Aquatic Physiosphere-Biosphere Dynamics and Modelling (eBook)

This encyclopedia is a reference for aquatic physical, biological and biogeochemical sciences, collecting and connecting a number of topics, concepts and facts about aquatic systems and their scientific investigation. The scope of the book comprises the aquatic physiosphere-biosphere transition zone, an entity that encompasses both inanimate matter and collectives (the physiosphere) as well as living organisms and collectives (the biosphere). This combined approach is meaningful because both realms are intimately linked and because available methods of investigation are often similar. Much can be gained from considering both spheres at and across their interface jointly, and while there is a strong focus on marine systems, most concepts presented are also applicable to freshwater systems. This presented snapshot of knowledge of the transition zone between the aquatic physiosphere and biosphere is taken from a very specific angle: the point of view of a modeler. Modeling is not only a state-of-the-art mode of scientific investigation, but also requires the explicit specification of all assumptions (helping to avoid fallacies), and offers the advantage of being quantitative and allows for theoretical 'what if' scenarios.

Dr. Aike Beckmann (retired) is a physical oceanographer by training and has worked for more than 30 years in the areas of ocean and sea ice modelling at various research institutions, both nationally and internationally. He has authored and co-authored 62 peer-reviewed publications in international journals and encyclopedias. His areas of expertise cover numerous aspects of the marine hydrosphere (ocean circulation, waves, water masses from local to global scales) and cryosphere (sea ice, ice shelves, coupling to atmosphere and ocean), and more recently, the marine biosphere (models of ecosystem dynamics and biogeochemical cycling). His main method of investigation is numerical modelling. Moreover, he has been involved in university teaching of about 20 years, giving numerous lectures, seminars and exercises on physical oceanography, hydrodynamics, sea ice, numeral modelling and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems.