Summary

Simple, clear, and to the point, Probability and Statistics Applications for Environmental Science delineates the fundamentals of statistics, imparting a basic understanding of the theory and mechanics of the calculations. User-friendliness, uncomplicated explanations, and coverage of example applications in the environmental field set this book apart from other textbooks on the same subject.

Striking a balance between theory and applied mathematics, the material is divided into three parts. Part I sets the stage with coverage of principles and fundamentals, such as set notation, probability distributions, and the estimation of the mean and variance. Part II discusses traditional statistics applications, centering around the uses of probability distributions, including how they relate to reliability and failure theory. The authors elucidate many of the important distributions, Monte Carlo methods, and fault and event trees. Part III delves into what some have come to define as contemporary statistics. It covers hypothesis testing, Student's t and chi-square tests, regression analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and nonparametric tests.

The book's coverage is thorough, its presentation logical and geared to student's needs. It includes problems and solutions within the text and tables, a glossary of terms, and an introduction to design of experiments in the appendices. The authors, known for their meticulously accurate, articulate, and practical writing style, master the difficult task of explaining very complicated subject matter in a way that is easily understood. The book features a clear, concise presentation that makes both teaching and learning easier.