The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report (2007) acknowledged that current ice sheet models do not adequately treat the dynamic response of ice sheets to climate change. This second edition addresses these issues through the addition of new chapters covering glacier instabilities, the interpretation of observations, and ice sheets and sea level. Another new chapter covers glacier mass balance. The text also provides the necessary background and theoretical foundation for developing more realistic ice sheet models, which is essential for better integration of data and observations as well as for better model development.
Measuring, monitoring, and modeling technologies and methods changed the field of glaciology significantly in the 14 years since the publication of the first edition of Fundamentals of Glacier Dynamics. Designed to help readers achieve the basic level of understanding required to describe and model the flow and dynamics of glaciers, this second edition provides a theoretical framework for quantitatively interpreting glacier changes and for developing models of glacier flow. See What’s New in the Second Edition: Streamlined organization focusing on theory, model development, and data interpretation Introductory chapter reviews the most important mathematical tools used throughout the remainder of the book New chapter on fracture mechanics and iceberg calving Consolidated chapter covers applications of the force-budget technique using measurements of surface velocity to locate mechanical controls on glacier flow The latest developments in theory and modeling, including the addition of a discussion of exact time-dependent similarity solutions that can be used for verification of numerical models The book emphasizes developing procedures and presents derivations leading to frequently used equations step by step to allow readers to grasp the mathematical details as well as physical approximations involved without having to consult the original works. As a result, readers will have gained the understanding needed to apply similar techniques to somewhat different applications. Extensively updated with new material and focusing more on presenting the theoretical foundations of glacier flow, the book provides the tools for model validation in the form of analytical steady-state and time-evolving solutions. It provides the necessary background and theoretical foundation for developing more realistic ice-sheet models, which is essential for better integration of data and observations as well as for better model development.
Mathematical and Physical Fundamentals of Climate Change is the first book to provide an overview of the math and physics necessary for scientists to understand and apply atmospheric and oceanic models to climate research. The book begins with basic mathematics then leads on to specific applications in atmospheric and ocean dynamics, such as fluid dynamics, atmospheric dynamics, oceanic dynamics, and glaciers and sea level rise. Mathematical and Physical Fundamentals of Climate Change provides a solid foundation in math and physics with which to understand global warming, natural climate variations, and climate models. This book informs the future users of climate models and the decision-makers of tomorrow by providing the depth they need. Developed from a course that the authors teach at Beijing Normal University, the material has been extensively class-tested and contains online resources, such as presentation files, lecture notes, solutions to problems and MATLab codes. - Includes MatLab and Fortran programs that allow readers to create their own models - Provides case studies to show how the math is applied to climate research - Online resources include presentation files, lecture notes, and solutions to problems in book for use in classroom or self-study
This text brings together meteorology and the theory of glacier flow, providing a fundamental understanding of how glaciers respond to climate change. Attention is paid to the microclimate of glaciers and the physical processes regulating the exchange of energy and mass between glacier surface and atmosphere. Simple analytical and numerical models are used to: · investigate glaciers sensitivity to climate change · estimate response times · make an interpretation of historical glacier records · assess the contribution of glacier melt to sea-level rise Modern developments in glacier research, including satellite measurements are discussed in detail, making this a valuable reference source.
