Book reviews 173
title I would question their final judgement which led to the three
main parts of the book being entitled "Runoff processes and erosion
dynamics" , "Sediment and solute yields" , and "Hillslope and channel
processes". It is difficult to see how the last can avoid subsuming
the first two. Indeed, if we accept with Davis (1899), as the
editors appear to, that the river and the hillside waste sheet are
". . .the end members of a continuous series [so that] one may fairly
extend the 'river' all over its basin and up to its very divides",
even the separation of hillslopes and channel processes involves
redundancy. Hydrologically this is certainly the case (although
this does not prevent some hydrologists from indulging in the
analagous tautology, i.e. "hillslope hydrology"!).
It would be unfair, however, to overemphasize the infelicities of
title and organization; the content
is excellent. Well illustrated
and extensively references field examples from a wide variety of
climatological and geological environments make this book an
invaluable source of ideas and data for geomorphologist and
hydrologist alike. Anyone who is actively working in either field
should have a copy on their shelves.
R.C.Ward
University
REFERENCE
Davis, W.M. (1899) The geographical cycle.
481-504.
of Hull, UK
Geographical
J.
14,
HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES IN TROPICAL REGIONS by
J.Balek; published 1983 as no. 18 in the series
Developments in Water Science bv Elsevier Scientific
Publishing, PO Box 330, 1000 A Amsterdam, The Netherlands;
271 pp.; price $70.25(US) or Dfl 165; ISBN 0-444-99656-7.
J.Balek's present book is based on his book Hydrology
and Water
Resources
in Tropical
Africa,
published in 1977, which he has
expanded to cover the rest of the tropical world. He has also
revised sections dealing with tropical Africa by including new
material that has appeared since 1977. The book is an important
contribution which treats together the main factors behind the water
balance components and the relationships between the components in
the different hydro-ecological zones within the tropics. It
provides one with the basis by which to compare the essential
differences between the hydrology of the tropics and that of other
climatic regions, particularly those of the mid-latitudes where data
collection and analytical techniques, and hydrological models, have
been developed and until recently applied to the tropics without
question.
Those interested in the water resources of the tropics will find
that the book provides only a brief introduction to the subject.
The references provided at the end of each chapter can be a good
starting point for a detailed study of aspects of the subject matter
of the book.
The book is essential reading material for students, teachers and
174 Book reviews
researchers of tropical hydrology.
Nii Boi Ayibotele
Water Resources
Research
Institute,
Accra, Ghana
PRINCIPLES OF WATER QUALITY by Thomas D.Waite with
chapters by J.E.Quont and Neil J.Freeman; published 1984
by Academic Press, 24/28 Oval Road, London NW1 7DX, UK;
289 + ix pp.; price $45(US) or £31.50; ISBN 0-12-730860-1.
Many factors have an influence on water quality, and the complex
interrelationships between natural and manmade processes must be
appreciated before a sound understanding of the subject can be
gained.
This book aims at providing an introduction to the fundamental
environmental processes which control the movement of materials in
natural systems and the engineering approaches used for the
improvement of water quality. Topics covered include: natural
environmental processes; toxic metals; refractory organic compounds;
microorganisms; thermal pollution; airborne contaminants; nutrients,
productivity and eutrophication; water quality modelling; water
quality standards and management approaches. Each chapter provides
a sound introduction to its topic utilizing appropriate aspects of
chemistry, microbiology and physics in such a way that readers
without a strong scientific background can still gain a good
appreciation of the subject matter. The text is presented in a
readable style and is supplemented by numerous clear diagrams and
some useful tables. Most chapters have a reasonable number of
references to permit the reader to pursue particular aspects in
more detail, although the majority of references originate in the
USA. A surprising feature of the chapter on water quality modelling,
a very active area at the moment, is that it contains only one
reference. It is a pity that the chapter on water quality standards
is based almost entirely on US practice; some discussion of
techniques used in other parts of the world would have provided a
more balanced coverage. These minor criticisms do not, however,
seriously detract from the usefulness of the book which could be
read with profit by a wider audience than the student readership for
which the author has produced it.
T.H.Y.Tebbutt
Uni ver situ
of Birmingham, UK
PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED BY THE EDITOR
1.
2.
Hydrology
of Large Flatlands
vols I, II and III (Proceedings of
the Olavarria Symposium, April 1983). Published 1984 by the
Argentine National Committee for the IHP, Av.9 de Julio 1925 15°, 1332 Buenos Aires, Argentina, and UNESCO.
Fluvial
Forms and Processes
by David Knighton. Published 1984
by Edward Arnold Ltd, 41 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3DQ, UK.