Micro- and nano-scale flows relevant to the environment

Fluid dynamics principles are relevant to flow and transport processes at all length scales in the environment, from the natural environment of the atmosphere, oceans and other bodies of water, to the subsurface flows of water and oil, and in the built environment of our homes, work places, and vehicles for transportation. This chapter focuses on topics where flow occurs on the nano- and micro-length scales, so from nanometers to hundreds of micrometers, which is often a regime not considered when presenting environmentally relevant themes in traditional courses and research articles. The presentation is in the form of sketches of themes and application areas, which serve to highlight the breadth of this range of environmental fluid mechanics problems.