ecology.

• Focuses not only on the field/laboratory methods and techniques but also to key concepts and methods that are fundamental for approaching the applied problems.

This handbook is essential for researchers and professional geomorphologists, hydrologists, geologists, ecologists, engineers and planners, and professional organisations. It is a useful supplementary textbook for upper level undergraduate and MSc courses in Fluvial Geomorphology and Catchment Management taught within Departments of Geography, Environmental Science and Geology, Ecology, Environmental Planning, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and allied fields.