There has been a tremendous growth of interest in the study of fluid dynamics in the Earth, marine, atmospheric and environmental sciences community in the past couple of decades. Part of this interest has been stimulated by the taking out and application of what once tended to be a theoretical, highly mathematical and statistical science, part of applied mathematics, into many diverse field situations and environmental problem areas that often require practical solutions by natural scientists in limited time. Other reasons are the tremendous breakthroughs made in fluid dynamical measurement and monitoring made possible by remote flow monitoring, robust microelectronics and cheap, superfast computers. For example it is now possible to obtain and process very detailed and precise 3D turbulence data, undisturbed by instrumental artifices, in both pure experimental and natural 'dirty' flows, revealing details of flow structure and sediment movement that were undreamt of a decade ago.
Yet the subject of physical fluid dynamics has traditionally been seen as 'difficult' by generations of engineering, physics and mathematical students (in a gathering of eminent, 60-something, cosmic ray physicists it was opined to be the most difficult subject experienced during student days) and well nigh impossible by most others. Some of the difficulties are indeed real, for the subject requires careful development and some deep insights into fluid physics. But others are merely apparent, due in large part to the mastery required of advanced mathematics before physical reality is evident in the outcome. Talented mathematical physicists and applied mathematicians will continue to examine fluids from their special points of view. However, it is the very large constituency of often only moderately mathematically-talented (or even only moderately-interested) Earth and environmental sciences students whom we must reach: they have come to University to study the real world in which fluid flows happen and in which they have to monitor, study and predict the impact of environmental flows on society.
This requires the subject to be taught by its characteristics in the round, not just by the application of clever mathematics to a narrow area. Often in such cases it is the descriptive appearance of a particular flow that first excites the attention of the student or environmental practitioner, rather than to its immediate translation into a differential equation. Hence there is a key role to be played by experimental flow visualisation in introducing the nature of the flow processes that can subsequently be analysed physically and dynamically with appropriate mathematics and physics
- ISBN10 1405186208
- ISBN13 9781405186209
- Publish Date 27 March 2009
- Publish Status Cancelled
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher John Wiley and Sons Ltd
- Imprint Wiley-Blackwell (an imprint of John Wiley & Sons Ltd)
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 320
- Language English
- URL http://wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405186208.html