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Water shapes the planet and all life upon it. Breaking down traditional disciplinary barriers, this accessible, holistic introduction to the role and importance of water in Earth's physical and biological environments assumes no prior knowledge. It provides the reader with a clear and coherent explanation of the unique properties of water and how these allow it to affect landscapes and underpin all life on Earth. Contemporary issues surrounding water quality – such as the rise of microplastics and climate change – are highlighted, ensuring readers understand current debates. Giving all of the necessary background and up-to-date references, and including numerous examples and illustrations to explain concepts, worked mathematical calculations, and extensive end-of-chapter questions, this is the ideal introductory textbook for students seeking to understand the inextricable links between water and the environment.
1. The historical significance of water
2. The composition of water
3. The properties of water
4. The origin of water
5. The distribution of liquid water
6. The distribution of ice
7. Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
8. Melting and freezing, sublimation and deposition
9. Liquid water weathering, erosion, and landforms
10. Cold region processes and landforms
11. The ascent of water within vegetation
12. Transpiration
13. Water and thermoregulation: amphibians, reptiles, and insects
14. Water and thermoregulation: humans
15. Water quality
16. Changes in evaporation and humidity
Peter D. Blanken is a Professor and former Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where he has taught courses in climatology and biometeorology for over 25 years. His research appears in almost 150 peer-reviewed journal articles and several book chapters. He is co-author of Microclimate and Local Climate (2016, Cambridge University Press), and has served on the Editorial Board of the Bulletin of the American Meteorology Society for over 20 years.
