Free Surface Flow: Environmental Fluid Mechanics, authored by Nikolaos D. Katopodes, offers a comprehensive exploration into various environmental fluid flows including water waves, land runoff, channel flow, and effluent discharge. The book is designed to equip readers with systematic analysis tools and foundational skills necessary for studying fluid mechanics in both natural and constructed environments. It delves deeply into the prediction of changes in free surfaces within rivers, lakes, estuaries, and oceans, which are crucial considerations for designing structures that manage surface waters. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of sustainable fresh-water resource management.

The text aids readers in understanding how to determine solute mass transfer across air-water interfaces, providing valuable insights into environmental fluid dynamics. It also examines the effects of free shear flows on the environment and offers strategies for quantifying mixing mechanisms within turbulent jets and wakes. Moreover, the book guides users through predicting the behavior and movement of contaminants in stratified lakes and estuaries.