Methods of Environmental Data Analysis (Hardcover)

The amount of data gathered on a range of environmental parameters has significantly increased. This has been accompanied by the introduction of personal computers in the analytical laboratory, the expanding automation of sampling and analytical devices and the rapid adoption of remote sensing techniques. Raw data, however, convey very little readily assimilated information: it is only when they are analyzed, tabulated, displayed and presented can they serve the scientific and management functions for which they were collected. This text provides the environmental scientist with descriptions of the methods required to turn basic data into visually intelligible and useful information. From essential statistical techniques to graphical presentation and methods of analyzing and determining errors and detection limits, experts in each subject explain in detail the principles and applications. These are supported by examples to illustrate the use of particular techniques.