- Email: [email protected]
Fundamentals of ocean dynamics
223
tions of coastal fronts. However, in the nine papers from the workshop which constitute Part 2, only the effect of fronts on the biological productivity is given more than the most cursory mention. One is left with the sad but true impression that the current knowledge of the physical and dynamical aspects of coastal fronts is insufficient to allow the environmental implications to be objectively assessed. Six of the papers are descriptive accounts of coastal fronts in environments ranging from estuaries, through shallow seas to the shelf-break regions. The themes of the remaining contributions are: the equations describing frontal dynamics; advection and diffusion effects of the velocity field in the vicinity of fronts and lastly, cross-frontal mixing. The contents of the articles are very variable: m a n y are summaries of the individual authors' interests and only the section "Prograde and Retrograde F r o n t s " , which deals with the phenomena traditionally k n o w n as upwelling and shelf-break fronts, attempts to draw on a broad-based literature. Most of the articles are too brief to be of use other than to someone requiring a superficial view of some of the current research topics in this field and several are merely condensed versions of papers available in the primary literature. By replacing these summaries by broader review chapters and by allowing the other papers to be expanded to their proper length, at the expense of the Introduction, which would have benefited from severe editing, a more satisfactory volume could have been produced. The t e x t is directly reproduced typescript which, while on the whole satisfactory, leads to confusion in some of the formulae. The proof reading could have been more thorough; numerous mistakes have slipped through. M.K. M a c V E A N and P.J. MTNNETT (Kiel)
Fundamentals of Ocean Dynamics. V.M. Kamenkovich. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977, 249 pp., Dfl.120.00 or U.S. $49.00
Fundamentals o f Ocean Dynamics is based on a lecture course on oceanography given by the author to 4th-year students at Moscow Physical -Technical Institute. The scope of the book is limited dealing in some depth with a restricted range of topics. The presentation is more mathematically than physically oriented. The first chapter, dealing with the thermodynamics of sea water, is quite detailed and goes beyond what is required of the average graduate student seeking an introduction to oceanography. The emphasis appears to be on obtaining t h e r m o d y n a m i c relations while rather too little attention is given to explaining why one needs these relations or their proper physical significance. Nevertheless, from a reference point of view the chapter, based on classical thermodynamics, is useful. Chapter two deals with the equations of m o t i o n in a rotating coordinate system using tensor n o t a t i o n which makes the equations look rather complicated. The chapter would have been much improved if a fuller discussion of the key equations had been given.
224
Wave motion in the ocean is the subject of chapter 3 which opens with a useful discussion of energy equations. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to solutions to Laplace's tidal equations. The various approximations e -~ 0, + ~¢ are given, as well as an interesting, though unconventional, introduction to the middle-latitude/3-plane. Although this chapter is reasonably complete I suspect that a reader unfamiliar with the theory would find it difficult to read as the various limits, approximations, and filtering conditions are not clearly distinguished. The last three chapters are the most readable. Classical Ekman theory, Sverdrup transport, and western boundary currents are discussed in chapter 5, western boundary currents again in chapter 6, Ekman again in chapter 7. The b o o k concludes with two illustrative theories of the thermocline. The b o o k provides a useful reference list to the Russian literature, is good in that it relates material back to fundamental principles. It is probably not a b o o k for the novice in the field who might be overwhelmed b y the formidable presentation. Too much emphasis has been placed on mathematical technique, not enough on the physical motivation, in a b o o k which basically concentrates on the elementary foundations of oceanography. The b o o k would have been considerably more lively had there been fuller discussion of the deficiencies of the classical theory and more mention of current problems (less than 10% of the references deal with material post 1970, though to some extent this may reflect the fact that the first edition was published in 1973.) D. ANDERSON (Melbourne)
G~omorphologie des plates-formes continentales: J.R. Vanney. Doin, Paris, 1977, 300 pp., 144 figs., 4 tables, paperback, French. The continental shelf is the most important ocean-floor province from the viewpoints of economic exploitation, recreational use, esthetic appreciation, environmental interest, and political demands. Vanney's new b o o k on the geomorphology of the continental shelf provides geologic and geographic information necessary to effective use as well as preservation of the shelf. For oceanographers in general the b o o k is a fine summary of existing b u t diffused publications. Of the estimated 1100 published references in the b o o k , 65% are in English, 34% in French, and 3% in various other languages. Thus the b o o k brings together results from several cultures, an attempt at synthesis that may minimize the increasing tendency toward rediscovery of oceanographic (and other scientific) phenomena in different languages. The breadth of coverage also is illustrated b y the figures, nearly all of which were prepared or redrawn for this work -- rather than merely being copied from original publications. Of the 144 figures 22% deal with processes and the rest with areas: 6% for the whole world, 39% for Europe (not just France), 21% for North America, 5% for Africa, and the remaining 7% for Asia, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. Thus the b o o k is intercontinental in substance.
