Sea-Level Science: Understanding Tides, Surges, Tsunamis and Mean Sea-Level Changes

Description

Understanding sea-level processes, such as ocean tides, storm surges, tsunamis, El Nino and rises caused by climate change, is key to planning effective coastal defence. Building on David Pugh's classic book Tides, Surges and Mean Sea-Level, this substantially expanded, full-colour book now incorporates major recent technological advances in the areas of satellite altimetry and other geodetic techniques (particularly GPS), tsunami science, measurement of mean sea level and analyses of extreme sea levels. The authors discuss how each surveying and measuring technique complements others in providing an understanding of present-day sea-level change and more reliable forecasts of future changes. Giving the how and the why of sea-level change on timescales from hours to centuries, this authoritative and exciting book is ideal for graduate students and researchers in oceanography, marine engineering, geodesy, marine geology, marine biology and climatology. It will also be of key interest to coastal engineers and governmental policy-makers.

David Pugh is a marine science consultant, also holding positions as Visiting Professor at Liverpool University, and Visiting Scientist at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC). His research specialises in tides, surges, mean sea level, coastal management and climate change, together with marine economics and the history of sea level. After a career in science and science management with the UK Natural Environment Research Council, Dr Pugh served as President of the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO, 2003-2007. He had previously been Director of the PSMSL and Founding Chairman of the IOC global sea level network, GLOSS. Dr Pugh has authored two books and recently co-edited Troubled Waters: Ocean Science and Governance (Cambridge University Press, 2010) published for the 50th Anniversary of the IOC. He has been awarded an OBE for services to marine sciences. Philip Woodworth is an Individual Merit Scientist in the Natural Environmental Research Council based at the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) in Liverpool, and also a Visiting Professor at Liverpool University. He has been Director of the PSMSL and Chairman of GLOSS. Dr Woodworth has published extensively on tides, sea-level changes and geodesy, including co-editing Understanding Sea-Level Rise and Variability (2010), and has been involved in each IPCC research assessment. His awards include the Denny Medal of IMAREST, the Vening-Meinesz Medal of the European Geosciences Union, the 50th Anniversary Medal of the IOC, and a minute share in the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the IPCC. He was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to science.

'Governments and their planners responsible for management and defences against coastal flooding need the best science to identify present and future risks. This authoritative new book gives an excellent and comprehensive account of the science which underpins our understanding of sea levels, and its practical application on our changing planet.' Wendy Watson-Wright, Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, UNESCO 'Professors Pugh and Woodworth's book is timely, authoritative, and will certainly have a prominent place on my bookshelf. It is a unique resource for teachers of upper undergraduate to graduate level courses, and will also be used often by sea level researchers, coastal engineers and planners, and by many others with an interest in sea level.' Gary T. Mitchum, Associate Dean, College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, and Chair, Global Sea Level Observing System 'The layout of this book is clear with lots of illustrations, photos, graphs and charts ... I can highly recommend it as a definitive text not only for undergraduates and postgraduates, but also for those with a more general interest in the subject.' Len Wood, Weather magazine '... this is a very good textbook and well worth the price. Students at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and from a range of disciplines, now have a core textbook covering much of the subject of sea-level and sea-level change. It will certainly be sitting within easy reach on my shelf, and it will most certainly form a new basis for my own teaching on tides and waves.' Mattias Green, Ocean Challenge '... qualitative, readable, and a superb summary of scientific understanding to date ... The discussion here about climate change induced variability is outstanding, with a nuanced presentation of projections issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the IPCC) from 1990 through 2014.' J. J. P. Smith, Bulletin of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society 'Sea-Level Science will immediately become a useful and practical reference for government and private-industry educators, academic researchers, and coastal scientists and engineers, whether or not they are directly involved in the field of oceanography. ... It's not easy to hit the mark when attempting to cover a broad array of subjects and treat each one comprehensively. That mark has been hit in Sea-Level Science.' Stephen Gill, Physics Today