Saturday 20 April 2013

A quick book review: Gravel-bed rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments

A new Willey-Blackwell publication reflects trends and key contributions of the 7th International Gravel bed Rivers Workshop, which was held in September, 2010, at Tadoussac, Quebec. Thus, the publication presents a definitive review of current knowledge of these fluvial systems covering both fundamental and applied topics, divided in to main chapters: secondary flows in rivers, sediment transport, modelling morphodynamics, river restoration and regulation, ecological aspects of gravel-bed rivers, tools for study (including remote sensing, LiDAR, water surface-velocity radars etc.), steep channels, semi-alluvial channels (including bedrock channels), river channel change and ice in gravel-bed rivers.

Each of a chapter is written by leading specialists of a topic. Moreover, discussions after most of chapters are added, presenting some important opinions and comments noted by other experts. Individual chapters are accompanied with many illustrative photos, maps and graphs including color plate sections. We warns that the publication cannot be understood as some educational text, but it provides a comprehensive review of recent trends in fluvial geomorphology and related disciplines. The book also clearly demonstrates a contrast between top world-wide science and a state of fluvial geomorphology research in Czech Republic.

Church, M., Biron, P.M., Roy, A.G. (2012): Gravel-bed Rivers: Processes, Tools, Environments. John Willey & Sons, 580 p. ISBN: 978-0-470-68890-8