Hydrologic Sciences: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead (Environmental Science)

Hydrologic science, an important, interdisciplinary science dealing with the occurrence, distribution, and properties of water on Earth, is key to understanding and resolving many contemporary, large-scale environmental issues. The Water Science and Technology Board used the opportunity of its 1997 Abel Wolman Distinguished Lecture to assess the vitality of the hydrologic sciences by the hydrologic community. The format included focus by lecturer Thomas Dunne on the intellectual vitality of the hydrologic sciences, followed by a symposium featuring several invited papers and discussions.
Hydrologic Sciences is a compilation of the Wolman Lecture and the papers, preceded by a summarizing overview. The volume stresses a number of needs for furtherance of hydrologic science, including development of a coherent body of transferable theory and an intellectual center for the science, communication across multiple geo- and environmental science disciplines, appropriate measurements and observations, and provision of central guidance for the field.

• Front Matter
• Overview
• 1 Wolman Lecture: Hydrologic Science...in Landscapes...on a Planet...in the Future
• 2 Aquatic Ecosystems: Defined by Hydrology. Holistic Approaches Required for Understanding, Utilizing, and Protecting Freshwater Resources
• 3 Hydrologic Measurements and Observations: An Assessment of Needs
• 4 Ground Water Dating and Isotope Chemistry
• 5 Streamflow Prediction: Capabilities, Opportunities, and Challenges
• Appendix: Biographical Sketches of Abel Wolman Distinguished Lecturer and Symposium on Hydrologic Sciences