Hydrologic science -- the important, interdisciplinary science dealing with the occurrence, distribution, and properties of water on Earth -- is central to understanding and resolving many contemporary, large-scale environmental issues. In this book, the Water Science and Technology Board uses the 1997 Abel Wolman Distinguished Lecture to assess the vitality of the hydrologic sciences by the hydrologic community. The event included Thomas Dunne's lecture on the intellectual vitality of the hydrologic sciences, followed by a symposium featuring several invited papers and discussions.
Hydrologic Sciences is a compilation of the Wolman Lecture and the papers, including a summarizing overview. The volume stresses the need for furtherance of hydrologic science, including the development of a coherent body of transferable theory, an intellectual center for the science, the communication across multiple geo- and environmental science disciplines, the appropriate measurements and observations, and a provision of central guidance for the field.