Product Description

With the Midwest under water, America had a chance to see how effectively it had "improved" its rivers. Too often physical changes made to a river conflict with natural processes, resulting in - rather than alleviating - damage. Applying available knowledge on how rivers form and act could prevent such problems. In this book Luna Leopold seeks to organize such knowledge, presenting a coherent description of rivers, their shape, size, organization and action, along with a consistent theory that explains much of the observed character of channels. Grounded in hydraulics, geomorphology and surveying, as well as in extensive fieldwork on rivers in the eastern and Rocky Mountain states, Leopold's view of a river is at once technical and personal, providing both a firm foundation for understanding the behaviour of rivers - including instructions for getting started in backyard hydrology - and a wealth of firsthand observations by a thoughtful and experienced scientist. It should be of immediate interest and great use as researchers seek to develop, preserve and appreciate the earth's most fluid natural resource.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #929008 in Books
• Published on: 1994-07-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

Review
Luna Leopold is responsible for perhaps the most important research on rivers over the past 50 years. In this very personal book he reflects upon that experience, providing insights that go far beyond mere research results. -- Vic Baker "Science" (11/25/1994)

Customer Reviews

A magnificent book for anyone interested in fluvial systems
This is one of the best books about river systems that I have yet read. The author covers the basics of fluvial hydrology and geomorphology as he explains what he has learned about rivers over his many years of study. Written for the general public the author speaks to you as a mentor, not a professor lecturing his students. Chapters cover the following topics: The river channel; River measurement; Meanders and bars; Distribution of discharge in space and time; Rivers of the world; Flow variability and floods; Relationships between channel and discharge; Hydraulic geometry; Sediment load; The drainage network; Energy utilization; River morphology - the most probable state. Each chapter could be the topic of a college-level symposium or course. The references include many classic USGS Professional Papers. As a geologist I have gained a deeper appreciation for fluvial systems and their deposits because of the material contained in this book. Any fluvial stratigrapher, sedimentologist, hydrologist or geomorphologist should have a copy of this book. I recommend it for anyone whose livelihood depends upon rivers as well as those who just want to learn why rivers behave as they do. C. J. Donofrio