tions of coastal fronts. However, in the nine papers from the workshop which constitute Part 2, only the effect of fronts on the biological productivity is given more than the most cursory mention. One is left with the sad but true impression that the current knowledge of the physical and dynamical aspects of coastal fronts is insufficient to allow the environmental implications to be objectively assessed. Six of the papers are descriptive accounts of coastal fronts in environments ranging from estuaries, through shallow seas to the shelf-break regions. The themes of the remaining contributions are: the equations describing frontal dynamics; advection and diffusion effects of the velocity field in the vicinity of fronts and lastly, cross-frontal mixing. The contents of the articles are very variable: m a n y are summaries of the individual authors' interests and only the section "Prograde and Retrograde F r o n t s " , which deals with the phenomena traditionally k n o w n as upwelling and shelf-break fronts, attempts to draw on a broad-based literature. Most of the articles are too brief to be of use other than to someone requiring a superficial view of some of the current research topics in this field and several are merely condensed versions of papers available in the primary literature. By replacing these summaries by broader review chapters and by allowing the other papers to be expanded to their proper length, at the expense of the Introduction, which would have benefited from severe editing, a more satisfactory volume could have been produced. The t e x t is directly reproduced typescript which, while on the whole satisfactory, leads to confusion in some of the formulae. The proof reading could have been more thorough; numerous mistakes have slipped through. M.K. M a c V E A N and P.J. MTNNETT (Kiel)
Fundamentals of Ocean Dynamics. V.M. Kamenkovich. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977, 249 pp., Dfl.120.00 or U.S. $49.00
Fundamentals o f Ocean Dynamics is based on a lecture course on oceanography given by the author to 4th-year students at Moscow Physical -Technical Institute. The scope of the book is limited dealing in some depth with a restricted range of topics. The presentation is more mathematically than physically oriented. The first chapter, dealing with the thermodynamics of sea water, is quite detailed and goes beyond what is required of the average graduate student seeking an introduction to oceanography. The emphasis appears to be on obtaining t h e r m o d y n a m i c relations while rather too little attention is given to explaining why one needs these relations or their proper physical significance. Nevertheless, from a reference point of view the chapter, based on classical thermodynamics, is useful. Chapter two deals with the equations of m o t i o n in a rotating coordinate system using tensor n o t a t i o n which makes the equations look rather complicated. The chapter would have been much improved if a fuller discussion of the key equations had been given.
224
Wave motion in the ocean is the subject of chapter 3 which opens with a useful discussion of energy equations. The remainder of the chapter is devoted to solutions to Laplace's tidal equations. The various approximations e -~ 0, + ~¢ are given, as well as an interesting, though unconventional, introduction to the middle-latitude/3-plane. Although this chapter is reasonably complete I suspect that a reader unfamiliar with the theory would find it difficult to read as the various limits, approximations, and filtering conditions are not clearly distinguished. The last three chapters are the most readable. Classical Ekman theory, Sverdrup transport, and western boundary currents are discussed in chapter 5, western boundary currents again in chapter 6, Ekman again in chapter 7. The b o o k concludes with two illustrative theories of the thermocline. The b o o k provides a useful reference list to the Russian literature, is good in that it relates material back to fundamental principles. It is probably not a b o o k for the novice in the field who might be overwhelmed b y the formidable presentation. Too much emphasis has been placed on mathematical technique, not enough on the physical motivation, in a b o o k which basically concentrates on the elementary foundations of oceanography. The b o o k would have been considerably more lively had there been fuller discussion of the deficiencies of the classical theory and more mention of current problems (less than 10% of the references deal with material post 1970, though to some extent this may reflect the fact that the first edition was published in 1973.) D. ANDERSON (Melbourne)
G~omorphologie des plates-formes continentales: J.R. Vanney. Doin, Paris, 1977, 300 pp., 144 figs., 4 tables, paperback, French. The continental shelf is the most important ocean-floor province from the viewpoints of economic exploitation, recreational use, esthetic appreciation, environmental interest, and political demands. Vanney's new b o o k on the geomorphology of the continental shelf provides geologic and geographic information necessary to effective use as well as preservation of the shelf. For oceanographers in general the b o o k is a fine summary of existing b u t diffused publications. Of the estimated 1100 published references in the b o o k , 65% are in English, 34% in French, and 3% in various other languages. Thus the b o o k brings together results from several cultures, an attempt at synthesis that may minimize the increasing tendency toward rediscovery of oceanographic (and other scientific) phenomena in different languages. The breadth of coverage also is illustrated b y the figures, nearly all of which were prepared or redrawn for this work -- rather than merely being copied from original publications. Of the 144 figures 22% deal with processes and the rest with areas: 6% for the whole world, 39% for Europe (not just France), 21% for North America, 5% for Africa, and the remaining 7% for Asia, South America, Australia, and Antarctica. Thus the b o o k is intercontinental in substance.