Gravity Currents: In the Environment and the Laboratory

This book comprehensively describes all aspects of gravity flow, a physical process in the environment that is covered by many disciplines including meteorology, oceanography, the earth sciences and industrial processes. The first edition was very well received, and the author has brought the new edition completely up to date, with much new material. Simpson describes gravity currents with a variety of laboratory experiments, many from his own work. Gravity Currents is a valuable supplementary textbook for undergraduates and a reference work for research workers. The general reader will also find much of interest, since the author clearly describes the physics of flows involved without advanced mathematics, and with numerous photographs and illustrations.

Table of Contents:
Foreword Steve Thorpe; Preface; 1. The nature of gravity currents; 2. Atmospheric gravity currents; 3. Sea-breeze fronts; 4. Gravity currents in satellite imagery; 5. Fronts and topography; 6. Environmental problems: atmosphere; 7. Gravity currents in rivers, lakes and the ocean; 8. Industrial problems with gravity currents: oceanography; 9. Avalanches; 10. Volcanic gravity currents; 11. The anatomy of a gravity current; 12. Spread of dense fluid; 13. Ambient stratification; 14. Ambient turbulence; 15. Viscous gravity currents; 16. Suspension flows; 17. Gravity currents on a rotating earth; 18. Numerical models of gravity currents; Index.

Review :
From reviews of the first edition: 'Dr Simpson's book goes a long way to communicate the enormous wealth of information and insight gained by the author over a lifetime of study … a lucid and very readable account of almost every conceivable aspect of gravity currents and their natural manifestations … I would heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in our fluid environment … as an all-too-rare example of a scientific 'good read'.' Peter L. Read, Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society ' … a rich collection of photographs and diagrams of gravity currents in all sorts of environments. With a well balanced mixture of descriptive and analytical treatment of the physics, the book provides the natural scientist with an informative overview of this important dynamical process. Any scientist with even the slightest concern for fluid processes will be entertained and informed by Simpson's book, and students of fluid dynamics and other natural sciences will find a very accessible entry into this field.' Limnology and Oceanograph 'The subject is explained in lucid and precise language, with the help of many sketches, photos and diagrams … The second half of the book … should be required reading for every student of meteorology or oceanography ... undoubted value as an introduction to key atmospheric phenomena of moderate scale.' EOS, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union '… This new edition will continue to find a wide readership amongst meteorologists and oceanographers, at all levels from undergraduate to research specialist. I would thoroughly recommend it to anyone who has an amateur or professional interest in small-scale or mesoscale atmospheric phenomena. It is rare to find an author who can communicate scientific ideas with such obvious enthusiasm.' Weather '… a lucid and very readable account of almost every conceivable aspect of gravity currents and their natural manifestations … I would heartily recommend it to anyone with an interest in our fluid environment … as an all-too-rare example of a scientific 'good read'.' Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society '… I recommend it to both the general reader and the scientist with an interest or problem related to gravity currents.' Debbie Abbs, World Meteorological Organization '… can be recommended enthusiastically both to experts in the filed and readers who hav emore general interests in meteorology, oceanography, or other areas of fluid mechanics … highly readable.' EOS ' ... each chapter is brief and very readable, with a largely non-mathematical approach, very well illustrated ... provides an excellent review of a wide and fascinating field.' Geological Magazine 'This book is a considerable expansion of an earlier edition published a decade ago and represents the accumulated wisdom of a career devoted to observation and laboratory simulation of small-scale environmental fluid mechanical phenomena. The result can be recommended enthusiastically both to experts in the field and readers who have more general interests in meteorology, oceanography, or other areas of fluid mechanics. ... Simpson's highly readable book falls into the narrow class of serious monographs on fluid mechanics that also make excellent bed-time reading! The level of this book makes it very suitable for graduate students. This would be an excellent supplement to the usual meteorological curriculum that often slights the subject of dynamics of small-scale atmospheric phenomena. Eos 'This book … is wonderful to look at and highly pleasing to read.' Ignaz Vergeiner, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics 'This book with its great variety of examples from the atmosphere, rivers and oceans and its many photos and lucid illustrations is wonderful to look at and highly pleasing to read.' Ignaz Vergeiner, Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics ' … Simpson communicates his enthusiasm for, and knowledge of, this subject in a very easy and readable manner.' Weather