Duxbury/Introduction to the World's Oceans, 6/e

Journal Review

The following is a review that appeared in the journal Oceanography for Duxbury: Introduction to the World's Oceans, 5/e.

The Duxburys' text, hot off the presses, is an extremely impressive and useful book for a college level class. While the version reviewed in the previous assessment was not appropriate for an undergraduate course, this one is outstanding. So much about it reflects the Duxburys' diligence in researching topics, and attention to detail. Let me march through the subjects reviewed:

Tides - This subject is covered in a whole chapter of some twenty pages, and specifically geared to students who have little or no understanding of vectors. The chapter starts with a good definition of key tidal characteristics: temporal and spatial patterns and variability (including tidal currents). There is a very nice breakout of equilibrium and dynamic theory; in the former, the authors do a nice job of holding the students' hands through some simplified explanations. The section on dynamic tide analysis is impressive in its ties to previous readings on shallow water waves and the Coriolis effect. I would have liked, however, to see a tabular breakout of tidal components. The coverage of cotidal lines and amphidromic points, done in the context of standing waves (including a method to calculate the natural period of oscillation in a tidal basin) is quite clear. The Duxburys' discussion of the capabilities, benefits and detriments of harnessing tidal energy is, in two words, excellent and fair. I also liked their presentation on tides with respect to estuarine mixing and flushing. In summary, this treatment of tides is the best of any of the eight texts now reviewed.

Primary production - Again, this is a thorough and accurate section. Good, clear definition of gross and net production lead smoothly and logically into a discussion of controls. While there is a disappointing paucity of real data in this section, I was encouraged by the brief, but accurate mention of the recent work on trace metal controls. The discussion continues to include a very nice synopsis of average global distributions of production (including numbers) and a good definition of zonally-dependent seasonal variability. Table 14.2, showing relative gross production on land and in the ocean (for different environments), is terrific. The section on measurement methods is short, but complete and up-to-date.

El Nino - I would put the Duxburys' coverage of El Nino near the top, for all of the texts, mostly by virtue of their comprehensiveness. Physical processes, temporal/spatial scales, current state of forecast capabilities, and the concepts of teleconnections, are all included in the text. This is one case where they make nice use of real-world data, and, albeit subtly, they make mention of the relationship between El Nino detection and background global warming signatures. One particularly noteworthy aspect of their coverage of El Nino is their mention, throughout the book, of the potential impact of the phenomenon on a wide range of such societally-important issues as fish stocks, CO2 exchange, and formation of North Atlantic cold water masses.

Hydrothermal vent biota - To their credit the authors include some mention of this subject in their discussion of primary production (in the context of chemosynthesis cf. photosynthesis). They include a few photos, but none as stunning as contained in some of the other texts. My only complaint is that the excitement of the discovery of hydrothermal vent biota and the potential implications in studies of the origins of life, are not appropriately conveyed.

Biodiversity - This subject, while mentioned in passing in the preface, is not specifically called out in the body of the text. There are faint allusions by virtue of discussion on genetic manipulation and non-indigenous species, but the coverage, overall is lacking.

Acoustic thermometry - The reader is reminded that in the previous review fewer than half of the texts discussed this subject, and only one did it well. The Duxburys' excel in this coverage. They include an outstanding definition of the concepts of long range acoustic transmission and the connection to integrated temperature measurement (as well as a very fair discussion on the marine mammal-related concerns for this research). Their section even has brief mention of the recent Transarctic Acoustic

Propagation experiment. A noteworthy related point is their inclusion of a separate section on acoustic tomography (including some discussion on moving source tomography!).

Optics - This coverage is a bit disappointing. While generally accurate, the description of the physics behind water color is insufficient. My main complaint, however, is that the definition of the technology for optical measurement is about twenty years out of date (e.g. hand-held photometers with analog voltmeter readouts). This section has not been researched and updated as well as most of the rest of the text. References - The Duxburys make extensive use of references from the general scientific literature (Scientific American, Oceanus) with a peppering of technical references (Science) and an impressive set of references to the classic oceanographic texts (Shepard, Bascom, Parsons/Takahashi/Hargrave, Pickard/Emery, Riley/Chester, Bowditch, etc.). Students should have no problem finding most of the references included in this text. That's a real plus! The numbers are also very good: an average of 23 references per chapter, with a mean date of 1988 (in the random check of five chapters the oldest reference was from 1953 and the newest from 1996). But, perhaps, most impressive about the references in this text is the inclusion of an extensive set of World Wide Web Home Pages. Regardless of how ephemeral the individual URLs might be, this is an enormously valuable reference tool, and the Duxburys are to be credited for taking a lead among oceanography texts in providing this service. General Comments - This book is a joy to read! The writing is clear and concise, the use of graphics is quite aesthetically pleasing, and there is an outstanding mix of photos, satellite images, schematics and plots of data. Each chapter begins with a literary quote and a short intro, both of which are attractive. All of the chapters include good, short summaries, and an adequate list of key terms. Most of the chapters include a section on practical considerations (e.g. Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, coastal development, fisheries, etc.) which are, generally important, relevant, and thought provoking. Boxes for new techniques and new projects (with most of the emphasis on the former) represent an excellent choice of topics, from remote sensing, to the Navy's Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS), to side-scan technology, to viruses, and even the Great Pacific Sneaker Spill. Overall, the Duxburys have done a very nice job of including current interest items throughout the text (including very recent information on cholera). They've also taken a non-traditional view toward inclusion of environmental concerns, by placing that chapter in the middle of the book (right after the chapter on coastal processes - good thinking!), rather than at the end of the volume (which, for many texts, implies that this subject is nothing more than an afterthought). Each chapter ends with study questions with are comprehensive, but mostly of a review nature. Some chapters also have study problems, which, while almost exclusively mathematical in form, really do test the understanding of the students; there should be more of these. In sum, had this volume been available during the initial review it would have, undoubtedly ranked in the top group.

I am particularly impressed with the Duxburys volume. This is more than a text book ... it is also a good reference document. In fact, I will think seriously about using this new volume in my own course next time around. I highly recommend it for its quality, currency, and completeness.

Dr. Richard W. Spinrad
Director of Research and Education
CORE
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Washington, DC 20036
Phone 202 232-3900 x219
FAX 202 986-5072
E-Mail rspinrad@brook.edu
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