Turns out, it's all in the water

The design of coastal structures, the safety of offshore shipping, the prediction of extreme weather, coastal flooding, and beach erosion--all depend on our ability to understand and predict ocean waves. Such an understanding requires detailed physical models of how waves interact with the environment, the statistical representation of waves and a capability to obtain global data on ocean waves. Ocean Wave Dynamics covers all these challenging areas in a single publication. 

As our understanding of ocean waves increases, we are gradually moving from empirical representations to detailed physical representations. The processes which govern the generation and evolution of ocean waves are extremely complex. Nevertheless, progress in understanding these processes has advanced significantly. This has resulted in a much-enhanced ability to predict waves both at global scale and regionally. Ocean Wave Dynamics outlines in a systematic manner our present understanding of each of these processes and how they result in an enhanced ability to model the complex dynamics of the ocean surface. {module INSIDE STORY}

Eight of the world's top researchers from the fields of physics, oceanography, meteorology, mathematics and engineering have come together to present a comprehensive understanding of research in this field. The most significant aspects of the book include: a detailed explanation of the key research topics in ocean wave dynamics, an explanation of the different approaches adopted in predicting ocean wave evolution and an understanding of areas where future research is required. This understanding will underpin the next generation of wave prediction tools and Metocean engineering methods. Such tools will combine our enhanced understanding of the nonlinear physical processes active, with advanced statistical methods and ever increasing computational power to enhance predictions of both extremes and climatology of ocean waves.

Ocean Wave Dynamics is an important reference for a broad range of potential readers, including ocean engineers, oceanographers, atmospheric scientists, supercomputer modelers, and graduate students. The book retails for US$138 / £120 (hardback) and is also available in electronic formats. To order or learn more about the book, visit http://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/11509.