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Tracer hydrology
Journal of Hydrology, 144 (1993) 429-431 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
429
Book Reviews
Tracer Hydrology, H. Hotzl and A. Werner (Editors), A A Balkema, Rotterdam/Brookfield, 1992, 464 pp., £52, ISBN 90 5410 084 2. This book comprises the Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Water Tracing, held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 21-26 September 1992. An introduction by the first Editor is followed by five papers describing progress in tracer hydrology, as encouraged, "coordinated and performed by an International Association of Tracer Hydrology (ATH)", one of the organising bodies of the symposium, at selected test sites. The remainder of the book is divided, effectively, into three parts, concerned, firstly, with methodical developments in tracing techniques (20 papers), secondly, with applications to situations of porous (10 papers), karst (17 papers) and fissured (12 papers) aquifers and to surface water studies (4 papers) and, thirdly, with mathematical modelling of the resulting measurements (9 papers). The application of tracer techniques in hydrology is not an exact science, so that the particular merit of the present text is the wide range of case studies, initiated not only by the ATH, but undertaken independently by the various specialists present at the symposium. The possibilities for use of tracers in diverse, individual, situations from karst to surface water measurements are demonstrated in the various papers; the sections on developments in the methods and on mathematical modelling are indicative of future possibilities for application and interpretation. The book is well presented and solidly bound. The text and diagrams of all the papers, derived from the camera ready copy of each individual paper are clear, despite a wide variety of typefaces employed by the various authorsl Some further editing of the English language in some of the papers might have been helpful and there is some unevenness in the scientific quality of the material, but this is inevitable in publishing the proceedings of any symposium. Some publishers insist on individual peer review of the papers subsequent to the symposium presentation so that only a revised version appears in the literature. The predominance of European and overseas authors reflects the emphasis on, and the potential for tracing techniques in, areas of karst geology. There is no doubt that this is an excellent compilation of material which is a most useful addition to the bookshelf or library of any organisation or individual with any possible requirement for application of tracing techniques in hydrology. J.S.G. M c C U L L O C H (Oxford, UK)
429
Book Reviews
Tracer Hydrology, H. Hotzl and A. Werner (Editors), A A Balkema, Rotterdam/Brookfield, 1992, 464 pp., £52, ISBN 90 5410 084 2. This book comprises the Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Water Tracing, held in Karlsruhe, Germany from 21-26 September 1992. An introduction by the first Editor is followed by five papers describing progress in tracer hydrology, as encouraged, "coordinated and performed by an International Association of Tracer Hydrology (ATH)", one of the organising bodies of the symposium, at selected test sites. The remainder of the book is divided, effectively, into three parts, concerned, firstly, with methodical developments in tracing techniques (20 papers), secondly, with applications to situations of porous (10 papers), karst (17 papers) and fissured (12 papers) aquifers and to surface water studies (4 papers) and, thirdly, with mathematical modelling of the resulting measurements (9 papers). The application of tracer techniques in hydrology is not an exact science, so that the particular merit of the present text is the wide range of case studies, initiated not only by the ATH, but undertaken independently by the various specialists present at the symposium. The possibilities for use of tracers in diverse, individual, situations from karst to surface water measurements are demonstrated in the various papers; the sections on developments in the methods and on mathematical modelling are indicative of future possibilities for application and interpretation. The book is well presented and solidly bound. The text and diagrams of all the papers, derived from the camera ready copy of each individual paper are clear, despite a wide variety of typefaces employed by the various authorsl Some further editing of the English language in some of the papers might have been helpful and there is some unevenness in the scientific quality of the material, but this is inevitable in publishing the proceedings of any symposium. Some publishers insist on individual peer review of the papers subsequent to the symposium presentation so that only a revised version appears in the literature. The predominance of European and overseas authors reflects the emphasis on, and the potential for tracing techniques in, areas of karst geology. There is no doubt that this is an excellent compilation of material which is a most useful addition to the bookshelf or library of any organisation or individual with any possible requirement for application of tracing techniques in hydrology. J.S.G. M c C U L L O C H (Oxford, UK)