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Few scientists doubt the prediction that the antropogenic release
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to some warming of
the earth's climate. So there is good reason to investigate the
possible effects of such a warming, in dependence of geographical
and social economic setting. Many bodies, governmental or not, have
organized meetings and issued reports in which the carbon dioxide
problem is defined, reviewed, and possible threats assessed. The
rate at which such reports are produced still increases. However,
while more and more people are getting involved in the 'carbon
dioxide business', the number of investigators working on the basic
problems grows, in our view, too slowly. Many fundamental questions
are still not answered in a satisfactory way, and the carbon
dioxide building rests on a few thin pillars. One such fundamental
question concerns the change in sea level associated with a
climatic warming of a few degrees. A number of processes can be
listed that could all lead to changes of the order of tens of
centimeters (e. g. thermal expansion, change in mass balance of
glaciers and ice sheets). But the picture of the carbon dioxide
problem has frequently be made more dramatic by suggesting that the
West Antarctic Ice Sheet is unstable, implying a certain
probability of a 5 m higher sea-level stand within a few
centuries."
Climate modelling is a field in rapid development, and the fltudy
of cryospheric processes has become an important part of it. On
smaller time scales, the effect of snow cover and sea ice on the
atmospheric circulation is of concern for long-range weather
forecasting. Thinking in decades or centuries, the effect of a C02
climatic warming on the present-day ice sheets, and the resulting
changes in global sea level, has drawn a lot of attention. In
particular, the dynamics of marine ice sheets (ice sheets on a bed
that would be below sea level after removal of ice and full
isostatic rebound) is a subject of continuous research. This
interest stems from the fact that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a
marine ice sheet which, according to some workers, may be close to
a complete collapse. The Pleistocene ice ages, or glacial cycles,
are best characterized by total ice volume on earth, indicating
that on 4 5 large time scales (10 to 10 yr) ice sheets are a
dominant component of the climate system. The enormous amount of
paleoclimatic information obtained from deep-sea sediments in the
last few decades has led to a complete revival of iriterest in the
physical aspects of the Pleistocene climatic evolution.
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.
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.
Few scientists doubt the prediction that the antropogenic release
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to some warming of
the earth's climate. So there is good reason to investigate the
possible effects of such a warming, in dependence of geographical
and social economic setting. Many bodies, governmental or not, have
organized meetings and issued reports in which the carbon dioxide
problem is defined, reviewed, and possible threats assessed. The
rate at which such reports are produced still increases. However,
while more and more people are getting involved in the 'carbon
dioxide business', the number of investigators working on the basic
problems grows, in our view, too slowly. Many fundamental questions
are still not answered in a satisfactory way, and the carbon
dioxide building rests on a few thin pillars. One such fundamental
question concerns the change in sea level associated with a
climatic warming of a few degrees. A number of processes can be
listed that could all lead to changes of the order of tens of
centimeters (e. g. thermal expansion, change in mass balance of
glaciers and ice sheets). But the picture of the carbon dioxide
problem has frequently be made more dramatic by suggesting that the
West Antarctic Ice Sheet is unstable, implying a certain
probability of a 5 m higher sea-level stand within a few centuries.
Climate modelling is a field in rapid development, and the fltudy
of cryospheric processes has become an important part of it. On
smaller time scales, the effect of snow cover and sea ice on the
atmospheric circulation is of concern for long-range weather
forecasting. Thinking in decades or centuries, the effect of a C02
climatic warming on the present-day ice sheets, and the resulting
changes in global sea level, has drawn a lot of attention. In
particular, the dynamics of marine ice sheets (ice sheets on a bed
that would be below sea level after removal of ice and full
isostatic rebound) is a subject of continuous research. This
interest stems from the fact that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is a
marine ice sheet which, according to some workers, may be close to
a complete collapse. The Pleistocene ice ages, or glacial cycles,
are best characterized by total ice volume on earth, indicating
that on 4 5 large time scales (10 to 10 yr) ice sheets are a
dominant component of the climate system. The enormous amount of
paleoclimatic information obtained from deep-sea sediments in the
last few decades has led to a complete revival of iriterest in the
physical aspects of the Pleistocene climatic evolution.
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