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Marine Chemistry
Book Reviews Marine
CItemisfry, by R. A, Horne, Wiley, Chichester, A refreshingly
different
568 pp., 1969.
text on marine chemistry
which
puts the proper
emphasis on the physico-chemical background of the subject and particularly on the properties and structure of water itself. Following a very lucid though elementary survey of the physicai chemistry of water and of electrolyte solutions, the classical subject of marine chemistry is presented in considerabIe detail. Measurement techniques, the elemental composition of sea water and its variations, gases. radioactivity and particulates in the marine environmem as well as the effect of biological activity are taken up in turn; the distinguishing feature of this part of the text being the logically clear organisation of the material and its review in the context of the principles presented in the first part. A very welcome innovation is the emphasis given to phenomena at the marine interfaces. i.e. at the air-sea boundary and in the bottom sediment, since so much of the “chemistry” of the marine environment takes place at these boundaries_ Especially topical is the inclusion of the role of bubbles in mass transfer of material from sea to air and of reactions occurring in the bottom sediments. The material is presented in a very personal and conversational manner: this results in easy readability. although this style may be deplored by students looking for definitive statements on the subjects presented. However, the excellent summaries at the end of each chapter will be very helpful to them. Selections from the literature are wefl chosen for their illustrative value and references very much up to date. As is unavoidable in a text of manageable site. some omissions can be noted: the subject of hyper-saline solutions, such as would be found in the lagoonary environment where many of marine sedimentation processes occur, receives scant attention. Also the large scale oceanic transport processes which, after all, determine the spatial distribution of many of the chemical constituents of sea water are short-counted. Indeed the nautical flavour of this science is to some extent Iost in favour of a more laboratory-based presentation. This volume thus forms a valuable complement to the classical texts on descriptive marine chemistry but should not be considered a replacement for them. J. R. GAT (Rehovot~ Reverse
Osntosis.
by S. Sourirajan.
This monograph desalination field. The first chapter
is essentially
Logos
Press Ltd., 1970, 580 pp.. fg.
addressed
deals with membranes
to chemical
engineers
of the Schleicher
in the water
and Schtill type,
Dzsdinalion,
5 (1971)295
CItemisfry, by R. A, Horne, Wiley, Chichester, A refreshingly
different
568 pp., 1969.
text on marine chemistry
which
puts the proper
emphasis on the physico-chemical background of the subject and particularly on the properties and structure of water itself. Following a very lucid though elementary survey of the physicai chemistry of water and of electrolyte solutions, the classical subject of marine chemistry is presented in considerabIe detail. Measurement techniques, the elemental composition of sea water and its variations, gases. radioactivity and particulates in the marine environmem as well as the effect of biological activity are taken up in turn; the distinguishing feature of this part of the text being the logically clear organisation of the material and its review in the context of the principles presented in the first part. A very welcome innovation is the emphasis given to phenomena at the marine interfaces. i.e. at the air-sea boundary and in the bottom sediment, since so much of the “chemistry” of the marine environment takes place at these boundaries_ Especially topical is the inclusion of the role of bubbles in mass transfer of material from sea to air and of reactions occurring in the bottom sediments. The material is presented in a very personal and conversational manner: this results in easy readability. although this style may be deplored by students looking for definitive statements on the subjects presented. However, the excellent summaries at the end of each chapter will be very helpful to them. Selections from the literature are wefl chosen for their illustrative value and references very much up to date. As is unavoidable in a text of manageable site. some omissions can be noted: the subject of hyper-saline solutions, such as would be found in the lagoonary environment where many of marine sedimentation processes occur, receives scant attention. Also the large scale oceanic transport processes which, after all, determine the spatial distribution of many of the chemical constituents of sea water are short-counted. Indeed the nautical flavour of this science is to some extent Iost in favour of a more laboratory-based presentation. This volume thus forms a valuable complement to the classical texts on descriptive marine chemistry but should not be considered a replacement for them. J. R. GAT (Rehovot~ Reverse
Osntosis.
by S. Sourirajan.
This monograph desalination field. The first chapter
is essentially
Logos
Press Ltd., 1970, 580 pp.. fg.
addressed
deals with membranes
to chemical
engineers
of the Schleicher
in the water
and Schtill type,
Dzsdinalion,
5 (1971)295