Computer Techniques in Environmental Studies IV: Co-published with Computational Mechanics Publications

This book presents the Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference ENVIROSOFT 92. Since the beginning of this conference cycle in 1986, EN VIROSOFT has provided a forum for discussion and debate for scientists, engineers and decision makers involved in the development and application of computer techniques to environmental sciences. Our main goal is to pro vide an opportunity for cross-fertilization among the several groups involved in the study of the environment. A couple of years ago a reviewer of ENVIROSOFT 90 made a very in teresting and appropriate comment. He congratulated us for the effort of providing a forum for discussion among environmental scientists but criti cized us for maintaining, in the proceedings and in the conference schedule, a strict division between 'atmospheric' papers, 'water' papers, etc. I agree with the reviewer and, in this conference, I made an effort to separate the articles not on the basis of their physical medium (air, water, groundwa ter, etc.) but on the basis of the methods and approaches adopted by the authors. Again, I hope that this change will improve the dialogue among scientists and, in particular, the interactions between 'air' and 'water' re searchers.