23-Instrumentation for coastal hydrological studies - State of art

Abstract

Coastal zones of our country have become the most densely populated areas due to the availability of flat land, good soils, transportation facilities and high productivity. Coastal areas undergo severe and complex issues than most other land and water resources and must be viewed as an important component of a water resources system. It is a fact that the major portion of biological production are from coastal resources (12-24 percent). However, hydrological studies of the coastal areas have not been given adequate importance. To understand the various hydrological phenomena, it is essential to conduct field and laboratory studies which require modern instruments and techniques. The main objective of this chapter is to give theoretical and practical aspects of various types of hydrological instruments involved in sampling (watersediments) and laboratory analysis. However, here only a brief outline on the use and limitations of the instruments are discussed to draw attention of the engineers and scientists to come up with modern techniques.