The earth’s cryosphere, which includes snow, glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, ice shelves, sea ice, river and lake ice, and permafrost, contains about 75% of the earth’s fresh water. It exists at almost all latitudes, from the tropics to the poles, and plays a vital role in controlling the global climate system. It also provides direct visible evidence of the effect of climate change, and, therefore, requires proper understanding of its complex dynamics. This encyclopedia mainly focuses on the various aspects of snow, ice and glaciers, but also covers other cryospheric branches, and provides up-to-date information and basic concepts on relevant topics. It includes alphabetically arranged and professionally written, comprehensive and authoritative academic articles by well-known international experts in individual fields. The encyclopedia contains a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from the atmospheric processes responsible for snow formation; transformation of snow to ice and changes in their properties; classification of ice and glaciers and their worldwide distribution; glaciation and ice ages; glacier dynamics; glacier surface and subsurface characteristics; geomorphic processes and landscape formation; hydrology and sedimentary systems; permafrost degradation; hazards caused by cryospheric changes; and trends of glacier retreat on the global scale along with the impact of climate change. This book can serve as a source of reference at the undergraduate and graduate level and help to better understand snow, ice and glaciers. It will also be an indispensable tool containing specialized literature for geologists, geographers, climatologists, hydrologists, and water resources engineers; as well as for those who are engaged in the practice of agricultural and civil engineering, earth sciences, environmental sciences and engineering, ecosystem management, and other relevant subjects.
The new Second Edition of Glacial Geology provides a modern, comprehensive summary of glacial geology and geomorphology. It is has been thoroughly revised and updated from the original First Edition. This book will appeal to all students interested in the landforms and sediments that make up glacial landscapes. The aim of the book is to outline glacial landforms and sediments and to provide the reader with the tools required to interpret glacial landscapes. It describes how glaciers work and how the processes of glacial erosion and deposition which operate within them are recorded in the glacial landscape. The Second Edition is presented in the same clear and concise format as the First Edition, providing detailed explanations that are not cluttered with unnecessary detail. Additions include a new chapter on Glaciations around the Globe, demonstrating the range of glacial environments present on Earth today and a new chapter on Palaeoglaciology, explaining how glacial landforms and sediments are used in ice-sheet reconstructions. Like the original book, text boxes are used throughout to explain key concepts and to introduce students to case study material from the glacial literature. Newly updated sections on Further Reading are also included at the end of each chapter to point the reader towards key references. The book is illustrated throughout with colour photographs and illustrations.
The Physics of Glaciers, Fourth Edition, discusses the physical principles that underlie the behavior and characteristics of glaciers. The term glacier refers to all bodies of ice created by the accumulation of snowfall, e.g., mountain glaciers, ice caps, continental ice sheets, and ice shelves. Glaciology—the study of all forms of ice—is an interdisciplinary field encompassing physics, geology, atmospheric science, mathematics, and others. This book covers various aspects of glacier studies, including the transformation of snow to ice, grain-scale structures and ice deformation, mass exchange processes, glacial hydrology, glacier flow, and the impact of climate change. The present edition features two new chapters: "Ice Sheets and the Earth System and "Ice, Sea Level, and Contemporary Climate Change. The chapter on ice core studies has been updated from the previous version with new material. The materials on the flow of mountain glaciers, ice sheets, ice streams, and ice shelves have been combined into a single chapter entitled "The Flow of Ice Masses. - Completely updated and revised, with 30% new material including climate change - Accessible to students, and an essential guide for researchers - Authored by preeminent glaciologists
The Hydrological Cycle theme is a component of Encyclopedia of Water Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty Encyclopedias. The Hydrological Cycle is a process of constant water exchange or water circulation in the hydrosphere, i.e. in the system of the atmosphere - Earth's surface – soil cover - upper lithosphere (to a depth of 2000 m). Water in the hydrosphere is liquid, solid or gaseous; during the hydrological cycle it moves under the effect of heat energy, gravitation and capillary forces, converting from a liquid to its solid state or gas, and back. The hydrological cycle is one of the major geophysical processes on the planet providing relative stability of natural conditions and continuous distribution of water between ocean, land and atmosphere. The content of the Theme on The Hydrological Cycle is organized with state-of-the-art presentations covering several topics: Exchanges of Water in the Hydrosphere; Hydrosphere Components; World Water Balance; evaporation; Precipitation; Surface Water Runoff; Groundwater Hydrogeology; Glaciers and Their Significance for the Earth Nature, which are then expanded into multiple subtopics, each as a chapter. These four volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, Managers, and Decision makers and NGOs
