Environmental Modeling: A Practical Introduction - Rilegato

Barnsley, Mike J.

Rilegato

ISBN 10: 0415300541 ISBN 13: 9780415300544

Casa editrice: CRC Press, 2007

Riassunto

Increasingly used to represent climatic, biogeochemical, and ecological systems, computer modeling has become an important tool that should be in every environmental professional’s toolbox. Environmental Modeling: A Practical Introduction is just what it purports to be, a practical introduction to the various methods, techniques, and skills required for computerized environmental modeling. Exploring the broad arena of environmental modeling, the book demonstrates how to represent an environmental problem in conceptual terms, formalize the conceptual model using mathematical expressions, convert the mathematical model into a program that can be run on a desktop or laptop computer, and examine the results produced by the computational model.

Equally important, the book imparts skills that allow you to develop, implement, and experiment with a range of computerized environmental models. The emphasis is on active engagement in the modeling process rather than on passive learning about a suite of well-established models. The author takes a practical approach throughout, one that does not get bogged down in the details of the underlying mathematics and that encourages learning through “hands on” experimentation. He provides a set of software tools and data sets that you can use to work through the various examples and exercises presented in each chapter, as well as presentational material and handouts for course tutors. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the book discusses how computational models can be used to represent environmental systems and illustrates how such models improve understanding of the ways in which environmental systems function.

Su questo libro

L'autore

Barnsley, Mike J.

Contenuti

MODELS AND MODELING

Why Model?
The Modeling Process
Llyn Efyrnwy
Structure and Objectives of the Book
Resources on the CD-ROM
Typographical Conventions

VISUALIZING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

Introduction
Creating Two-Dimensional Plots
Plotting Time-Series Data
Plotting in Three Dimensions
Printing Plots
Exporting Graphics Files
Command-Line Scripts
Summary

PROCESSING ENVIRONMENTAL DATA

Introduction
Structure of the Llyn Efyrnwy Precipitation Data
Creating and Running a Simple gawk Program
Using gawk to Process Selected Fields
Storing the gawk Program in a File
Using gawk to Process Selected Records
Controlling the Format of the Output
Redirecting the Output to a File
Visualizing the Output Data
Logical or Boolean Operators in gawk
Summary

WIND SPEED AND WIND POWER

Introduction
Description of the Wind Speed Data
Calculating the Annual Mean Wind Speed
Determining the Maximum Wind Speed
Exploring Wind Speed Variability
Wind Energy and Power
Summary

SOLAR RADIATION AT EARTH’S SURFACE

Introduction
Description of the Solar Irradiance Data
Analyzing the Observations
Modeling Solar Irradiance
Summary

LIGHT INTERACTION WITH A PLANT CANOPY

Introduction
Developing a Model of Light Interaction with Plant Canopies
A Two-Layer Light Interaction Model
Accounting for Multiple Scattering
Multiple Leaf-Layer Models
Summary

ANALYTICAL AND NUMERICAL SOLUTIONS

Introduction
An Exact Analytical Solution to the Two-Layer Model
An Iterative Numerical Solution to the Multiple Leaf-Layer Model
Bouguer’s Law and the Attenuation Coefficient
Summary

POPULATION DYNAMICS

Introduction
Unconstrained or Density-Independent Growth
Constrained or Density-Dependent Growth
Numerical Integration (or Stepping) Methods
Inter-Specific Competition
Predator-Prey Relationships
Summary

BIOSPHERIC FEEDBACK ON DAISYWORLD

Introduction
Description and Assumptions of the Conceptual Model
Formulating the Mathematical Model
Implementing the Computational Model
Sensitivity Analysis and Uncertainty Analysis
Summary
MODELING INCIDENT SOLAR RADIATION AND HYDROLOGICAL NETWORKS OVER NATURAL TERRAIN
Introduction
Visualizing Digital Elevation Data as an Array
Handling Multi-Dimensional Arrays in gawk
Determining Terrain Gradient and Aspect
Solar Irradiance on Sloping Terrain
Modeling Hydrological Networks
Summary and Further Directions

INSTALLING AND RUNNING THE SOFTWARE

Introduction
Some Basic Computing Concepts
Installing and Running gnuplot
Installing and Running gawk

GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE

Preamble
Terms and Conditions for Copying, Distribution and Modification
No Warranty

GNUPLOT LICENSE

STANDARDS

International Standard Date and Time Notation
SI Units (Systéme International d’Unités)

SOLUTIONS TO EXERCISES

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

LIST OF SYMBOLS

REFERENCES
INDEX

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: CRC Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0415300541
• ISBN 13: 9780415300544
• Rilegatura: Copertina rigida
• Lingua: Inglese
• Numero edizione: 1
• Numero di pagine: 432